According to the Child Care Exchange Magazine, the US Department of Agriculture reported on Monday that the number of Americans who lived in households that lacked consistent access to adequate food soared last year, to 49 million, the highest since the government began tracking 14 years ago what it calls “food insecurity.” The increase, of 13 million Americans, was much larger than even the most pessimistic observers of hunger trends had expected and cast an alarming light on the daily hardships caused by the recession’s punishing effect on jobs and wages. According to the New York Times, about a third of these struggling households had what the researchers called “very low food security,” meaning lack of money forced members to skip meals, cut portions, or otherwise forgo food at some point in the year. The other two-thirds typically had enough to eat, but only by eating cheaper or less varied foods, relying on government aid like food stamps, or visiting food pantries and soup kitchens.
One figure that drew officials’ attention was the number of households, 506,000, in which children faced “very low food security”— up from 323,000 the previous year.
Analysts said the main reason for the growth was the rise in the unemployment rate, to 7.2 percent at the end of 2008 from 4.9 percent a year earlier. And since it now stands at 10.2 percent, the survey might in fact understate the number of Americans struggling to get adequate food. Rising food prices, too, might have played a role. The food stamp rolls have expanded to record levels, with 36 million Americans now collecting aid, an increase of nearly 40 percent from two years ago. And the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, passed la st winter, raised the average monthly food stamp benefit per person by about 17 percent, to $133. Many states have made it easier for those eligible to apply, but rising applications and staffing cuts have also brought long delays.
Problems gaining access to food were highest in households with children headed by single mothers. About 37 percent of them reported some form of food insecurity compared with 14 percent of married households with children. About 29 percent of Hispanic households reported food insecurity, compared with 27 percent of black households, and 12 percent of white households. Serious problems were most prevalent in the South, followed equally by the West and Midwest.
For 114 years, Deaconess has been transforming the lives of children in the Pacific Northwest by breaking the cycle of child abuse and neglect and putting Children First!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Helping Children Learn to be Thankful
November is synonymous for giving thanks; however, it’s often a mystery as to how we do this when young children are tantruming, whining or showing off their defiant side. In the 111 years Deaconess Children’s Services has been working with children and families, we have collected a few tips on how to help children gain a sense of gratitude. In fact, two of our evidence-based parenting programs emphasize the power of using labeled praises with children and how it helps children build a strong sense of self worth – the Incredible Years and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy.
1) Use pretend play to act out thankful behaviors.
2) Use praise with authentic enthusiasm and tell children how thankful you are for them.
3) Model praise and encouragement with everyone in you come into contact with at home, work, even the grocery store.
4) Catch children in the act and let them know you are thankful for their positive behavior.
5) Help siblings and playmates be thankful for each other by encouraging them to give one another a “thank you” when someone is nice.
6) Raise awareness of multiculturalism and diversity. Help children learn to be thankful for children from all backgrounds.
7) Celebrate – “Being different and unique is great!”
8) Discuss community service and select a hands-on project to help others in your community with your family.
9) Take time to sit down with children and have a conversation about what they are most thankful for in life.
10) Teach children to be thankful every day, including days when there are lots of challenges. Building resilience in children will help them thrive, even in the most difficult times in their lives.
Deaconess Children's Services wishes you all a Happy Thanksgiving!
1) Use pretend play to act out thankful behaviors.
2) Use praise with authentic enthusiasm and tell children how thankful you are for them.
3) Model praise and encouragement with everyone in you come into contact with at home, work, even the grocery store.
4) Catch children in the act and let them know you are thankful for their positive behavior.
5) Help siblings and playmates be thankful for each other by encouraging them to give one another a “thank you” when someone is nice.
6) Raise awareness of multiculturalism and diversity. Help children learn to be thankful for children from all backgrounds.
7) Celebrate – “Being different and unique is great!”
8) Discuss community service and select a hands-on project to help others in your community with your family.
9) Take time to sit down with children and have a conversation about what they are most thankful for in life.
