June is Dads Month
Without a doubt, fathers are just as important to the nurturing
and development of a child in foster care as a mother.
Yet, much research has shown that the love of a father is different than that of a mother. Leading child psychologist Erik Erikson stated that a father's love and a mother's love are quite different, indeed, when he said that fathers "love more dangerously" because their love is more "expectant, more instrumental" than a mother's love.” To be sure, successful foster fathers, or foster dads, recognize that they need to utilize different abilities, skills, and resources when working with children in foster care.
New Mexico has more children with 4 or more Adverse Childhood Experiences or “ACE's” — the most of any state in the nation.
training: jUNE 7TH @ 10AM
THE GIFT OF FATHERHOOD
Join us as we celebrate fatherhood all month long. Michael McCormack is a current Health & Wellness Coach and Trauma Resolution Therapist who has devoted his professional life towards listening and mentoring adolescents, young adults and children who have been "falling through the cracks" of our institutions such as families and schools. He brings a positive philosophy to individuals seeking to better their lives by overcoming their fears and problems. His techniques are based on over 40 years of working with individuals, couples and families.
New Mexico has ranked 50th out of 50 states for child well-being for the last 3 years in a row, according to the Annie E Casey Foundation.
training: tUESDAY JUNE 22ND @10AM
FATHER’S BUILDING FUTURES
Fathers Building Futures (FBF) has been dedicated to supporting NM fathers returning home from prison. Ensuring that they are ready and confident to not only return home to their families but also to ensure these men will be job ready to return to New Mexico’s work force. As an organizational outcome FBF fathers strive to become providers for their families, taxpayers, homeowners and contributing members of society
Black youth are three times more likely to be victims of reported child abuse or neglect, three times more likely to be victims of robbery, and five times more likely to be victims of homicide.
February 17th, 10Am-11Am
TRAINING: Community Health Worker and the Pathways Navigator Model
Presenter: Guillermina “Gig” Osori
Ms. Guillermina Osoria aka Gigi is a Afro Latina born in the land of Rio Piedra, Puerto Rico. My parents are from the Dominican Republic. She grow up in Passaic, NJ. with a Fashion Design Degree. Ms. Gigi has been a joyous activism from time She was 12 years old, navigating the healthcare system due to her mother mental illness and not speaking the English language. She moved from Florida to New Mexico in February 2019. She immediately became a Pathways Navigator for The International District Healthy Community Coalition and East Central Ministries. She is a Certified Community Health Worker, SOAR Representative, Lifestyle Coach for the National Diabetes Prevention Program, Silver Sneakers Instructor, Zumba Fitness Instructor, Comprehensive Community Support Services worker, and many more hats. Her goal is to provide her Community wrapped around services and support to the most vulnerable members of her Community. She is a mother of two amazing rises artists, a grandma, auntie, sister, and love herself, nature, her Community and the plant.
Gigi will be speaking about Community Health Worker and the Pathways Navigator model. Join us! Training certificates will be provided to all attendees who attend via Zoom.
“I encourage people to be about excellence and do not let someone else’s low standards define you. An ounce of your excellence is going to outweigh a pound of their ignorance.”
– UNM Law School Assistant Professor Sonia Gipson Rankin
February 19th, 10Am-11Am
TRAINING: Roots Summer Leadership Academy Model: Transparently Reinforcing Social-Emotional Learning & Prosocial Behaviors in Youth
Presenters:
Yuri Findlay, Health Manager, NM Black Leadership Council
Cathryn McGill, Founder/Director, Roots Summer Leadership Academy/NM Black Leadership Council
Tonya Bryant, Roots Conservatory Manager
WHAT TO EXPECT:
Raising children, especially in the midst of a pandemic, is not a spectator sport. Building and fostering self-esteem and leadership in children may be the most important thing a parent can do to raise emotionally healthy children and ultimately individuated and self-empowered adults. This workshop will explore the Roots Summer Leadership Academy model and how we use the arts as a tool to promote positive prosocial behaviors and teach self-esteem and leadership skills for all children.
Training certificates will be provided to all attendees who attend via Zoom.
By 4 years old, Black children had a 1 in 10 chance of being maltreated. By 10 years old, the risk was 4 in 25. Put another way, that's at least four students in every fifth-grade class. By 15 years old, Black youth had a 1 in 5 chance of having a CPS file.
Once Black children are removed from their homes, they are more likely than other races to enter juvenile detention and then prison.
Black Families and the Foster-Care-to-Prison Pipeline
Once Black children are removed from their homes, they are often put on the path toward juvenile detention, then prison. NBC News wrote, “There is a related and lesser-known police-to-foster-care pipeline that is often the starting point for the destruction of families and horrific long-term outcomes for children, particularly black children.”
Throughout the nation, Black parents are reported more often to child protective services than white parents. Black parents are also more likely to have their children removed. In fact, despite making up only 13% of the U.S. population, black children make up 23% of children in foster care.
While transforming this system and protecting African-American children and families, we must also transform the child welfare system.
Lower educational outcomes
In general, foster youth have lower educational outcomes compared to their non-foster youth peers. Foster youth were up to 50% less likely to meet proficiency standards on math and English standardized tests when compared to similar at-risk student groups. Youth from foster care are less likely to graduate from high school or enroll in post-secondary education. Only 3% of foster youth earn a college degree.
When the educational outcomes of foster youth are compared by race, Black and white foster youth have similar educational attainment. However, when foster youth earn a college degree – significant racial disparities persist with employment. In general, Blacks with a college degree are twice as less likely to be employed and experience wage gaps compared to Whites with a college degree.