Tabitha Woolbright, director of Future Stars Academy of Ocala, reads an interactive book to Abigail Truesdell, 4, center and Avianna Velasquez Rhodes, 5, right, on Thursday at the Early Learning Coalition of Marion County. The Kiwanis Club of Ocala and the Early Learning Coalition have purchased six cases of ClearMask, which allow the face of caregivers to be visible for babies and toddlers, and thus allowing children to observe their caregivers’ expressions and nonverbal cues. Doug Engle/Ocala Star-Banner
As the one-year mark of the COVID-19 pandemic approaches, the adaptive nature of humans is becoming more clear. But while social distancing and face masks have become a societal norm, the effects of covered faces, especially from a young child’s perspective, must be considered.
With that in mind, the Early Learning Coalition of Marion County (ELCMC) on Thursday accepted 2,592 ClearMasks at coalition headquarters in Ocala. The ClearMasks allow children to see the faces of their caregivers, providing visual communication and cues that experts say are necessary for early brain development and language/social skills.
The masks will be distributed to approximately 160 local early learning centers. The $7,500 investment to purchase the masks is a collaboration of Faces Are Essential/FAIMH (an initiative of the Florida Association for Infant Mental Health) in conjunction with the Florida District of Kiwanis, the Kiwanis Club of Ocala and the ELCMC.
State Sen. Dennis Baxley, state Rep. Stan McClain and Cindy Brown, on behalf of U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster, attended the donation event on Thursday, where the FDA-approved face masks were officially distributed.
McClain, R-Ocala, spoke about the importance of the ELCMC and the Kiwanis Club – all while wearing a ClearMask.
“The masks offer more human interaction; people can see the smile on your face,” he said. “I think that’s really helpful, and it’s obviously a great protection.”
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children read faces for nonverbal emotional content and as a way to decipher the array of human emotions and reactions.
“Social skills ... enable children to listen to directions, pay attention, solve disputes with words, and focus on tasks without constant supervision,” the AAP website states.
Tabitha Woolbright, director of Future Stars Academy of Ocala, said that although masks have become normal, the long-term effects of hidden facial expressions are not known.
“I really like the masks because the kids need to see your face,” Woolbright said. “At the younger age, all they know is interaction, and in the long run, I think these masks will benefit the kids and their development.”
FAIMH has partnered with the Florida District of Kiwanis to promote the use of ClearMasks to its approximately 28,000 members in 240 Kiwanis Clubs and 361 Key Clubs throughout the district, which includes clubs in Grand Cayman, Turks & Caicos and Puerto Rico.