10) Teach children to be thankful every day, including days when there are lots of challenges. Building resilience in children will help them thrive, even in the most difficult times in their lives.
Deaconess Children's Services wishes you all a Happy Thanksgiving!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
OneFamily Foundation grant supports parent education for domestic violence survivors
Deaconess Children’s Services gratefully acknowledges a grant from The OneFamily Foundation in the amount of $8,500 to support its IMPACT program. The OneFamily Foundation was established in 1997 in Seattle, Washington. The goals of the foundation are to provide resources to enhance the lives of women living in poverty and at-risk youth, to support services for abused women, and to aid efforts to end violence and sexual assault against women and children.
Research suggests that exposure to extreme stress in childhood, such as domestic violence, affects children's neuro-cognitive development. Children exposed to high levels of domestic violence had IQs that were, on average, 8 points lower than unexposed children. Structural equation models showed that adult domestic violence accounted for 4% of the variation, on average, in child IQ, independent of latent genetic influences.
According to Michael DeBellis, M.D., abused children with PTSD have lower intracranial and cerebral volumes, larger lateral ventricles, and a smaller corpus callosum than healthy controls. Most of the subjects were diagnosed with PTSD as a consequence of sexual abuse, which began when they were between 1 and 7 years old and lasted between one and five years. Several subjects had witnessed domestic violence and/or were emotionally abused, which often coincided with the sexual abuse. A few subjects were also physically abused. All of the abused children were living in stable environments without the perpetrators during the study, which was published as the second of a two-part series in the May 15, 1999, issue of Biological Psychiatry.
The good news revealed by research is the younger the child, the more ‘plasticity’ the child’s brain has, and the better able we are to help parents take needed steps to help rebuild healthy brain tissue through positive bonding and parenting. This donation will allow Deaconess’ IMPACT to provide individualized parent coaching (Parent Child Interactive Therapy - PCIT) for domestic violence survivors and aimed at increasing parents’ awareness of specific child behaviors and encouraging them to use praise and nonviolent discipline strategies.
Parent Child Interactive Therapy (PCIT), is a one to one parent education and behavior management program for children. The PCIT program seeks to halt violence in families that has been on a sharp up rise in this country. One of the common characteristics to violence in families is a negative way of relating to each other. PCIT is a proven to work technique that has been able to reduce the risk of child abuse, and provides skills that parents can transfer to other situations and settings.
PCIT provides direct coaching to the parent by the therapist. The therapist coaches the parent in what to say and gives encouragement and praise when the parent is able to relate positively to the child. The therapist watches the family interact and listens to what is said. At Deaconess, PCIT is conducted in both a specialized therapeutic room equipped with a one way mirror, video recording, and a listening device used for directly communicating with the parent as well as with the parent/child in the home and community. Parents learn how a child’s behavior is shaped and maintained by their social environment and how methods of behavioral change learned throughout PCIT can be applied to new problems as they arise.
Two recent research studies show that PCIT is effective in mitigating child abuse. The first reported that when PCIT was tested with maltreated children and their parents, PCIT resulted in (a) fewer child behavioral problems, (b) lower parental stress, and (c) reduced risk factors known to cause child abuse. The second study showed that PCIT is effective in preventing re-reports of child physical abuse. After an average of 850 days, only 19% of the participants in PCIT had re-reports of physical abuse to the child, compared to a second group of participants who didn’t receive PCIT. The second group had a re-report rate of 49%. Longitudinal studies indicate that the improvement gained during PCIT continues to grow over time and has positive impacts on other children in the home. PCIT is for parents or caregivers and children who regularly have contact with each other at least 3-4 times per week.
Deaconess Children's Services programs have been proven to work in all populations we have served, transforming the lives of children and the future of our country for the better.
Research suggests that exposure to extreme stress in childhood, such as domestic violence, affects children's neuro-cognitive development. Children exposed to high levels of domestic violence had IQs that were, on average, 8 points lower than unexposed children. Structural equation models showed that adult domestic violence accounted for 4% of the variation, on average, in child IQ, independent of latent genetic influences.
