Fatherhood Buzz - What's The Buzz?

The national Fatherhood Buzz Initiative will take place on Saturday, February 22, 2014. This year's focus is on Healthy Relationships. 

Healthy relationships between parents, and between parents and children, strengthen mental well-being and the ability to cope with daily stress. Fathers who model good communication, conflict resolution, and interpersonal relationship skills are teaching their children by example the foundations of all healthy relationships: trust, respect, and understanding. 

Fatherhood Buzz is an outreach effort to promote responsible fatherhood and disseminate parenting information to fathers, families, and the community at-large via one of the most trusted community resources for men: barbershops. 

http://delightfullynoted.blogspot.com/2012/05/fathers-day-printable-shaving-kit-label.html

To get involved, please attend one of the Planning Calls on Monday, February 3, 2014 listed below. The calls will share information about this upcoming event and ways to promote healthy relationships among fathers in your communities. 

BARBERSHOPS: 2:00 pm (Eastern). Dial-in number (888) 403-8872 · Pass-code: 867669 

COMMUNITY PARTNERS: 3:00 pm (Eastern). Dial-in number (888) 403-8872 · Pass-code: 867669 

Please register for Fatherhood Buzz: Healthy Relationships at http://fatherhood.gov/fatherhood-buzz/for-partners/participating/.

When registering, please share all your contact information--including social media channels--and the best way to communicate with you. 

Please also share information about the Barbershop and/or Community Partner you are working with. 

For more information, please visit the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse at info@fatherhood.gov or call 877-4DAD-411 with any questions you may have.

NYSPEP eNews 01-28-2014

The New York State Parenting Education Partnership (NYSPEP) eNews is published bi-weekly with the exception of monthly editions in July and December. Please share with friends and colleagues. Visit our website at nyspep.org and click "Join NYSPEP" to sign up for the NYSPEP eNews. 

To announce an event or resource, send details to nyspep@nyspep.org. Please include your name and phone number, in case we have questions. 

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NYSPEP NEWS: New Blog Series - NYSPEP Behind The Scenes, Announcement - NPEN Membership

FATHERHOOD: National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse - Fatherhood Buzz; Fathers Incorporated - Faith, Family & Fatherhood Summit

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Webinar - ACEs Effects on Parent Involvement; AAP Webinar - Positive Parenting in the Medical Home; Southern Tier - Trauma Education Summit

RESOURCES: Child Trends - 5 Ways Poverty Harms Children; National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth - 5 Things to Know About Teen Parents

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NYSPEP: Behind the Scenes

Growing Our Roots

Last year we brought you Member Spotlights, introducing our Steering Committee members. This year, our NYSPEP Coordinator will take you Behind the Scenes on our blog. January's edition reflects on NYSPEP's continued growth and emerging buds.

To read NYSPEP Behind the Scenes on our blog, please CLICK HERE. 

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NYSPEP Announcement

NPEN MEMBERSHIP 2014

NYSPEP is pleased to announce our renewed membership with the National Parenting Education Network (NPEN). In related news, Meg Akabas, NYSPEP CPE, has accepted an invitation to serve on the NPEN Council.

To view our NPEN Membership certificate and read the corresponding announcement, please CLICK HERE. 

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National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse Presents

Fatherhood Buzz - Healthy Relationships

Saturday, February 22, 2014 • Statewide • Participating Barbershops

Barbershops are a safe place for men to talk with other men and receive support. Fathers and sons form bonds visiting the barbershop together. Community organizations are encouraged to identify, engage, and partner with local barbershops. This year's theme is "Healthy Relationships". Separate planning calls for barbershops and organizations will be held Monday, February 3rd, 2014.

For more information and to register, please CLICK HERE. 

