April 2010
I’ve often hesitated in beginning a project because I’ve thought, “It’ll never turn out to be even remotely like the good idea I have as I start.” I could just “feel” how good it could be. But I decided that, for the present, I would create the best way I know how and accept the ambiguities.
–Fred Rogers
Announcements
Practical Tips for Engaging Teen Dads
May 5, 2010
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Do you now, or have you ever considered providing support and education to young fathers? Register for this pre-conference institute and you will receive information you can use to get started or to expand and sustain a quality program. Hector Sanchez-Flores, Senior Research Associate with the Institute for Health Policy Studies of the University of California San Francisco, and a panel of local experts will offer guidance and practical tips in your work to meet the needs of Minnesota young fathers and their children. Networking Happy Hour with appetizers and cash bar follows. Scholarships available.
For more information and registration details, see the event flyer (PDF). Click here to register. Presented by MOAPPP and Minnesota Young Fathers Action Collaborative (MYFAC).
This year we have an impressive lineup of speakers, presentations, exhibits, networking opportunities, entertainment and more. Click here to download the conference brochure (PDF). The conference is Minnesota’s most comprehensive training event covering current research, educational resources, policy initiatives and emerging issues related to adolescent sexual health, pregnancy prevention and support for adolescent parents. It provides participants with accurate, up-to-the-minute information and skill-building workshops as well as inspiration and motivation.
Register online today! Registration by U.S. Mail and Fax are also accepted.
Register by Friday, April 16 to receive the reduced rate for “early birds.”
For more information, contact Sally Mandler, Training Coordinator at [email protected], 651-644-1447 x13.
Ramsey County Teen Parent Connection Meeting
Teen Parent Connections (TPC) or Adolescent Parent Networks (APN) are groups of professionals who work with teen parents coming together to network and to assist one another with resources.
- The organizing meeting of the Ramsey County TPC will be held on Friday, May 7 at 3:30 p.m. at the Earle Brown Center in Brooklyn Center. (Location chosen to accommodate those attending the MOAPPP conference. Future locations will be in Ramsey County!)
- The Washington County TPC is holding its second meeting on Tuesday, May 11 at 3:00 p.m. at the Woodbury ECFE/Community Center.
Other APN and TPC groups are located in Minneapolis, Northwest Hennepin County and Dakota County. Please contact [email protected] for more information about these groups.
Books and Beer Benefit
The board and staff of the Minnesota Fathers and Families Network (MFFN) invite you to join us on Thursday, May 20th to sample locally brewed beers, non-alcoholic drinks, and light snacks. Anyone who makes a contribution to MFFN of $30 or more will be invited to take home a copy of a father-friendly children’s book or an educational publication about healthy fatherhood. We are planning a casual afternoon where attendees may enjoy conversation, partake in a silent auction, browse the books, enjoy food and drinks and support programming for Minnesota’s families and children. A brief program will take place at 6:00 p.m. Children’s author John Coy will be present to read from his father-focused children’s books and to sign copies. What a great gift for this upcoming Fathers Day! Download a one-page flyer here (PDF). Thursday, May 20, 2010, 4:30-7:00 p.m., The Carlyle Residential Tower, 100 3rd Avenue South, Minneapolis.
Research
“Girls Take Charge”: A Community-Based Participatory Research Program for Adolescent Girls
This study demonstrated how community-based participatory research (CBPR) can be used to produce community change and change in knowledge among adolescent females. The objectives were for adolescent females to learn the CBPR process, implement a community health change project and build capacity by engaging community agencies. After conducting an assessment of community problems, the adolescents formed a coalition of community partners and implemented a Lead Poisoning Awareness Fair and a “lock-in” to educate about child maltreatment. The community changes that resulted were policy change for routine lead testing, a DVD about child maltreatment and care packages for adolescent mothers. Modest increases in knowledge about lead poisoning and child maltreatment occurred.
Childhood Sexual Abuse in Males and Subsequent Risky Sexual Behavior
This study found that childhood sexual abuse (CSA) influences risky sexual behavior and that more severe CSA may lead to elevated sexual risk indices. Moreover, these results suggest that men may elevate their risk of sexually transmitted infections via high numbers of sexual partners versus irregular condom use. These results highlight the need for adequate assessment and early interventions in order to mitigate the effects CSA may have on subsequent alcohol use and risky sexual behavior. Secondly, ensuring that male CSA victims understand the inherent risks of high numbers of sexual partners may be an effective strategy to interrupt the path toward risk-taking.
Resources
- From the National Fatherhood Initiative: New Dad’s Pocket Guide
- New Health Insurance Resource
- Runaway and Homeless Youth and Relationship Violence Toolkit
- Free Publication: Strengthening Families
- Zero to Three: Fifteen-month-olds
From the National Fatherhood Initiative: New Dad’s Pocket Guide
An updated version of the popular “Daddy Pack,” this handy guide has essential hints, tips and strategies that every new dad needs to know. With key health and safety information, the New Dad’s Pocket Guide™ increases health literacy and equips men with a handy guide they can reference at any time. Learn more at www.fatherhood.org.
