Do1Thing: Can you do one thing a month to be prepared?

August – Can you communicate with your family?
Don't Wait. Communicate. Have a family communications plan in place.

Try text messaging. In many cases text messages will go through when your call may not.
Designate someone local and out of the area who can act as a central point of contact to help your household reconnect. Make certain all family members know who to contact if they become separated. It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town.
Maintain a list of emergency phone numbers.
Keep all phone calls brief. If you need to use a phone, try to use it only to convey vital information to emergency personnel and/or family.
Limit non-emergency phone calls. This will minimize network congestion, free up "space" on the network for emergency communications and conserve battery power if you are using a wireless phone.

September – National Preparedness Month
Do your kids know what to do in an emergency?
Add emergency preparedness to your back-to-school to-do list:

Have a Password: A family password is a great way to keep your kids safe if they get separated from you. Tell them no one is allowed to pick them up if they don’t know the password.
Know who to Contact: Make your child a booklet or laminated card with important family numbers on them; not just Mom and Dad.
Make a Map: What would happen if your children needed to get home on their own? Would they know the way? Make a fun family activity out of creating a clear, easy to read map for them to keep.
Refresh your Kits: Pick up a few items when you’re back-to-school shopping to freshen up your emergency kits. Check expiration dates on food and make sure batteries are still working.
Ask about School or Childcare Emergency Plans: Ask about school or childcare emergency plans. You will be better prepared to safely reunite your family during an emergency if you plan ahead, and communicate with others in advance.

For more information visit: http://do1thing.com/ & http://ready.gov

SUSTAINING BREASTFEEDING TOGETHER

World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is in August and the WIC program continues offers many services to educate and support moms to meet their breastfeeding goals. Breastfeeding education and support is provided to all the pregnant and breastfeeding mothers on the program as part of their regular WIC visit. We also have International Board Certified Lactation Support Counselors (IBCLCs) available to follow-up with breastfeeding mothers who need additional support.
Our pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are also encouraged to have a Peer Breastfeeding Support Counselor who is a Mom just like them who provides additional breastfeeding support and encouragement. Our peer counselors and IBCLCs lead a breastfeeding support group for nursing mothers and a breastfeeding preparation class for pregnant mothers monthly. For More information on upcoming classes visit the Anoka County WIC webpage https://www.anokacounty.us/3009/Breastfeeding
In August, to celebrate WBW WIC is having our annual Meet and Greet event to meet our Breastfeeding Peer Counselors and IBCLCs at the Blaine Human Service Center from 9:30-11:30am. The public is welcome!

STUDENTS RAISING THEIR HANDS IN A CLASSROOM SETTING

RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'RE READY!

Minnesota law requires all students enrolled in grades kindergarten through 12 and all children enrolling in early childhood and Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) programs to show they have received immunizations or an exemption.
Parents who don’t get their children immunized early in life may put them at risk for a number of childhood diseases. These diseases can cause serious health problems and may even result in death. Minnesota children are still getting diseases such as measles, whooping cough (pertussis), and mumps. These diseases are contagious and can spread rapidly- especially among groups of children who haven’t received their shots. As a parent, you can protect your children by making sure they get all their shots and at the right ages.
See your child’s primary doctor for immunizations. Anoka County also offers two public immunization clinics every month for un and under-insured children and adults. If you don’t have a doctor, or are concerned about the cost of shots, or would like more information about vaccines and/or our clinics, please call us at 763.324.4240 or visit our website at https://www.anokacounty.us/2285/Immunizations

An online resource to help make the healthy choice the easy choice.

Good health is created where we live, work, learn and play. Go Anoka County is an online informational resource that identifies opportunities for individuals to engage in Healthy Eating, Active Living and Tobacco Free Living. Through these resources, we seek to provide information that identifies opportunities to make the healthy choice the easy choice.
Use our interactive Go Anoka County Map and search for parks, farmer’s markets, free or low cost healthy food and meals, community gardens and other activities near you.
Through this website, we hope to:
      Increase awareness of free and low-cost opportunities to be healthy
      Promote access and make it convenient for people to find places to enhance health
      Increase awareness of public parks and recreational facilities
      Promote smoke-free living
www.GoAnokaCounty.org is supported by the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) through the Minnesota Department of Health

You may see the Anoka County Child and Teen Checkups outreach staff around the community this summer at the libraries, local festivals, and back to school events. They are busy talking to families about having a healthy summer break including getting a Child and Teen Checkup, so kids are healthy and ready for a new school year. Some of the health tips they are sharing include choosing water to drink, increasing physical activities to at least an hour per day and encouraging healthy snacking on fruits and vegetables. To learn more about Child and Teen Checkups or having a healthy summer break, please call (763) 324-4280.

Good, Clean, Fun at the Pool

Summer often includes sharing play time in water with others. This sharing includes germs and chemicals that may cause illness. Water features also have safety issues that need controls to prevent injury or death. The Environmental Health section of the Anoka County Community Health and Environmental Services Department inspects public pools for compliance with operation and maintenance standards. Pool design and installation requirement verification is the responsibility of the Minnesota Department of Health. Pools include spas and splash pads if the water is reused. The Minnesota Pool Code does not apply to residential pools or to natural features such as lakes. Please visit http://www.anokacounty.us/554/Environmental-Health-Services for more information on pool regulations and other services provided.