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Legislative
Panel: Strategies for Breaking the Cycle of Homelessness
for Minnesota’s
Children and Families
Room: Great Hall
Kathy Saltzman, Senator, State of Minnesota
Patricia Torres Ray, Senator, State of Minnesota
Nora Slawik, Representative, State of Minnesota
Carlos
Marianni, Representative, State of Minnesota
Gregory
Gray, Executive Director, Legislative Commission to End
Poverty in Minnesota by 2020 (Moderator)
Recognizing and addressing the impact of homelessness
on children and youth is imperative if we want to end
generational homelessness. Minnesota House and Senate
leaders will discuss the role and responsibility of
government in addressing the needs of homeless children
and youth.
What are legislators prepared to do to ensure homeless
and formerly homeless children and youth have a chance
to break the cycle of homelessness? How will Minnesota
provide resources and support to homeless children
and youth during these difficult economic times? Panelists
will discuss such important issues as children’s
mental health services, quality early childhood education,
and stable affordable housing.
Presentation materials not available.
Keynote Luncheon Address with speaker Antwone Fisher
Room: Great Hall
Overcoming Homelessness
and Bringing Children’s Dreams
to Life
Antwone Fisher
Introduction by Mayor R.T. Rybak, City of Minneapolis
Antwone Fisher has an incredible journey and message to
share of overcoming homelessness and achieving his dreams
despite the difficult circumstances he faced as a child.
Fisher was born in prison to a teenage mother and immediately
became a ward of the state of Ohio and placed in foster
care. He survived the cruelties of an abusive foster care
family situation for 12 years and the brutalities of homelessness
and set on a course of healing after joining the U.S. Navy.
Fisher is a director, screenwriter, author, and film producer.
New York Times Best Seller, Finding Fish a Memoir, is the
inspiring story of his incredible life’s journey.
The film, Antwone Fisher, written by Fisher himself, reflects
on his life as a sailor and as a child. Through his National
Best Seller collection of poetry, Who Will Cry for the
Little Boy?, Fisher reveals inner truths that took him
from a tumultuous childhood to the man he is today.
Link to Antwone Fisher's website.
McKinney-Vento and Head Start: Perfect Partners for
Children Experiencing Homelessness
Room: Soo Line
Mary Vanderwert, Head Start Collaboration Director, Minnesota
Department of Education
Ruth Ellen Luehr, MS, RN, FNASN, Health Services Specialist,
Minnesota Department of Education
Lee Ann Murphy, Director of Administration, PICA Head
Start
Focus: all children, infant and toddlers, family
When children are homeless, their development and education
usually suffers. Federal laws require school districts
and Head Start programs to identify children who are
homeless and ensure their continued, consistent participation
in education. Both use a definition of homelessness from
the McKinney-Vento law that extends to those who have
no permanent residence or are living in substandard conditions.
Learn more about these laws and the role of the
Minnesota Department of Education, the requirements for
both programs, and how they work separately and coordinate
their efforts to ensure that children receive all the
supports and services they need for their continued development.
Explore how programs can and have designed services that
are flexible and pertinent to very young children, school
agers, and their families.
Download presentation materials.
Education and Child Welfare Outcomes of Homeless
and Highly Mobile Students in Minnesota
Room: Hiawatha
1
Anita M. Larson, Research Fellow, Minn-LlnK Project Coordinator,
Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare,
University of Minnesota, School of Social Work and Center
for Early Education and Development
Danielle Meehan, BA,
Graduate Research Assistant, Minn-LlnK Project, Center
for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare, University of Minnesota
Focus: all children, family
This study attempts to identify and estimate the total
number of homeless or highly mobile (H/HM) students in
Minnesota by examining statewide education data in conjunction
with data from McKinney-Vento school districts. Child
welfare
data will also be examined to investigate the child protection
involvement of the children and families who are identified
as homeless or highly mobile. Overarching goals include:
creating a fuller picture of the extent
of H/HM students in Minnesota; examining some of the
child welfare and educational activity of H/HM students
before being flagged by districts; and providing a base
from which future work, including replication of the
study,
can be conducted.