The Minnesota Coalition for Kids Health Coverage today announced the launch of HealthyKidsMN.org, a statewide resource that aims to connect families with uninsured children to non-profit agencies that can assist them with eligibility requirements and enrollment into state-sponsored health care coverage options. Visitors to HealthyKidsMN.org can find contact information for the agency serving their area by clicking their county on the “How We Can Help” page. The site also contains a wealth of easy-to-understand information, presented in English and Spanish, on Minnesota’s various subsidized health coverage options.
Runaway and Homeless Youth and Relationship Violence Toolkit
Recognizing and understanding the intersection of runaway and homeless youth and intimate partner violence (including dating, domestic and sexual violence) is critical to creating meaningful services and effective intervention and prevention strategies for both homelessness and relationship abuse, and in creating partnerships between the programs working with youth at risk. This Toolkit was developed by and for advocates in the runaway and homeless youth (RHY) and domestic and sexual assault (DV/SA) fields to help programs better address relationship violence with runaway and homeless youth. The Toolkit organizes information, resources, tips and tools drawn from the lessons learned by collaborative projects funded by the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which brought together domestic violence programs and runaway and homeless youth agencies to address relationship violence among street youth.
Free Publication: Strengthening Families
Order your free copies of “Strengthening Families and Communities: 2010 Resource Guide” today! Developed for service providers, the guide highlights strategies to strengthen families by promoting key protective factors that prevent child abuse and neglect. It also includes tip sheets in both English and Spanish to share with parents. The Resource Guide is produced annually by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Children’s Bureau and the FRIENDS National Resource Center. The guide can be downloaded or ordered here or contact Child Welfare Information Gateway at 1-800-394-3366 or [email protected].
Zero to Three: Fifteen-month-olds
What are 15-month-olds like? What are they thinking? How does their behavior affect parents? Zero to Three is a great resource for helpful information of this sort to provide to your young parents.
Policy Action Alert
Home Visiting Funding in Health Reform Bill
Great news! New federal funding for home visiting is included in the health insurance reform bill that Congress passed, and which President Obama has signed into law.
Within the next few weeks, we will learn more about the specifics of how the funds will become available to states. $100 million is to be allocated before the end of September, and we can anticipate that Minnesota and every other state will have to be prepared to act quickly. We had previously been told that states will have about 60 days to submit a proposal once the federal RFP is released.
There will be a number of new requirements for states to do needs assessment, establish benchmarks for home visiting and be accountable to the federal government to meet those benchmarks at the end of three years. There is strong pressure and financial incentives for states to move toward evidence-based practices for home visiting. You can view a summary of the funding here (PDF).
Upcoming Trainings
April 30, 2010
Unidos Para Nuestros Niños: Conferencia de Educación/United for Our Children: Education Conference
8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
TIES Building
1667 Snelling Avenue North, St. Paul
Parents are invited to a free conference (entirely in Spanish) and lunch to learn new ways to support the education of their child.
The conference includes:
• Keynote Speaker – Senator Patricia Torres Ray
• Three sessions:
– Supporting Learning at Home
– Participate Actively in Your Child’s Education
– Navigating the Route to Education after High School
Learn new ways to support your child’s education at school and home! To register, call 952-838-1369 or visit www.pacer.org and follow the link on the right hand side of the website. Registration closes April 16. You must register to receive childcare and lunch (childcare is provided by Casa de Esperanza). Space is limited.
May 4, 2010
Dollar Works 2 Program Training
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
University of Minnesota Urban Research and Outreach/Engagement Center
2001 Plymouth Ave North, Minneapolis
Are you looking for methods to help teach financial literacy? It’s more important than ever to help people stretch their money and resources as far as possible. University of Minnesota Extension is offering a Dollar Works 2 training for outreach workers and service providers. Dollar Works 2 is a personal finance education program designed to teach financial literacy concepts. For more information and to register visit www.extension.umn.edu. Questions? Contact Rosemary K. Heins at [email protected], 763-767-3879 or Cindy M. Petersen, [email protected], 888-241-3207.
May 12, 2010
2010 Harris Forum Lecture
Child-Parent Psychotherapy in a Cultural Context: Repairing the effects of trauma on early attachment
1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Theater, Coffman Memorial Union
U of M East Bank, Minneapolis
ITV sites throughout Minnesota
The Harris Visiting Scholar Program invites a key figure in the field of child development to address the public on a topic of relevance to parents of young children and professionals working with young children and their families. This year’s forum will feature Alicia Lieberman, PhD, the Director of the Child Trauma Research Project at San Francisco General Hospital as well as the Irving B. Harris, Chair in Infant Mental Health and Vice Chair for Academic Affairs at the UCSF Department of Psychiatry. For more information and to register visit www.cehd.umn.edu. Questions? Contact Sara Zettervall at 612-625-2252 or [email protected].
May 15, 2010
Second Annual Pregnant Pause
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Family Means, 1875 Northwestern Avenue South, Stillwater
This free event for pregnant women, their spouses and/or partners and other family members celebrates the nine months of alcohol-free pregnancy. Learn about resources during and after pregnancy. Door prizes, refreshments, and free massages will be available. Currently seeking exhibitors who provide services to pregnant and post partum women and their families and from people who provide alternative therapies to pregnant and post partum women and their families (e.g. massage therapists, aroma therapists, doulas, etc.).
