| Dear Friends,
Welcome to our monthly e-newsletter, the second to focus on the importance of messages and communications. We are also preparing for a number of exciting events coming up this fall, and we hope you'll plan to join us! |
| Positive Social Norms Messaging |
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Social norms messaging is based on the central concept of social norms theory - that much of people's behavior is influenced by their perceptions of what is "normal" or "typical." The problem is that we often severely misperceive the typical behaviors or attitudes of our peers. For example, if people believe that the majority of their peers smoke, then they are more likely to smoke. Using social norms marketing to inform people that the majority of their peers do not smoke, can potentially lead them to avoid smoking. There are many areas in which people's behaviors, attitudes or opinions could be shifted by using strategic marketing to realign their perceptions with reality. Informing people that the majority of their peers are acting in a positive or healthy way can create an environment in which people actively strive to emulate what they believe is typical of their peers. Social norms marketing is based on applying social marketing techniques to social norms theory. It is an innovative health promotion technique that has only begun to be understood and used to its full potential.
"Long-existing frames are difficult to alter, but they can be changed by the collective effort of a well-organized group of advocates. "
The social norms field recognizes the need to create a new frame for public health issues-i.e., one that is based upon sound social science, accuracy in reporting and positive messages. Of course, this needs to be done without minimizing the seriousness of certain troubling issues, such as child abuse and neglect. Recently, a parent campaign in New York took a social norms approach to promoting positive parenting practices, extending the work of previous research demonstrating that parents consistently underestimate how frequently other parents use certain positive parenting strategies, such as establishing rules about substance use, engaging in monitoring of homework and social activities, and the enforcement of curfew.
The survey identified large and pervasive misperceptions of parenting-related norms. These misperceptions then informed the development of social norms marketing campaigns directed at the community. For more information about this groundbreaking study, visit the National Social Norms Institute's website.
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| Walk for Children and Family Fun Day |
 Our annual Walk for Children and Family Fun Day, presented by Wells Fargo, will be held on Saturday, September 13, 2008 at the Saint Paul Saints Midway Stadium beginning at 8:30 a.m. Inflatable games and bouncing houses, face painting, sports clinics, kid's dash, classic car show, tailgating party, free parking, food, entertainment, 1.5 mile walk, celebrities, and much more will be enjoyed. Spend this September 13th the old fashioned way - sharing a day of fun in the sun with family and friends for a great cause. And don't forget to bring your walking shoes!
Click here to register or log on to your fundraising page!Registration fees are $25 for adults and $10 for youth (12 and younger).
For more information, feel free to contact David Gonzalez, Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota's Director of Volunteer Services, at (651) 523-0099 ext. 121 or email David at dgonzalez@pcamn.org.
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| Regional Meetings on Father's Involvement in Healthy Development |
Engaging Fathers in Supporting Healthy Development of Young Children: A series of seven workshops across Minnesota will provide a training opportunity for individuals working in family services, child welfare, family courts, parenting education, early childhood development, public health, child support enforcement, fatherhood advocacy and other social service organizations. Topics will include research and theory about parent-child mental health birth-to-three, mental health community support for parents, principles for engaging men as clients and colleagues, and community resources for promoting parent engagement in early childhood development. Offered by MFFN, Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota, DHS Children's Trust Fund, the Minnesota Initiative Foundations, and St. Cloud State University. The training is free to MFFN members, Child Abuse Prevention Council members, and Circle of Parents members. Nonmember registration fee is $20.00. Follow this link to register online.
Bemidji: Friday October 3, 10:00am - 3:00pm
Little Falls: Tuesday October 7, 10:00am - 3:00pm
Albert Lea: Friday October 10, 10:00am - 3:00pm
Litchfield: Tuesday October 21, 10:00am - 3:00pm
Metro/Twin Cities: Tuesday October 28, 10:00am - 3:00pm
Duluth: Friday November 7, 10:00am - 3:00pm
Alexandria: Friday November 21, 10:00am - 3:00pm |
| Circle of Parents® |
A program of PCAMN, Circle of Parents(R) is a statewide network of parenting support groups that are open to all families in Minnesota. During weekly meetings, parents come together to exchange insights into common parenting challenges. All programs are free, confidential, non-judgemental and designed to promote positive parenting. For more information or to find a group in your area, visit our website or call 1-800-CHILDREN.
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| Join the Parent Leadership Team |
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Hello Parents,
We would like to personally invite you to join the parent leadership team for Circle of Parents. Participation is easy and accessible - you do not leave your house or pack up the kids. You simply need to be a participant in a local Circle group, no additional training needed.
We meet at least quarterly over the phone - toll free, no charge for phone calls. The team can suggest and participate in developing new programs or make improvements that meet the needs of parents and children. They also review parent surveys and oversee the nomination and selection process for annual awards. It is a great way to network with parents statewide and provide yet another level of support for one another.
For more information, contact Roxy Foster, staff to the Parent Leadership Team, at 651-523-0099 ext 118.