Download
presentation materials.
Strategies for Ending Poverty in Minnesota
Room: Rock Island
Gregory Gray, Director, Legislative Commission to End
Poverty in Minnesota by 2020
Focus: all children, family
Ensuring low-income Minnesotans achieve economic self-sufficiency
is a difficult task. The mission of the Minnesota Commission
to End Poverty by 2020 is to develop guidelines and prepare
recommendations on how to end poverty in Minnesota by
2020. This workshop will provide an opportunity for participants
to learn about the principles that guided the process
and
to provide feedback on the initial recommendations that
the Commission is currently consid-ering. These recommendations
will directly impact low-income families and the communities
in which they reside.
Download
presentation materials.
“Home” Visiting
for Children Without Homes
Room: Hiawatha 2
Phoebe Soares, Director of Programs, National Center on
Family Homelessness
Dianne Haulcy, BA, MA, Executive Director, Reuben Lindh
Family Services
Bridgette Baker-Brown, Clinical Social Worker, Beacon-Therapeutic
Diagnostic and Treatment Center
Focus: infant and toddler, family
Homelessness among very young children is much too common
in the United States. The inherent instability of multiple
moves and shelter stays makes it challenging for parents
to ensure children are receiving the appropriate stimulation
and support to promote healthy development. This workshop
will examine two home visiting models that provide mobile
child development and support services to families experiencing
homelessness. It will include a review of research on home
visiting models, and explore public-private partnerships
and policy proposals that could increase access to quality
child development services to low income and homeless families.
Download
presentation materials.
The Final Report of the Infant Toddler Discovery Project:
Engaging the Strengths of Families and Staff
in Supportive Housing
Room: Hiawatha 3
Sharon Henry-Blythe, Director of Children and Family Policy
and Research, Family Supportive Housing Center
Kim Skobba, Ph.D., Housing Research and Evaluation Consultant, Kim Skobba Consulting
Focus: infant and toddler
Eighteen family supportive housing providers in Minnesota identified the need
to become more intentional about supporting families with young children. This
session will describe the Infant Toddler Discovery Project and discuss the
lessons learned from this community-driven research model designed to increase
understanding of the needs of families with children birth to four living in
supportive housing.
Download
presentation materials.
Using Early Childhood Indicators of Progress to Support Young Children
and Families
Room: Hiawatha 1
Gail C. Roberts, Ph.D., Early Childhood Consultant
Michelle Lenhart, Policy Analyst, Minnesota Department of Human Services
Focus: infant and toddler, preschool age
Minnesota’s Early Childhood Indicators of Progress for Birth to Three
and three-to-five-year-old children provide a foundation for understanding
and communicating a common set of developmentally appropriate expectations
for young children’s growth and development. Ways of using the
Early Childhood Indicators of Progress in a variety of settings with
young children
and families experiencing homelessness will be discussed using case studies,
examples,
and strategies for supporting child and family development.
Download
presentation materials.
Stress Effects and Reduction Techniques for Children
(and Adults Too!)
Room: Rock Island
Susan Roedl, Program Director, Kids’ Resiliency Education, St. Stephen’s
Human Services
John Hoch, Post Doctoral Fellow, Institute of Child Development, Department
of Educational Psychology,
University of Minnesota
Tracy Bradfield, Project Coordinator: Assessment and Training Center and
Center for Response to Intervention
in Early Childhood Center for Early Education and Development, University
of Minnesota
Focus: Other
Little kids get stressed, too. Research shows the detrimental effects of
childhood stress which disproportionately affects children in poverty.
Poor memory, low
frustration tolerance, poor self-esteem, high blood pressure, and diabetes
are
just a few of the responses to childhood stress. To combat these effects,
St. Stephen’s began the Kids Resiliency
Education (KRE) program, and the anecdotal results of this work have been
outstanding. This session will discuss how stress affects the body and
offer techniques
for children and adults to reduce stress. The University of Minnesota will
also present the results of their research on the KRE program’s effectiveness.