According to Michael DeBellis, M.D., abused children with PTSD have lower intracranial and cerebral volumes, larger lateral ventricles, and a smaller corpus callosum than healthy controls. Most of the subjects were diagnosed with PTSD as a consequence of sexual abuse, which began when they were between 1 and 7 years old and lasted between one and five years. Several subjects had witnessed domestic violence and/or were emotionally abused, which often coincided with the sexual abuse. A few subjects were also physically abused. All of the abused children were living in stable environments without the perpetrators during the study, which was published as the second of a two-part series in the May 15, 1999, issue of Biological Psychiatry.
The good news revealed by research is the younger the child, the more ‘plasticity’ the child’s brain has, and the better able we are to help parents take needed steps to help rebuild healthy brain tissue through positive bonding and parenting. This donation will allow Deaconess’ IMPACT to provide individualized parent coaching (Parent Child Interactive Therapy - PCIT) for domestic violence survivors and aimed at increasing parents’ awareness of specific child behaviors and encouraging them to use praise and nonviolent discipline strategies.
Parent Child Interactive Therapy (PCIT), is a one to one parent education and behavior management program for children. The PCIT program seeks to halt violence in families that has been on a sharp up rise in this country. One of the common characteristics to violence in families is a negative way of relating to each other. PCIT is a proven to work technique that has been able to reduce the risk of child abuse, and provides skills that parents can transfer to other situations and settings.
PCIT provides direct coaching to the parent by the therapist. The therapist coaches the parent in what to say and gives encouragement and praise when the parent is able to relate positively to the child. The therapist watches the family interact and listens to what is said. At Deaconess, PCIT is conducted in both a specialized therapeutic room equipped with a one way mirror, video recording, and a listening device used for directly communicating with the parent as well as with the parent/child in the home and community. Parents learn how a child’s behavior is shaped and maintained by their social environment and how methods of behavioral change learned throughout PCIT can be applied to new problems as they arise.
Two recent research studies show that PCIT is effective in mitigating child abuse. The first reported that when PCIT was tested with maltreated children and their parents, PCIT resulted in (a) fewer child behavioral problems, (b) lower parental stress, and (c) reduced risk factors known to cause child abuse. The second study showed that PCIT is effective in preventing re-reports of child physical abuse. After an average of 850 days, only 19% of the participants in PCIT had re-reports of physical abuse to the child, compared to a second group of participants who didn’t receive PCIT. The second group had a re-report rate of 49%. Longitudinal studies indicate that the improvement gained during PCIT continues to grow over time and has positive impacts on other children in the home. PCIT is for parents or caregivers and children who regularly have contact with each other at least 3-4 times per week.
Deaconess Children's Services programs have been proven to work in all populations we have served, transforming the lives of children and the future of our country for the better.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
In what ways can a small non-profit safely and effectively utilize interns to provide services, while making their educational experience meaningful
Deaconess Children’s Services believes it is on its way to answering this challening question and is pleased to announce the addition of five interns this September! These women bring their enthusiasm, knowledge and passion to serve Deaconess children and their families. Interns are an important and valuable part of our staff as they fill a variety of positions from administration to direct client service.
We welcome these interns and thank them for choosing Deaconess as their internship site:
• Katja Kupari joins us from Western Washington University’s Human Services program. Katja will be co-facilitating our Thursday night Incredible Years and Monday night Latinos Unidos Child Development programs. Passionate about working with children of all ages, Katja is planning activities that will build children’s self-esteem and confidence, along with having fun!
• Rachel Mahoney is a Family Support Services major from Edmonds Community College. Rachel is sharing her talents with us in two programs: our All Wrapped Up Christmas gift-giving program, our teen parent group at Scriber Lake High School, and our Wednesday night Child Development programs. This busy woman is not only able to multi-task but also shares her passion for working with all ages of Deaconess clients – from infants to adults – as well as our donors!
