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YOUTH POWER! To Sponsor Two Regional Red Carpet Events!
 Take time out to review this exciting event for youth in any NYS Child Serving System, including foster care, mental health, oasas, juvenile justice, etc. YOUTH POWER! is hosting two regional youth forums for the Hudson River Region of New York. The theme is Red Carpet Hollywood Premier. At the youth forum, youth will have an opportunity to walk the red carpet and share their stories. Also we have a really cool contest. Youth can come dressed up like their favorite actor or artist and will have a chance to win a cool prize. We also have spots open if any of the youth would like to sing or read a poem at the forum.
YOUTH POWER! is the New York State Network of young people who have been labeled and are seeking change. Together they speak up about their experiences because no one knows what it is like for them better than they do. Through peer to peer mentoring, they work to ensure that young people are active citizens who are aware of government operations, their rights and the ability to use their voices to influence policies, practices, regulation and law. They are young people helping other people, ensuring availability of self-help and peer support while changing systems so that young people get the support they need with the respect and dignity they deserve. And they are partners in the Commissioners' Committee and ENGAGE cross-systems activities.
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Summertime Food
Assistance Program
 It's starting to warm up and school vacation is here. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service sponsors summer nutrition programs available to school children that receive free and reduced lunch throughout the year. This information may be useful to some of your program participants, their families, or some of the programs you work with. Below please find links to both English and Spanish flyers for the Summer Food Service (SFSP) to distribute as appropriate. The National Hunger Clearinghouse www.whyhunger.org is listed on the flyer so it can be that can be distributed anywhere in the US.
Although about 21 million children nationwide receive free and reduced-priced meals through the National School Lunch Program during the regular school year, only about 3 million kids are fed in SFSP summer programs. For many of these children, summer vacation exposes them to an increased risk of hunger and developmental decline. Children need good nutrition all year long. When school is out during the summer months, many children no longer have access to even one nutritious meal each day. The Summer Food Service Program helps to fill the gap.
We hope this information is useful and please distribute to help ensure more children get nutritious food during the summer months so that they are ready to learn during the school year.
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Sesame Street Workshop:
"Little Children, Big Challenges: Incarceration"Campaign
Almost 2 million children in the United States have a parent that is incarcerated! The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that children of incarcerated parents are more likely to face other adverse experiences, including witnessing violence in their communities or directly in their household, or exposure to drug and alcohol abuse. In order to improve the outcomes of these children, the federal government and Sesame Workshop have teamed up to provide resources. Sesame Workshop's "Little Children, Big Challenges: Incarceration" Campaign and the Children of Incarcerated Parents Federal Working Group have released materials to teach better coping skills and to lessen the trauma children face when a parent is incarcerated. Their newest initiative, Little Children, Big Challenges: Incarceration provides free bilingual (English/Spanish) multimedia tools for families with young children (ages 3-8) who have an incarcerated parent, including A Guide for Parents and Caregivers, a Children's Storybook, and a new Sesame Street video; an Incarcerated Parent Tip Sheet; and the Sesame Street: Incarceration mobile app, and more, all at SesameStreet.org/Incarceration. Kits can be requested at no cost by emailing: incarceration@sesame.orgThe Children of Incarcerated Parents Federal Working Group worked with partners across the federal government to identify opportunities to support these children and their caregivers. The group developed a toolkit for child welfare agencies, federal prisons and residential reentry centers to address issues faced by incarcerated parents. This Fact Sheet describes the efforts of the interagency group. The Children in Foster Care with Parents in Federal Prison Toolkit includes:
- Answers to questions frequently asked by social workers and prison and residential reentry center staff
- Definitions of terms used by the various agencies
- Timelines for important events that affect parents and children
- Contact information for State Child Welfare Agencies
- Additional Resources that would be helpful for parents and staff
For additional resources, visit Find Youth Info's Children of Incarcerated Parents Page and to learn more about the Children of Incarcerated Parents Initiative, read about the recent White House event honoring 12 community leaders who work to ensure that innocent children do not suffer including some of New York's own champions at Champions of Change
Learn More About the New York State Coordinating Council on Children with Incarcerated Parents (CC CwIP) The Council on Children and Families chairs the New York State CC CwIP which brings together key state agencies, community-based organizations and individuals, including formerly incarcerated parents and family members of incarcerated parents, to improve the lives of children of incarcerated parents. Under the leadership of the Council on Children and Families, and in partnership with the Osborne Association and the Division of Criminal Justice Services, CC CwIP addresses ways in which to improve practices to support children and families from the point of arrest to issues to pertaining to parent-child communication during incarceration and to family reunification. The CC CWIP welcomes the input of formerly incarcerated parents and other family members. Please contact CC CwIP at Council@ccf.ny.gov.
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Article From Grantmakers for Children,Youth & Families:
Raising Grandchildren or Adult Children with Disabilities
Retirement, downsizing, grandchildren and traveling-these words among many others are on the minds of Americans when they reach their 50s and 60s. What many of them have never considered this late into their lives is becoming the primary caregiver for their grandchildren. However, according to the most recent U.S. Census data, 4.9 million children under age 18 live in grandparent-headed households. Approximately 20 percent of these children are living in a grandparent-headed household where neither biological parent is present or responsible for their basic needs.
This article discusses reasons why grandparents become primary caregivers for their grandchildren, the joys and challenges associated with raising grandchildren and support services currently in place to assist "grandfamilies" emotionally, financially and legally. It also discusses ways funders can help reduce the gaps in these services and provide other forms of support for grandparents raising their grandchildren.
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Follow ENGAGE on Twitter!
Follow the Council on Children and Families @NYSCCF on Twitter for the latest ENGAGE updates. Here are some of our most recent tweets:
ENGAGE 2Day: Daily HealthBeat Tip Update - Kids and Smoking Ads -The Dangers Click here!
ENGAGE 2Day: HHS-OIG launches online protocol for voluntary self-disclosure of evidence of potential fraud Click here!
ENGAGE 2Day: CMHN: SAMHSA Ctr MH Svcs awards Families Together in NYS fy'13 Statewide Family Network grant. Congrats Click here!
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Thank you for your continued interest in ENGAGE.
The New ENGAGE Team The ENGAGE Newsletter is an information sharing service.
Information presented in this newsletter is not all inclusive and does not imply endorsement of any particular methodology or program |
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