Download presentation
materials.
McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and
Youth: 101
Room: Hiawatha 2
Elizabeth Hinz, District Liaison for Homeless and Highly
Mobile Students, Minneapolis Public Schools
Becky Hicks, Homeless Liaison, Saint Paul Public Schools
Focus: all children, family, school-age
What do schools do about children and youth who are homeless? The homeless
student liaisons from St. Paul and Minneapolis Public Schools will use
an interactive format to describe the educational requirements under
the federal McKinney-Vento
Education of Homeless Children and Youth legislation. They will cover
the following topics:
identification/eligibility, school district policies and procedures for
identifying and serving homeless children and youth, resources available
in collaboration
with community, and accountabilities specific to school districts.
Download presentation
materials.
What About the Children in Shelter?
Room: Soo Line
Margaret Lovejoy, Executive Director, The Family Place
Focus: all children, family
Homelessness is devastating with profound and lasting
effects on the family, and the psychological damage it
has
on children is yet to be determined. At The Family Place we witnessed
disconnection between parent and child at
a vulnerable time in the life of a child. To offset the disconnection
in a family, we have redesigned the layout of the
family room to incorporate children’s work (play) and the parent’s
attention. In partnership with the Minnesota
Montessori Training Center, The Family Place has created spaces and
programs to help parents connect to the child
as they integrate play and learning.
Download
presentation materials.
From
Getting By to Getting Ahead: Minnesota KIDS COUNT Data & Bridge
to Benefits
Room: Hiawatha 3
Andi Egbert, Research Director, Children’s Defense Fund Minnesota
Ryan Johnson, Outreach Specialist, Children’s Defense Fund Minnesota
Focus: all children, infant and toddlers, youth and adolescents,
family
Explore the 2008 Minnesota KIDS COUNT Data Book, a comprehensive
look at child well-being in Minnesota. Learn about key trends in
children’s
health, education, and family income in your county and statewide, with a
special emphasis
on homeless children. Bridge to Benefits (www.bridgetobenefits.org) is a
project to improve the well-being of families by linking them to public programs
such
as health care, child care assistance, school meals, food support, energy
assistance, and tax credits. A core component of the project is an online
eligibility-screening
tool designed to help families understand if they are eligible for public
programs.
Download presentation
materials.
Preparing Youth Transitioning Out of Foster Care
to Achieve Successful Independent Living
Room: Hiawatha 1
Michelle Basham, Executive Director, Genesis II for Families
Focus: youth/adolescents, family
This presentation will highlight the unique vulnerabilities faced
by youth transitioning out of foster care, including homelessness,
exploitation,
and abusive relationships. It will also discuss successful strategies
to
ensure
these youth
have the necessary skills, abilities, and resources to be able
to live independently, including teaching youth independent
living skills (i.e., searching for jobs, financial management,
housing, and communication) and counseling. Strength-based programs
aimed
at strengthening families and preventing child abuse will also
be highlighted.
Download
presentation materials.
The Right Mix: Faith Communities + Professional
Social Work = Success in Family Shelters
Room: Hiawatha 2
Leslie M. Frost, J.D., Executive Director, Families Moving
Forward
Rachel Babbitt, LSW, Program Director, Families Moving Forward
Focus: family
Families Moving Forward® (FMF) is a faith-based social service agency
with a very successful family emergency
shelter program to which more than 15,000 volunteer hours are
contributed every year. FMF complements intensive case management
by highly-skilled
social workers
with loving attention from faith community volunteers. It changes
lives by attending to the whole family’s needs, with the children’s needs
as the highest priority. The presentation will include clips from “Jamonte’s
World,” which appeared on Fox 9 News in the Twin Cities in November
2007.
Download
presentation materials.