• Tonani Reinheimer completed two degrees from Central Washington University: Interdisciplinary Studies and Law and Justice. Tonani’s enthusiasm is as contagious as her smile! Her internship centers around building a Mentorship Program for our Teen Parent Advocacy program. She enjoys meeting and working with our teen parents and looks forward to supporting them and building relationships during her internship.
• Peggy McMiller graduated with her Associate’s Degree in Business Technology from Everett Community College and is excited to hone her office skills and expertise working along side our Operations Manager. Peggy is eager to get to know non-profit administration since her passion is assisting people. Her warmth and caring nature can be felt as soon as you walk into the Deaconess office!
• Shirley Barker is completing her Master’s Degree in Applied Behavioral Science through the Leadership Institute of Seattle (LIOS). Deaconess is the subject of her leadership project in which she will be exploring different facets of our organization, interviewing staff, Board members and volunteers, recognizing our strengths and making recommendations for changes. Her interest is in helping organizations develop and maintain the most effective leadership.
We welcome these interns and thank them for choosing Deaconess as their internship site:
• Katja Kupari joins us from Western Washington University’s Human Services program. Katja will be co-facilitating our Thursday night Incredible Years and Monday night Latinos Unidos Child Development programs. Passionate about working with children of all ages, Katja is planning activities that will build children’s self-esteem and confidence, along with having fun!
• Rachel Mahoney is a Family Support Services major from Edmonds Community College. Rachel is sharing her talents with us in two programs: our All Wrapped Up Christmas gift-giving program, our teen parent group at Scriber Lake High School, and our Wednesday night Child Development programs. This busy woman is not only able to multi-task but also shares her passion for working with all ages of Deaconess clients – from infants to adults – as well as our donors!
• Tonani Reinheimer completed two degrees from Central Washington University: Interdisciplinary Studies and Law and Justice. Tonani’s enthusiasm is as contagious as her smile! Her internship centers around building a Mentorship Program for our Teen Parent Advocacy program. She enjoys meeting and working with our teen parents and looks forward to supporting them and building relationships during her internship.
• Peggy McMiller graduated with her Associate’s Degree in Business Technology from Everett Community College and is excited to hone her office skills and expertise working along side our Operations Manager. Peggy is eager to get to know non-profit administration since her passion is assisting people. Her warmth and caring nature can be felt as soon as you walk into the Deaconess office!
• Shirley Barker is completing her Master’s Degree in Applied Behavioral Science through the Leadership Institute of Seattle (LIOS). Deaconess is the subject of her leadership project in which she will be exploring different facets of our organization, interviewing staff, Board members and volunteers, recognizing our strengths and making recommendations for changes. Her interest is in helping organizations develop and maintain the most effective leadership.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Child Development staff and volunteers receive intensive 3 day training
I am thrilled to announce that we have completed our second Child Development Training (CDP)! The 3 Saturday trainings were held on October 3rd, 10th and 17th! The Child Development Training is provided to every staff and volunteer, and is now a required training for anyone working in our CDP. We have seen an amazing commitment level from those who have attended the trainings and the skills that they have acquired prove to be a necessity when working within our Child Development Program.
Our team of knowledgeable staff has worked hard to make this training educational, fun and interactive for the training participants. Each training session is unique and provides an opportunity for the staff and volunteers to interact and get to know one another, while enhancing their skills and knowledge for working directly with children.
During the first training session, staff and volunteers get a chance to really get to know one another while learning all about Deaconess Programs, the History of Deaconess, as well as our mission. They also have the opportunity to learn about the Incredible Years key concepts, child development and how to engage with families. We provide opportunities during each training session for the participants to share ideas, thoughts, concerns, and questions about the information being presented. These opportunities have lead to some amazing conversations, brainstorming and team building.
