|
|
|
May 2006 |
 |
|
E-Update
|
|
Highlights
for Leaders and Partners of Strengthening Families Illinois |
Welcome back to the SFI E-Update! Momentum and interest continue to grow across the state and a lot is happening with Strengthening Families Illinois as we gear up for the summer! If you have comments or suggestions, please send us an email.
In This Issue
What's the 6th Protective Factor?
That’s a trick question! Up until now, the Strengthening Families Initiative has promoted five factors shown to reduce child abuse and neglect. But at SFI’s April 21 Leadership Team meeting, the Building Resiliency Workgroup proposed a sixth: parent-child attachment and attunement. The importance of a strong parent-child relationship in preventing child abuse and neglect is well documented in the research and a large  part of quality practice. The group has begun gathering the research evidence and practice studies to back up the addition. Stay tuned!
Also at the meeting, the Leadership Team decided to develop a statewide Parent Advisory Workgroup. This group will ensure that parents continue to have meaningful involvement in developing SFI materials and activities. It will include parents, foster parents, and grandparents raising children.
Above: 5 Protective Factors
SFI’s Leadership Team will meet again June 23. The topic is: Keeping the Momentum—Sustaining SFI After the Pilot Phase.
New SFI Partners
- Illinois Federation for Families: Patti Lapella Bardell
- Rockford Public Schools: Marcia Blascoe
DCFS Collaborates in Kane County
On April 27, DCFS Director Bryan Samuels met with members of the Kane County Learning Network to discuss their experiences and how they can work collaboratively with DCFS. Also in attendance were Special Assistant to the Director Anne Studzinski and Regional Administrator Debbie Palmer-Thomas.
Network members discussed with Samuels some of the challenges in their communities, such as working with the growing Spanish speaking population, providing physical space for parents and activities, and mental health consultation. They expressed interest in meeting with DCFS child protection staff to develop stronger relationships and raise awareness of the services they can offer. As a result, upcoming network meetings will include officials from the DCFS regional office.
United Way Funds Two Pilot Sites
The Peoria and Kane Learning Networks just got word that their applications for United Way resources for family support staff were accepted! In Peoria, the funding will  provide the network with a part-time family support worker/mental health consultant to help in implementing the new strategies from the SFI initiative. In Kane County, a bilingual family support worker will assist the network in working with the growing number of Spanish-speaking families and help in resolving issues with challenging children and families and will link teachers and Spanish-speaking clients with health, mental health, and social services.
Peoria Learning Network Members (above) with SFI Consultant Marcia Zumbahlen
Nurses Spread Word of Protective Factors
On April 10, nurses became a new partner in spreading word of the Protective Factors. Child Care Nurse Consultants work at Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, helping childcare providers meet the health needs of the families they serve. The Midwest Learning Center for Family Support trained these nurses in the Protective Factors because they are “the perfect conduit” for spreading the factors to childcare providers statewide, says Charlotte Rodems, Early Childhood Program Coordinator at the Illinois Department of Human Services. To find your local Child Care Resource and Referral Agency and request training, click here
|
|
Calendar
- May 8: Governors Early Learning Council meeting
- May 11: Hub Coordinator monthly call
- May 11–13: Leadership Connections conference
- May 17: Southern Illinois, Southern 7 Head Start Sub-Hub: Learning Network monthly meeting
- June 8: Hub Coordinator monthly call
- June 8: 0 to 3 Workgroup Meeting
- June 15: Building Resiliency Workgroup Meeting, Voices for Illinois Children
- June 20, Chicago/Lawndale: Learning Network monthly meeting
- June 17: Southern Illinois, Southern 7 Head Start Sub-Hub: Learning Network monthly meeting
- June 23: SFI Leadership Team Meeting, Sustainability
- June 29: SFI Professional Development and Training Workgroup Meeting, Action for Children
Where
missing, times and locations are TBD
Stronger
Together Upcoming Training
- Southern
IL Counties: 8:30 am-4:30 pm,
May 5 & 6
and June 9 & 10
- Kane
County: 9:00 am–4:00 pm, May 16 & 24
- Chicago / Lawndale: 8:30 am–4:30 pm, May 17 & 18
- Peoria: 9:00 am–4:00 pm, May 18 & 19
- South Cook County: 9:00 am–4:00 pm, May 19 and June 8, 15, 16, & 30
To
receive an updated SFI calendar by email every month send
us an email. |
SFI a Perfect Fit in Stephenson County
While attending an SFI presentation last fall, Dana Keim of Freeport saw a way to meet some of her community’s needs. Dana, All Our Kids (AOK) Network Coordinator in Stephenson County/Freeport, helped form a small SFI network of local providers. They have been meeting regularly, are completing the Strengthening Families Self-Assessment, and plan to complete the Protective Factors training before July.