Homeless Families and Unaccompanied Youth: Does the Type
of Shelter Make a Difference?
Room: Hiawatha 3
Ellen Shelton, Research Scientist, Wilder Research
Michelle Decker Gerrard, Research Scientist, Wilder Research
Focus: youth and adolescents, family
Wilder Research staff will present unpublished information
about the characteristics and service needs of homeless families
and
unaccompanied youth, comparing
those staying in formal shelter programs, those staying mainly
in unsheltered
locations,
and those who have spent significant time doubled up in informal
arrangements. Presentation will also include discussion on
how situations of unaccompanied
youth are similar to and different from those of homeless
teens who are with a parent.
Download
presentation materials.
Household Hazards: Are Those Products Safe for Children?
Room: Soo Line
Karen McKiel, Environmental Analyst, Family Supportive Housing
Center LLC
Ellen Hart-Shegos, Executive Director, Family Supportive
Housing Center LLC
Focus: family
Some household and personal care products and the manner
in which they are used have the potential to be detrimental
to
health. A
single exposure
to
certain ingredients is unlikely to do any harm, but a lifetime
of exposure or exposure
for young children can add up. Staff from the Family Supportive
Housing Center LLC will present their findings from the
discovery phase of
the Children’s
Environmental Initiative, the goal of which is to create safe physical environments
in supportive housing settings for very young children and all family members.
Issues addressed in the initiative are harmful household and personal care
products, pesticides, asthma triggers, and unsafe physical surroundings.
Download
presentation materials.
The Power of Collaboration
Room: Rock Island
Carolyn Smallwood, Executive Director, Way to Grow
Jim Minor, CEO/President, People Serving People
Elizabeth Fields, Director of Early Childhood Development,
Way to Grow
Wendy Darst, Grant Writer, People Serving People
Kelly Stillman, Director of Children’s Services, People Serving People
Focus: all children, family
In this interactive session, presenters will introduce
their organizations—People
Serving People and Way to Grow—providing a brief history of each entity;
sharing key learnings in the field of families in transition, local statistics
and stories of homelessness; and outlining the current needs of local families.
They will share their collaboration model including why they decided to collaborate,
how they grew from the idea stage to a tangible service, and the results
and key findings of this partnership.
Download
presentation materials.
Research Panel: Combining the Best of Research and Practice
to Serve the Needs of Homeless Children
Room: Great Hall
Dr. Paul A. Toro, Professor of Psychology, Wayne State
University, Detroit
Dr. Abigail Gewirtz, Consultant-Assistant
Professor in the Department of Family Social Science
and the Institute of Child Development, University of
Minnesota
Dr. Ann Masten, Distinguished McKnight Professor, Institute
of Child Development, University of Minnesota
Dr. Oliver Williams, Executive Director, Institute on Domestic
Violence in the African-American Community,
University of Minnesota
Dr. Anne Gearity, Clinical Social Worker & Consultant
(Moderator)
What are the “best practices” for serving
formerly homeless families? What about practice-based
evidence that
has been developed by providers through their direct
experience in serving homeless families? How can social
service
agencies take advantage of the research expertise developed
at universities to help answer some of these questions?
A panel of academic researchers who specialize in the
area of family homelessness will tackle such questions
and explore
ways researchers and service organizations can partner
to mutually benefit from each other’s expertise.
Researchers will share what they have learned on how to
best serve children and youth who have experienced homelessness.
Presentation materials not available.
Keynote Luncheon Address with speaker Dr. Ralph Nunez
Room: Great Hall
Creating Solutions to Family Homelessness and Poverty
Dr. Ralph Nunez, President and CEO, Homes for the Homeless
Introduction by Amy Crawford, Executive Director, The Jay
and Rose Phillips Family Foundation
Ralph Da Costa-Núñez, Ph.D., is President
and CEO of Homes for the Homeless, a unique “transitional
welfare”
program to approximately 1,000 homeless families with 2,500
children in New York City each year. Dr. Nunez
manages Homes for the Homeless’ American Family
Inns, the nation’s largest network of residential
education and employment training centers. Dr. Nunez
is also
President of the Institute for Children and Poverty
that conducts
research on issues surrounding poverty and homelessness
and the ensuing impacts on children and families.