The Second training session focused on how to interact with children, including techniques for working with children who have challenging behaviors (A big thank you to Carol Good from the Little Red School House for taking time on her Saturday to come share her expertise with us) and techniques on ways we can make children feel welcome in our CDP. The participants also learned how to keep children safe while in our care, including de-escalating techniques and an overview of our CDP safety plan. Mandated Reporting was also covered in this session which provided an opportunity for the participants to learn about child abuse and neglect, as well as how and when to make a CPS report.
The third and final training session focused on reviewing and discussing Deaconess HR information such as Policies and Procedures, and Hazardous Communication & Hazardous Chemical Training. The participants also received the Blood Borne Pathogen Training, and information on safety in the workplace, dress code policy, and confidentiality.
Overall our three training sessions were fantastic! The participant feedback was wonderful and we are pleased to have such an incredible level of commitment from the staff and volunteers. The children and families that Deaconess serves will greatly benefit from having our Child Development staff and volunteers attend this training. We have seen first hand a new level of confidence as well as an increase in childcare skills from those who have been through our Child Development Training.
We are pleased to be able to provide this training opportunity to the CDP staff and volunteers so that we can provide the best services to the families involved in our Programs!
Child Development Training Facilitators:
Chanelle Carlin- Vice President of Deaconess Programs
Anna Kirschenmann- Childcare Coordinator/Teen Parent Advocate
Stacey Pfeiffer- Office Manager/ Volunteer Coordinator
Jenny Martin- Parent Educator
Our team of knowledgeable staff has worked hard to make this training educational, fun and interactive for the training participants. Each training session is unique and provides an opportunity for the staff and volunteers to interact and get to know one another, while enhancing their skills and knowledge for working directly with children.
During the first training session, staff and volunteers get a chance to really get to know one another while learning all about Deaconess Programs, the History of Deaconess, as well as our mission. They also have the opportunity to learn about the Incredible Years key concepts, child development and how to engage with families. We provide opportunities during each training session for the participants to share ideas, thoughts, concerns, and questions about the information being presented. These opportunities have lead to some amazing conversations, brainstorming and team building.
The Second training session focused on how to interact with children, including techniques for working with children who have challenging behaviors (A big thank you to Carol Good from the Little Red School House for taking time on her Saturday to come share her expertise with us) and techniques on ways we can make children feel welcome in our CDP. The participants also learned how to keep children safe while in our care, including de-escalating techniques and an overview of our CDP safety plan. Mandated Reporting was also covered in this session which provided an opportunity for the participants to learn about child abuse and neglect, as well as how and when to make a CPS report.
The third and final training session focused on reviewing and discussing Deaconess HR information such as Policies and Procedures, and Hazardous Communication & Hazardous Chemical Training. The participants also received the Blood Borne Pathogen Training, and information on safety in the workplace, dress code policy, and confidentiality.
Overall our three training sessions were fantastic! The participant feedback was wonderful and we are pleased to have such an incredible level of commitment from the staff and volunteers. The children and families that Deaconess serves will greatly benefit from having our Child Development staff and volunteers attend this training. We have seen first hand a new level of confidence as well as an increase in childcare skills from those who have been through our Child Development Training.
We are pleased to be able to provide this training opportunity to the CDP staff and volunteers so that we can provide the best services to the families involved in our Programs!
Child Development Training Facilitators:
Chanelle Carlin- Vice President of Deaconess Programs
Anna Kirschenmann- Childcare Coordinator/Teen Parent Advocate
Stacey Pfeiffer- Office Manager/ Volunteer Coordinator
Jenny Martin- Parent Educator
Snohomish County Youth Rap
On the fourth Tuesday of every month Snohomish county professionals working with the Youth in your community get together to network and share resources. This is an opportunity for an agency to bring awareness of their mission as well as to collaborate with neighboring agencies sharing similar work. Sandra Neumann, Teen Parent Advocate attends this meeting on behalf of Deaconess Children’s Services.