Sponsored by the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Regional Network and the Minnesota Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. For more information call 651-351-3152 or 651-351-3135.
May 27, 2010 – June 30, 2010
Online Graduate-Level Course in Parent and Family Education
CI 5932 Introduction to Parent Education (1 credit)
University of Minnesota Registration #89181 -001
Students will examine the history, philosophy and implementation of parent education programs. Class consists of five weekly modules. Each module starts on Thursday (Day 1) and continues through Wednesday (Day 7).
Course schedule:
- Days 1-5: online discussion;
- Day 6: online chat;
- Day 7: weekly online reflection.
Online chats will be held Tuesday June 1, June 8, June 15, June 22 and June 29 from 7:00-7:45 p.m. Central Time. For more information, call 612-624-1294 or email [email protected].
June 16, 2010
Fathers To The Forefront: Evolution Of The Fatherhood Field
10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
McKnight Foundation Board Room
710 South Second Street, Suite 400, Minneapolis
Join fatherhood advocates from across Minnesota to help generate a higher level of cooperation and collaboration among father-serving agencies and organizations. Join a panel discussion about father-friendly changes taking place in public systems and another panel about changes in community agencies. For more information, see the event flyer (PDF). To register, contact Melissa Froehle at [email protected], or 651-222-7432 x2. Space is limited so no more than three individuals per organization may register.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
CI5900-Sec 006 – Youth Participatory Evaluation: An Introduction (1 credit)
University of Minnesota Course Registration # 92729, Peik Hall 225
Theories of evaluation over the past several decades have moved from expert models, where only an expert in evaluation can conduct research and evaluation, to more participatory models, where individuals in programs are involved in the assessment and analysis process. In this course we study current material that focuses on engaging students in the evaluation process. Our goal is to explore some of the critical topics and to begin to identify ways that students can be engaged in the evaluation of current programs. In this course, you will develop an understanding of the important issues of participatory evaluation and create a brief plan for implementing a participatory study. For more information, call 612-624-1294 or email [email protected].
June 17, 2010 – August 11, 2010
Online Graduate-Level Course in Parent and Family Education
CI 5942 Everyday Experiences of Families (2 credits)
University of Minnesota Registration #89899 -001
Students will examine everyday experiences of families and their relevance to parent education and to the professional development of parent educators. Research information and theoretical knowledge are woven together with observation and personal reflection to create a strength-based approach to both families and professional development. For more information, call 612-624-1294 or email [email protected].
Monday, June 21, 2010, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
CI5900-Sec 005 – Using Reflective Dialogue in Parent Education (1 credit)
University of Minnesota Course Registration #90483, Peik Hall 215
Research on implementing cognitive theories of learning in teaching has been used in many areas of education. Professionals in the field of parent education recognize that providing information and teachings skills about parenting may not be enough to stimulate a change in a parents’ perspective or practice. The reflective dialogue approach provides an environment that allows for conceptual change through (a) scaffolding the learning process, (b) using videos of parent-child interactions to stimulate an emotional and cognitive reaction, and (c) reflective dialogue within the group that brings out diverse viewpoints to challenge each parents’ current parenting perspective. In this course, students will learn about the theory and research behind the Reflective Dialogue approach and how to use the teaching methods in today’s parent education settings. For more information, call 612-624-1294 or email [email protected].
Wednesday, June 23, 2010, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, June 24, 2010, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
CI5900-Sec 004 – Family Resiliency Perspectives (1 credit)
University of Minnesota Course Registration # 91471, Peik Hall 215
Strength of a family can best be seen in the ways it deals with conflict and adversity. The ability to face and respond to challenging situations has been seen as a strength and valuable resource. Given that all families go through times of crisis and stress, an awareness and promotion of resiliency in families is a wise and essential part of education. Family resiliency refers to the ability of families to marshal their resources and those of others when adversity occurs. Educators can therefore see fostering family resiliency both as a preventative and a reactive response to the challenges families face. Family resiliency requires attention to the strengths of interaction and interdependency. For more information, call 612.624.1294 or email [email protected].
June 29, 2010
Fatherhood Tour 2010: Innovations In Services For Fathers In Ramsey County
8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Tour begins and ends at Kelly Inn
161 Saint Anthony Avenue, Saint Paul
Take a guided tour of three innovative agencies that are meeting the needs of fathers in Ramsey County. Stops will include Ramsey County Child Support (see a mock child support hearing in the county facilities), Children’s Safety Centers (a comprehensive supervised visitation center), and the Early Head Start program of Community Action Partnership for Washington and Ramsey Counties in conjunction with Early Childhood Family Education of St. Paul. RSVP required; $20 includes lunch and transportation during the tour. Please RSVP by June 18. To register, contact Melissa Froehle at [email protected], or 651-222-7432 x2.
For more resources and information about adolescent parents, visit the Adolescent Parent Program page on the MOAPPP website.