Dr. Nunez is the Editor of the international Journal
of
Children
and Poverty and has authored numerous reports, articles,
and books, including a series of children’s
books on homelessness. Dr. Nunez will talk about
his experience
in finding
solutions to help families and children break the
cycle of homelessness and poverty.
Link
to Homes for the Homeless website.
Trauma-Informed Practice: Supporting Children Exposed
to Domestic Violence
Room: Hiawatha 1
Tamara Taylor, MA, Professional Counseling and
Marriage and Family Therapy, Director of Youth
and Family Services,
Tubman Family Alliance and Chrysalis
Jennifer Keegan, Child Care Services Coordinator,
Tubman Family Alliance and Chrysalis
Focus: youth/adolescents, family
This presentation will provide strategies for providers
to incorporate trauma-informed approaches into
their work. Data will be presented that highlights
the benefits of
utilizing a diverse community lens to make adaptations
in order to integrate effective supports that are
responsive to the needs and interests of children
and families impacted
by domestic violence. The presentation will also
detail a pilot program that demonstrates an effective
and strength-based
method to integrate parent education with the goal
of enhancing child development with families who
have experienced multiple
traumas. Time will be reserved at the end of the
presentation for questions and answers.
Download
presentation materials.
From Research to Action: Promoting School
Success in Homeless and Highly Mobile Students
Room: Hiawatha 3
Ann Masten, Ph.D., LP, Distinguished McKnight
Professor, Institute of Child Development, University
of Minnesota
Elizabeth Hinz, District Liaison for Homeless
and Highly Mobile Students, Minneapolis Public
Schools
Focus: school-age
A resilience-based approach to understanding
and promoting school success for homeless and
highly
mobile children
will be presented. Data from collaborative community-university-school
research spanning 20 years in Minnesota will
be presented and discussed in relation to practical
programs and policies
aimed at improving the odds for achievement among
low-income, mobile children.
Download
presentation materials.
Download related CURA Reporter, Summer 2008, article.
Early Childhood Mental Health: Early Identification
and Services Available for Young Children
and their Families
Room: Hiawatha 2
Catherine Wright, MS, Program Manager
for Integrated Care Initiative, Hennepin County Human
Services
and Public
Health and Metropolitan Health Plan
Karen Adamson, PHN, MPH, Program
Manager, Early Childhood Services, Hennepin County
Human Services
and
Public Health
Focus: infant and toddlers, preschool, family
This session will address the importance of
early identification and intervention services
for
children zero to five
with mental health conditions. Systems of care
that have been developed in both Ramsey and
Hennepin County for children
ages zero to five and their families, including
early childhood mental health screening and
assessment and
intervention services will be presented. The
use of electronic screening equipment for early
childhood
social emotional
screening will be demonstrated. Participants
will be engaged in discussions around early
childhood prevention and early
intervention strategies that can be replicated
in local communities.
Download
presentation materials.
What We Know and Still Need to Learn from
Research on Homeless Children and Youth
Room: Rock Island
Paul A. Toro, Ph.D., Department of Psychology,
Wayne State University
Focus: all children
Based on research conducted over the past
two decades, the presenter will provide an
overview
of the areas
in which research has helped us understand
the needs of homeless
children and youth. Important distinctions
will be made between those homeless with
their families
and
those (mostly
adolescents) homeless “on their own.” Areas
in which more research is needed will also be highlighted,
especially rigorous longitudinal and intervention
research, and research that includes appropriate
comparison groups
of non-homeless poor children and youth. Those attending
the workshop will learn how to better use existing
research data in their intervention work and to think
of how to
collect additional data.
Download
presentation materials.