Some exciting resources presented during the September meeting were:
•Parenting classes focusing on parenting teenagers are available at Cocoon House, also available in Spanish.
•Y3 engagement gives High School drop outs ages 16-21 an opportunity to return to school obtaining an Associates Technical Arts degree with transfer credits to High School completion. This program provides free tuition, books and other fees.
•Youth Suicide Prevention brings awareness of this important issue, is available to provide crisis response and offers training to agencies and schools.
•United way 211 website database allows people and agencies to access 211 any time and allows searches to be grouped by population and needs.
•Youth United is engaging youth in volunteer opportunity mimicking the United Way Day of Caring. You can register on line and find them through facebook.
•The Youth Action Team, also part of United Way, is working with High School recruiting Captains and their peers to engage in community events
•Links and Alliances is holding their 13th annual conference for Youth, Parents, Educators, and community providers.
•WSU extension 4-H is holding an all day event on Saturday November 14th in Everett for kids ages 5-19 with workshops ranging from building robotics, mask making, trains, finances, bugs and so much more.
•Volunteers of America offers a life skills education program which provides classes on parenting, finances, cooking and cleaning.
Some exciting resources presented during the September meeting were:
•Parenting classes focusing on parenting teenagers are available at Cocoon House, also available in Spanish.
•Y3 engagement gives High School drop outs ages 16-21 an opportunity to return to school obtaining an Associates Technical Arts degree with transfer credits to High School completion. This program provides free tuition, books and other fees.
•Youth Suicide Prevention brings awareness of this important issue, is available to provide crisis response and offers training to agencies and schools.
•United way 211 website database allows people and agencies to access 211 any time and allows searches to be grouped by population and needs.
•Youth United is engaging youth in volunteer opportunity mimicking the United Way Day of Caring. You can register on line and find them through facebook.
•The Youth Action Team, also part of United Way, is working with High School recruiting Captains and their peers to engage in community events
•Links and Alliances is holding their 13th annual conference for Youth, Parents, Educators, and community providers.
•WSU extension 4-H is holding an all day event on Saturday November 14th in Everett for kids ages 5-19 with workshops ranging from building robotics, mask making, trains, finances, bugs and so much more.
•Volunteers of America offers a life skills education program which provides classes on parenting, finances, cooking and cleaning.
Parent Educators continue their professional education
Deaconess’ Parent Educators are always working to keep their skills and knowledge of parenting fresh and cutting edge. Incredible Years (IY) Consultations are one of the ways we do just that. All five of our IY trained parent educators (Jami, Jenny, Kari, Kristine and Marie) and the Vice President of Programs (Chanelle) recently attended a day long Consultation meeting in Seattle, along with three other agencies who provide IY parent education groups from Bellingham to the South Snohomish County line.
The group shared experiences and brainstormed different strategies that can be taken back to their classes, as well as received updates on the Incredible Years program. Julie Anderson, an IY trainer facilitated the discussion and offered suggestions on how to handle different situations and feedback was provided as tapes of IY classes were reviewed. This kind of support helps to strengthen the confidence and skills of our parent educators; thus, they are better able to serve our children and their parents!
Thank you to Julie Anderson, MSW (IY trainer), Lisa St.George (IY Administrative Director) and Kimberlee Shoecraft (DSHS Program Manager; Certified IY Mentor) for their time, enthusiasm and exceptional support on the day.
The group shared experiences and brainstormed different strategies that can be taken back to their classes, as well as received updates on the Incredible Years program. Julie Anderson, an IY trainer facilitated the discussion and offered suggestions on how to handle different situations and feedback was provided as tapes of IY classes were reviewed. This kind of support helps to strengthen the confidence and skills of our parent educators; thus, they are better able to serve our children and their parents!
Thank you to Julie Anderson, MSW (IY trainer), Lisa St.George (IY Administrative Director) and Kimberlee Shoecraft (DSHS Program Manager; Certified IY Mentor) for their time, enthusiasm and exceptional support on the day.
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