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In This Issue

• IDCFS Staff Boost Local Collaboration Between Early Childhood and Child Welfare
• SFI Receives Funding for Evaluation Study on Parent-Staff Relationships
• Hub Coordinators Unite Around SFI Goals and Plan for Next Year
• Kids Hope United Models Collaboration at Training
• National Parent Partnership Council Welcomes SFI Team Member
• DCFS Family to Family Team Puts Protective Factors to Good Use
• Events Help Staff Understand Parent Cafe Process
• Conference Corner
• Thanks to
• Calendar

IDCFS Staff Boost Local Collaboration Between Early Childhood and Child Welfare

New IDCFS staff working on local collaboration in SFI Learning Networks are making their presence known in communities. Ever since an orientation in early May, the School Readiness Specialists have been working across the state to learn more about Strengthening Families and to build relationships among the Learning Network programs. They’ve been in touch with Hub Coordinators in each region, attended Learning Network meetings in May, and participated in a Protective Factors training with Kids Hope United.   

As the School Readiness Specialists ramp up their work, they are expected to make a big difference in helping SFI Learning Networks develop relationships with the local caseworkers who are placing children in their programs. They will “be a bridge between programs and case management staff in helping get our young children into quality early learning programs,” says Cherlynn Shelby, School Readiness Statewide Administrator.

Continuing into the next fiscal year, the group’s activities will include:

• Participating in regional cross-trainings and trauma-sensitivity trainings

• Providing presentations on IDCFS rules, policies, and procedures and the Department’s commitment to Strengthening Families and preventing child abuse and neglect

• Promoting the implementation of the six SFI Protective Factors among early care and education programs and child welfare staff

• Participating in learning network meetings and Parent Cafés

• Tracking the enrollment of children in IDCFS care in early learning programs and identifying resources for child welfare staff

Stay tuned for more updates!

SFI Receives Funding for Evaluation Study on Parent-Staff Relationships

Research shows that when early childhood staff develop strong relationships with the families involved in their program it plays a role in building the protective factors proven to keep families strong and kids safe.  But what types of organizational changes and attributes are necessary to support that type of philosophy shift in a center?  In May, SFI learned that The REAM Foundation would be providing the initiative with a generous grant to study how participating in Strengthening Families has influenced practices and policies in child care centers, in particular the influence on parent teacher relationships and the role required of management in fostering that shift.

Anne Douglass—a Ph.D. candidate in Social Policy with a concentration in children, youth, and families at Brandeis University—will research and document how parents and staff at four Strengthening Families Illinois early childhood centers are developing strong, respectful relationships that prevent abuse and neglect.  This research will include interviews and observation using a standardized organizational assessment scale, as well as review of documents and materials. We’ll make sure to let you know when the report is published, so that you can learn from and spread the word on its findings.

Hub Coordinators United Around SFI Goals and Plan for Next Year

Learning Network Hub Coordinators from each DCFS region, along withthe SFI team, met to make plans for fiscal year 2009 May 19–20 in Whittington, IL. The Learning Networks also built consensus on the goals for programs participating in SFI in three priority areas: developing parent engagement networks, embedding SFIpractice in participating centers, and early childhood and child welfare collaboration.  

“It was extremely helpful to have the chance to connect with the other hub coordinators in the different regions and share our experiences,” said South Cook Hub Coordinator Sharifa Townsend. In addition, the annual meeting of Hub Coordinators has become a valuable opportunity for the statewide initiative to examine its strengths and challenges at thelocal level.

Click here to view the meeting report.  To find out where SFI’s Learning Networks are located, click here.

Kids Hope United Models Collaboration at SFI Training

“I met with a family yesterday and thought there was nothing that could be done. But after going through this training, I now recognize that this family does have strengths that I can work with,” said a child welfare caseworker participating in an SFI Protective Factors training held at Kids Hope United (KHU) May 20.   The training took place at Kids Hope United’s Lake Villa campus and welcomed over 30 staff, equal parts child welfare and early care and education—as well as four members of the new IDCFS School Readiness Specialist team.

“We were really excited about the level of involvement from all staff who participated,” said Kids Hope United staff member Kareen Nunnally, who along with another colleague was trained as a trainer on the Protective Factors. “It was great to see the collaboration between child welfare and early childhood staff as they made the connection in terms of their shared desire and goal to enhance services for children and families.” Kids Hope United, which provides both early childhood education and child welfare services, is the first contract child welfare agency (POS) to commit to embedding Strengthening Families policies and practices in all of its services for children and families.  KHU held a follow-up Protective Factors training for additional staff June 18 and will be piloting the approach within their organization for the remainder of the year after which they plan to form a learning network with similar agencies.

For more information on Kids Hope United, click here.

Calendar

• June 25: South Cook Learning Network Parent Leadership Orientation, Riverdale
• June 26:LINE Partner Cafe, Chicago; Chicago Learning Network Meeting & End of Year Celebration, Chicago
• July 18: NAFCC Conference-SFI Presentations, Schuamburg
• July 22: Kids Hope United Partner Cafe, Lake Villa
• July 23: Professional Development and Training Workgroup Meeting, Chicago
• July 29: Kids Hope United Partner Cafe, Chicago
• August 5: Evaluation Workgroup Meeting, Chicago
• Aug 11: South Cook Learning Network Parent Leadership Training, Riverdale
• Aug 12: Professional Development and Training Workgroup Meeting, Chicago
• Aug 13-14: Parent Engagement Workgroup Orientation/Meeting
• Aug 14: Kane County Learning Network, Carpentersville
• Aug 15: Building Resiliency Workgroup Meeting, Chicago
• Aug 18: South Cook Learning Network Parent Leadership Training, Riverdale
• Aug 20: South Cook Learning Network Protective Factors Training
• Aug 21: Parenting Resource Fair, Chicago
• Aug 25: South Cook Learning Network Parent Leadership Training, Riverdale

Click here to view additional details on upcoming events SFI's website .