The Impact of Homelessness on American
Indian Families in the Twin Cities
Room: Soo Line
Suzanne Koepplinger, Executive Director,
Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center
Tamara Pacheco, Life Skills Parenting, Minnesota
Indian Women’s Resource Center
Focus: youth/adolescents, family
This presentation consists of two focus areas:
the impact of homelessness on American Indian
families in the child
protection system, and young Native females
on the streets who are at risk of sexual
exploitation. Research results
on accessibility to stable housing as a factor
in the child protection interventions will
be
presented, with discussion
on the impact of these findings on family
stability. This will be followed by information
on the
disproportionate risk factors for American
Indian juvenile females
who are
homeless due to abuse, chemical dependency,
and other traumas.
Download
presentation materials.
Impact of Housing Instability on the
Health and Well-being of Young Children
in Hennepin
County
Room: Hiawatha 1
Joni Geppert, MPH, RD, LN, Epidemiologist,
Minnesota Department of Health
Focus: infants and toddlers
Although the impact of homelessness on
children’s
health is well known, few have measured the impact of housing
instability on the young children. Housing instability
has many definitions, including multiple moves, crowding
and doubling-up of households. Data will be presented from
the Children’s Sentinel Nutrition
Assessment Program, a
ten-year national study measuring the impact
of housing and food insecurity on children’s
health, including local data from the Hennepin
County program.
Download
presentation materials.
Strategies for Serving Young Homeless
Children Birth to Age Six
Room: Hiawatha 2
Dona Anderson, Senior Program Associate,
Homes for the Homeless
Focus: infants and toddlers, family
This session presents the model of the
Prospect Family Support Center, which
integrates new
referral, case management,
and parenting services into an existing
respite center to serve homeless and
at-risk children
and their parents.
The presenter will describe how to transform
a family crisis nursery into a comprehensive
family
support center.
Download
presentation materials.
Alcohol/Drug Treatment
for Adolescents in Unstable Living Environments
Room: Soo Line
Jeff Glover, MA, LADC, Community Resource
Director, Anthony Louis Center/On-Belay
Focus: youth and adolescents
Many are unaware of the difficulties
faced by adolescents in alcohol and other
drug
treatment centers who
cannot go home after treatment. Some
are homeless and have
no place to go; the majority simply cannot
go
back to their
home situation. The time and energy it
takes to get supportive sober housing
takes longer
than
treatment
can be sustained.
The rates of success for adolescents
in drug treatment are challenging, but
it’s
not just treatment that must improve,
it’s also where our adolescents
go after treatment, especially those
with nowhere
to go.
Download
presentation materials.
Implementing the Early Risers Program
in Supportive Housing
Room: Hiawatha 3
Beth Haukebo, Deputy Director, Family
Supportive Housing Center, LLC
Nicole Morrell, Early Risers Program
Manager, Healthy Families Project,
Department of
Psychiatry, University
of Minnesota
Abigail Gewirtz, Ph.D., L.P., Consultant-Assistant
Professor in the Department of Family
Social Science and the Institute
of Child Development, University of
Minnesota
Focus: school-age
Early Risers, recognized nationally
as a best practice, is a prevention
program
for
children
ages five
through twelve
and their families. It is based on
the premise that early comprehensive
and
sustained intervention
is necessary to
target multiple risks and protective
factors. The program uses an intervention
model
that focuses on moving high-risk
children into a more adaptive developmental
pathway. Developed at the University
of Minnesota, the
Early
Risers program
is generally implemented through schools.
Over the past three years, the Provider
Group and
the University of
Minnesota have implemented the program
through supportive housing. This workshop
will highlight
findings to date.
Download
presentation materials.
Strategies for Effective Parent
Involvement
Room: Rock Island
Andrea Carter, President, Angel Institute,
Inc.
Focus: all children
This session discusses the barriers
to effective parent involvement and
the
keys to breaking
down those barriers.