Co- Chairs of the Parent Leadership Team
Kathie Kinder-Goble
Ellen Niska |
| Wakanheza DVDs now available |
You may have heard of Wakanheza, a way of interacting with children in public and treating them as "sacred beings." The Initiative for Peaceful Families and Communities in Ramsey County recently teamed up with Twin Cities Public Television to produce a 30-minute introduction to Wakanheza called "Lending a Hand: The Wakanheza Project," which is now available in DVD format. If you are interested in learning more about Wakanheza, please visit their website. If you would like to have a training brought to your community or workplace, please contact us at pcamn@pcamn.org. | |
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| Resources for families in tough economic times |
Rising grocery prices. Pain at the gas pump. Home foreclosures. These days the economic news isn't good for families.
Families are having to make adjustments in many areas of the family budget. Sometimes economic stress can result in short tempers and lack of communication. The University of Minnesota Extension has resources which can help families not only with strategies to help manage family resources but also to improve communication, especially with children, in tough economic times.
Go to the University of MN's Parenting website to check out what is available. |
| Save the Date: The Children and Youth Convention |
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Wednesday, August 27th, 2008
10 am to 2 pm
Grounds of the MN State Capitol
Hosted by Every Child Matters in Minnesota and the Minnesota Children's Platform Coalition
We'll have games, activities and prizes all designed to educate children and youth about the importance of civic engagement. Participants will also have the opportunity to vote on a "Children and Youth Platform" that will be presented to the major parties at the state and national levels.
Participating groups will also receive curriculum materials relating to civic engagement prior to the event.
If your organization is interested in participating, please contact Anika Walz at awalz@everychildmatters.org. |
| Child Maltreatment Training |
Family & Children's Service Initiative for Violence Free Families program is offering a FREE workshop for professionals who work with kids...
CHILD MALTREATMENT:
What You CAN Do, What You MUST Do
The HARD FACTS about MANDATORY REPORTING
and OPTIONS for the GRAY AREAS
Wednesday, July 23
9:00 am - 1:30 pm
Brookdale Library in Brooklyn Center
Registration is limited and must be received by Friday, July 18th.
Please register by calling Becca Anderson at 612-728-2084 or emailing her at randerson@everyfamilymatters.org.
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| 28th Annual Meeting of the Women's Consortium |
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Wednesday July 16
5:30PM - 8PM
Crossroads Room, St. Michael's Lutheran Church
1660 West County Road B
Roseville, Minnesota 55113
A very exciting agenda is planned, including unveiling of the Consortium's Member Group Directory, an awesome resource with purpose & services available from all 171 member groups, more info than could ever put online. There will also be a supper, voting, State of the Consortium speech, and a keynote address by Dr. Rusty Barcelo, U of M Vice President for Equity & Diversity. Visit the website for more information. |
| The Children's Sabbath |
The 152,000 children currently living in poverty in this state don't know about "Minnesota nice." Neither do the 7000 kids who were abused or neglected, or the 14,000 who lived in out-of-home placements, in 2006. The Interfaith Children's Advocacy Network (ICAN) urges Minnesota congregations to raise awareness of the needs of children living with poverty and violence, and begin mobilizing their members to insist on policies that ensure their well-being, by participating in the Children's Defense Fund's (CDF) 17th annual National Observance of Children's Sabbath, October 17th - 19th, 2008.
To help congregations plan their Sabbaths, ICAN distributes free copies of CDF's Children's Sabbath Resource Manual to individuals and congregations in Minnesota. The interfaith manual provides materials and ideas for worship services; ICAN supplements it with statistics about Minnesota children and information about local resources. To request copies, contact Julie at 612-230-3234 or Julie@icanmn.org. Learn more about the 2008 Children's Sabbath here. |
| Child Poverty in Minnesota |
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According to the "Minnesota Kids Count Data Book 2008", 152,000 children were living in poverty in 2006. This is the highest number of children in poverty in a decade.
As we all know, when a family is struggling all too often it is the children who are most affected. When a family doesn't have sufficient income to cover the bills, hard choices must be made. Children's visits to the doctor might be postponed, meals may be scant or scarce, coats and shoes that have been outgrown may be forced to last another season and parental help with homework may be simply unavailable as parents are forced to work late nights to make ends meet.
When voters go to the polls this election year, they are given the burden of voting not just for themselves but for the 1.2 million children who call Minnesota home and particularly for those children whose families work and still cannot afford to adequately provide for them. It is up to the voters to elect candidates who will commit to giving families in need a helping hand instead of the cold shoulder they so often face.
Every Child Matters in Minnesota will be working during this election season to help make children a political priority, but we cannot do this alone. We need you to join with us and commit not just in words, but in actions to changing the lives of children by putting them at the top of political agenda. You can sign up to work with us on our website, or you can contact Jennifer Rison at jrison@everychildmatters.org or 612-219-0215 for more information about becoming involved. |
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