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Fathers Incorporated Presents

Faith, Family & Fatherhood Summit 2014

Saturday, February 1, 2014 • 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Metropolitan Baptist Church • Newark, NJ near the busline

Join hosts ESPN analyst and reporter Chris Broussard, along with current and retired NFL players and personalities, for this free public summit. Supported by Fathers Incorporated, the Metropolitan Baptist Church, and Eagle Academy, this superbowl weekend event will include a panel discussion, brief screening of the documentary Spit'in Anger, and a Ties Never Broken pinning ceremony. 

For more information and to register, please CLICK HERE.

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FRIENDS National Resource Center Webinar

ACEs & Protective Factors: Effects on Parent Involvement

Thursday, February 20, 2014 • 3:30 - 5:00 PM

The Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) study is one of the largest investigations assessing associations between childhood maltreatment and the impact on later-life health and well-being. This webinar includes:

• Information from the original study
• Information from two programs working to build protective factors and engage parents
• A parent leader's personal experience and proactive steps to keep her children from experiencing ACEs

For more information and to register, please CLICK HERE. 

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AAP Webinar - Positive Parenting in the Medical Home

Coaching Families & Modeling Positive Parenting

Wednesday, February 26, 2014 • 1:00 - 2:00 PM 

Presented by the American Academy of Pediatrics' Medical Home for Children Exposed to Violence, this webinar will enable participants to:

• Identify parenting practices that can build resilience in children exposed to violence 
• Identify ways to model positive parenting practices in the medical home
• Provide specific and practice guidance on parenting to families within the medical home setting

For more information and to register, please CLICK HERE.

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3rd Annual Southern Tier Multidisciplinary Team

Trauma Education Summit

THIS WEEK! ⇒ Friday, January 31, 2014 • 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM

Allegany-Limestone High School • Allegany, NY

Featuring keynote speaker Olga Trujillo, J.D., this summit will be of particular interest to those working in a school setting—from faculty to superintendents—and other professionals who work with children. Some of the workshops offered include:

• Improving Outcomes for Children by Engaging Their Families
• Preventing School Violence - Using a Threat Assessment Model
• Bullying & Adolescent Social Drama
• Improving Outcomes Through Cross-System Care Planning

For more information and to register, please CLICK HERE. 

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Child Trends - Resource

5 Ways Poverty Harms Children

50 years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared a War on Poverty. In 2012, the national poverty rate was 22% - barely lower than when the War began. This resource highlights five ways poverty is harmful to children.

To access this and other poverty topic resources, please CLICK HERE. 

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National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth - Resource

5 Things to Know About Teen Parents & How to Help

The Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy surveyed 4,439 pregnant and parenting teens over a one-year period. They also studied factors that help young parents become resilient. This resource covers five things youth and family service professionals should know about teen parents and how to help them.

To access this resource, please CLICK HERE. 

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NYSPEP Behind the Scenes: Growing Our Roots

NYSPEP received a lot of positive feedback after launching its 2013 "Member Spotlight" series, which introduced many of NYSPEP's leaders. In a similar spirit, NYSPEP is pleased to introduce its 2014 monthly series "Behind the Scenes" from the desk of the NYSPEP Coordinator.

It’s fitting that NYSPEP chose “Strong Roots” Last a Lifetime as the theme for our annual professional development training series. Reflecting upon the Strong Roots logo, I'd like to share an analogy stemming from nature. 

NYSPEP Strong Roots Logo

Outside, trees have shaken off their leaves and appear lifeless. Trees grow ‘terminal buds’ shortly before dropping their leaves. Did you know these overwintering buds are the same ones that burst forth at Spring's arrival? The lush green we admire in Summer actually emerges at the end of the prior growing season! 

These buds don't burst open at the first sign of a mid-winter thaw. The returning freeze would destroy them. Rather, the buds await ideal conditions that will support their tender shoots.

In many ways, NYSPEP now resembles the deciduous tree in winter. It’s good to step back and focus on our internal processes as NYSPEP's taproot continues to grow. Here are just a few of our buds...