It will cover some creative and effective
ways to recruit, engage and retain
participation of parents in programs.
This session will be interactive
and participants will have an opportunity
to share their
challenges around parent
involvement while gaining new ideas
to
address them.
Download
presentation materials.
Minnesota Child Care
Assistance Programs
Room: Hiawatha 1
Brenda Clark, Program Consultant,
Child Care Assistance Programs,
Minnesota Department of Human Services
Maya Sullivan, Policy Consultant,
Child Care Assistance Programs,
Minnesota Department of Human Services
Leila Farah, Policy
Analyst, Minnesota Family Investment
Program (MFIP),
Transition to
Economic Stability
Division,
Minnesota Department of Human Services
Focus: infants and toddlers, family,
school-age
This presentation will give a general
overview of the three Minnesota
Child Care Assistance
Programs and discuss statewide
trends. Emphasis will be given
to the MFIP child care assistance
program
and how it
interrelates with MFIP cash assistance
to promote economic stability
for families
knowing
their children are well cared
for. Other
topics will include care for children
with special needs, finding a
child care provider,
and other
resources to assist
families caring for young children.
Download
presentation materials.
The Journey Towards Harm Reduction
in Family Supportive Housing
Room: Hiawatha 2
Wendy Wiegmann, Director of
Programs, Simpson Housing Services,
Inc.
Janelle Leppa, Housing Services
Manager, Simpson Housing Services,
Inc.
Focus: family
This session will chronicle
the movement of scattered-site
housing
programs
for families from sobriety-expectation
to harm reduction. Presenters
will cover lessons they continue
to
learn about
building on the
strengths of families
and children in a setting in
which no one is turned away.
Download
presentation materials.
The Wakanheza Project:
Creating Welcoming Environments
for Children
and Families
Room: Hiawatha 3
Brittany McBeath, Prevention
Training Coordinator, Prevent
Child Abuse
Minnesota
Darleen Simmons, Health Educator,
St. Paul-Ramsey County Department
of Public
Health
Donald Gault, Manager, Healthy
Communities, St. Paul-Ramsey
County Department
of Public Health
Focus: all children, family
The Wakanheza Project provides
tools and strategies to help
us effectively
respond
to everyday
situations of harsh
treatment, and prevent them
from happening in the first
place by
creating welcoming
environments for our children,
young people, and families.
Wakanheza Project strategies
have changed the environments
and
experiences of people
in museums, schools, shelters,
and other community organizations.
Participants
will be able to
discuss situations they have
been in and engage in small-group
discussions in response to
facilitator questions.
Everyone will
walk away with
the knowledge and materials
to be able to implement the
Wakanheza
Project
in
their workplace.
Download
presentation materials.
Engagement Group for
Mothers and Babies
Room: Soo Line
Deborah Smith, Program Director,
New Foundations
Antonia Coleman, Children’s
Services Coordinator, New
Foundations
Focus: infants birth to age
two
The goal of the Engagement
Group is to motivate parents
in an environment
that
promotes mental,
physical and
emotional well-being. During
the 12 week sessions, group
interactions
include
building healthy
relationships with
other parents and babies,
and networking while developing
their own parenting
skills. Group
includes physical
exercise as well as mental
and emotional awareness during
this
critical time
of growth and development
of children,
while nurturing the post-partum
emotional stability of new
mothers.
Download
presentation materials.
The African American
Man and His Children: A
Focus on
Fathers
Room: Rock Island
Harry Ford, Director of
Family Wellness, Emerge
Community
Development; President,
Tezet Institute
Focus: family
Focusing on the historical
importance of the African
American male in
the process of parenting,
this
presentation
will discuss programming
that seeks to promote increased
involvement and participation
of
African American
men with their children.
The
topic
of healthy parenting is
a critically important
issue
in today’s
inner cities and the presenter
seeks to help
begin to
bridge the gaps
that
exist as they
relate to fathering.
Presentation materials not available. |
© Family
Housing Fund