You can subscribe to SFI's Calendar on Google by clicking button below:

National Parent Partnership Council Welcomes SFI Team Member

Since Strengthening Families started, Letechia Williams has been a member of SFI’s staff team, Leadership Team, and workgroups, as well as a partner in developing the Love Is Not Enough campaign and Parent Cafés. Now, she’s been accepted into the National Parent Partnership Council formed by The Center for The Study of Social Policy and the Alliance of Children’s Trust Funds. The council met for the first time April 29–May 2 in Seattle.

The group’s overall purpose is to build a strong parent voice in shaping the future of programs, policies, and systems that strengthen families and to build stronger partnerships among the different Children’s Trust Funds and Early Childhood Initiative Teams across the country. At the first meeting were 16 parent leaders from across the country, the National Alliance of Children’s Trust Funds Board of Directors, state representatives from the alliance’s Early Childhood Initiative, and other organizational partners. Currently, 10 parent leaders serve on the council, and the plan is to add at least three more. The council will continue meeting over the summer to plan next steps.

DCFS Family To Family Team Puts Protective Factors To Good Use

“Children belong in families, and families need strong communities,” says Carmen Velazquez, Statewide Coordinator of the IDCFS Family to Family Initiative. On May 22, about 25 of the initiative’s staff took part in SFI’s Protective Factors training, provided by the Midwest Learning Center for Family Support.

IDCFS began implementing Family to Family, a national initiative of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, in 2006. By being a source of support in neighborhoods with a high percentage of families in the child welfare system, the initiative works to improve outcomes for these families and, ultimately, keep them together. Family to Family has sites in Peoria (Central Region), Rock Island and Mercer Counties (Northern Region), and South Cook County (Cook South Region).

DCFS staff at the training found that Family to Family had a lot in common with SFI.  Velazquez said she was impressed with how both programs use strength-based models and believe strongly in empowering parents. Family to Family facilitator Renee Warren agreed, adding, “When we work with families, we always talk about their strengths and look to build on those in helping keep them together.” To learn more about the national Family to Family Initiative, click here.

Events Help Staff Understand Parent Cafe Process

“This experience was very thought provoking and engaging” said Dr. Felicia Y. Blasingame, President and CEO of South Central Family Services.  She was one of 15 participants in a Partner Café hosted by Illinois Family Partnership Network at their office on May 15.

Partner Cafés are a first step for centers interested in bringing the Love Is Not Enough Parent Café process back to the families they work with. At these events, early childhood and child welfare professionals have meaningful conversations using the Love Is Not Enough Parent Café process—but the topics are chosen for staff, rather than parents. This gives staff a chance to experience cafés first-hand to see how they could help strengthen the families they work with. IFPN is holding a follow up Partner Cafe on June 26.

Conference Corner

National Association for Family Child Care Annual Conference
July 17–19, Schaumburg, IL
This national conference focuses on improving the quality of family child care, including NAFCC accreditation and ALI/PDI sessions. Strengthening Families will lead two workshops.

Parenting Resource Fair
August 21, 3110 W. Grand Ave. Chicago
Sponsor: Uhlich Academy
Request more information by clicking here

Save the Date: Advocating for All Children: Many Voices – One Vision
14th Annual Child Abuse Prevention Conference
November 20 – 21, 2008
Sponsor: Prevent Child Abuse Illinois
Oak Brook, IL
For more information visit www.preventchildabuseillinois.org.

Would you like SFI speakers or materials at your conference or event? Contact Us.

Thanks to …

The new DCFS School Readiness Specialist Staff Members Dock Connors, David Morris, Jackie Rivers, Nubia Rodriguez, Rafael Serrano, Cherlynn Shelby, and Michael Stripens for their work in making connections with the SFI Learning Networks ... The REAM Foundation for their support of SFI and Anne Douglass for her research efforts ... Donna Ashley, Chris Baer, Connie Boatright, Maxine DeLapp, Keri Hartwig, Leslie Janes, Lori Longueville, Lisa McCuan, Ashley Schaff, and Sharifa Townsend for their participation and contributions at the Hub Coordinator planning retreat ... Kareen Nunnally and Kids Hope United for their commitment to embedding Strengthening Families in their agency and Margie Perzynski for providing support at their recent training on Protective Factors ... Carmen Velazquez and Renee Warren for sharing their recent training experience with SFI and Cynthia Stringfellow and the Midwest Learning Center for Family Support for providing the training for the IDCFS Family To Family Initiative Staff ... Michael Byrd and Marsha Harris for inviting Strengthening Families Illinois to exhibit at their recent Birth Parent Conference ... Dr. Felicia Blasingame for her comments on the partner cafe ... and the many other people who contribute their time and support to strengthen Illinois children!

Know someone involved with SFI who deserves thanks? Send us an email.