Stephenson County/Freeport is one of several communities that have been developing learning networks independent of the SFI pilot project. SFI has been encouraging their development by making the initiative’s models, materials, relationships, and training available.
Training Update
Stronger Together and Protective Factors: Each pilot site completed a half-day training on the Protective Factors, which was enormously successful. To review the evaluation summaries, click here. The sites are completing six days of Stronger Together training by July 1.
Southern Illinois' Learning Network (Above) has completed 4 of 6 days of Stronger Together Training
Training Plans for 2007 :
SFI training topics and trainers for next year include:
- Recognizing and Responding to Signs of Family Stress (DCFS and Midwest Learning Center for Family Support)
- Social and Emotional Foundation for Early Learning (IL State Board of Education’s STARnet and the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning at the University of IL)
- Trauma (DCFS—adaptation of DCFS Curriculum for Early Childhood Providers)
- Collaborating with Child Welfare Agencies (DCFS and Midwest Learning Center for Family Support)
Training sessions on Knowledge Transfer, Sustainability, and Sensory Awareness are being considered.
Online Resource Center Going Live: SFI is happy to announce the launch of www.strengtheningfamiliesillinois.org. The site offers resources for early childhood providers, child welfare professionals, and families, as well as opportunities to learn more about Strengthening Families Illinois. Thank you to Chicago Metro AEYC for hosting the site.
Click below to visit the online resource center and:
There’s more available on-line at www.strengtheningfamiliesillinois.org |
Other Updates
Evaluation: Is parent involvement in SFI Learning Networks helping to build the Protective Factors at early care and education centers? To find out, SFI staff and parent leaders are conducting a survey of parent participants, which will be distributed starting next month.
In other evaluation news, SFI welcomes to its Evaluation Workgroup Debbie Bretag of The Illinois Center for Violence Prevention and Kim Kerbat of Action for Children.
Getting 'Our Kids' Into Head Start: This fall, more children in the child welfare system—and their families—will be enrolled in Head Start, thanks to local collaborative agreements being signed statewide. Head Start programs, which by and large are committed to the protective factors, help meet the needs of these children and their families. The agreements are being signed by DCFS regional offices and Head Start grantee agencies. All are to be finalized by the end of May in preparation for the fall 2006 school year.
Welcome to …
New acting DCFS Deputy Director for Communications Kendall Marlowe, who will serve on the SFI Leadership Team and Communications Workgroup. Kendall previously worked in the Service Intervention Division. He grew up with six foster siblings and has experience as a foster and adoptive parent.
Good luck to …
Departing DCFS Director for Communications Diane Jackson. As a member of SFI’s Leadership Team and Chair of the Communication Work Group, Diane has been instrumental in developing and spreading the Strengthening Families message throughout the department … Kane County Hub Coordinator Christine Favazza, who is moving to Boston in May. Her efforts were integral in establishing a strong SFI network.
Thanks to …
The Ounce of Prevention Fund for hosting SFI’s Leadership Team Meeting … Action for Children, Voices for Illinois Children, and Illinois Family Partnership Network for hosting SFI Workgroup meetings … Midwest Learning Center for Family Support for their tremendous job in delivering training on the Protective Factors across the state and pilot sites … Workgroup Committee Chairs Karen Freel, Gaylord Gieseke, Joanne Kelly, Beth Knight, Leonette Coates, and Jamilah Jor’dan for all of their leadership and support in guiding SFI’s strategic plan … John Hamblet, Renee Haynie-Jackson, Michelle Smith, Dacelle Waters, and Letechia Williams for their contributions to SFI’s parent questionnaire … 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.
SFI
Speakers Available
To
have an SFI representative speak at your next event, email
us. |
|
|
|
|