• NYSPEP's website at www.nyspep.org is undergoing changes in layout, navigation, and content. Recorded webinars will soon appear in the Archives. The Workgroups concept will shift to Projects, which reflects our emerging work. Professional Development and Credential projects are closely aligned yet each will have their own page with fresh content. A secondary event calendar will list professional development opportunities that aren’t hosted by NYSPEP. 

SIDEBAR: We no longer use our previous website domain. Please check that your browser bookmarks, organization website, and directories list New York State Parenting Education Partnership (NYSPEP) at www.nyspep.org/. Kindly alert your website administrator to direct links for the New York State Parenting Education Partnership to "http://nyspep.org". 

• Our Credential team is in the midst of incoming portfolio submissions for panel review. The application deadline for the Parenting Educator Credential is Friday, January 31, 2014. Please email our Credential Coordinator at Credential@nyspep.org with any questions or concerns about your submission. Future Orientations are not yet scheduled, but we anticipate they'll be announced in the Spring. The team will also develop a recertification component.

• NYSPEP’s Professional Development team created a Field Survey to help shape topics and locations for the 2014 Strong Roots training institutes. The survey is designed to be quick and easy to complete. An e-Announcement with details and a survey link will be sent to our eNews mailing list by end of January. 

• We're branching out to build relationships with organizations that may complement or overlap NYSPEP's work. Our newest Steering Committee member, Donna Morrison, is a liaison between NYSPEP and the Stronger Families NY Coalition (SFNY). Donna will attend an upcoming event hosted by SFNY. 

Trees teach us to grow roots, reach towards the sun, and extend ourselves towards others.

NYSPEP Announcement: NPEN Membership 2014

The National Parenting Education Network (NPEN) offers its members opportunity to connect with other parenting educators, learn about professional development events, list events on the NPEN list-serve, and more.

NYSPEP is pleased to announce our renewed NPEN membership for 2014 and on-going commitment to the field of parenting education.

NPEN Membership Certificate 2014 for NYSPEP

NYSPEP Steering Committee Members Involved in NPEN

Meg Akabas, NYSPEP-CPE and author of 52 Weeks of Parenting Wisdom: Effective Strategies for Raising Happy, Responsible Kids, has accepted an invitation to serve on the NPEN Council. 

Judith "Judy" Rae Wolf, Co-Chair of NYSPEP's Credential Workgroup, recently co-authored an NPEN white paper titled A Closer Look at Diverse Roles of Practitioners in Parenting Education: Peer Educators, Paraprofessionals, and Professionals.

KWIC Webinar 01-22-2014: Early Childhood Data

NYS COUNCIL ON CHILDREN & FAMILIES 

Kids' Well-being Indicators Clearinghouse (KWIC) 

KWIC Webinar: Early Childhood Data    

Wednesday, January 22, 1:00-2:00 PM (Eastern)    

From the moment they are born, young children are ready to learn. Behind a toddler's soft features and halting first steps, an unseen, but extremely high-stakes, activity is taking place - the building of a brain. What happens to children during those critical first years will determine whether their maturing brain has a sturdy foundation or a fragile one.

The January KWIC webinar will highlight how New York's youngest children are faring using population data, a child health system performance scorecard and an opportunity index.  Join the NYS Council on Children & Families and KWIC to learn more about New York's youngest children.

To register, please CLICK HERE.

NYSPEP eNews 01-13-2014

The New York State Parenting Education Partnership (NYSPEP) eNews is published bi-weekly with the exception of monthly editions in July and December. Please share with friends and colleagues. Visit our website at nyspep.org and click "Join NYSPEP" to sign up for the NYSPEP eNews. 

To announce an event or resource, send details to nyspep@nyspep.org. Please include your name and phone number, in case we have questions. 

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NYSPEP NEWS: NYSPEP Member Spotlight: Judith A. Richards; NYSPEP 2013 - A Year In Review; NYSPEP Announcement - Minigrant Awardees

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Institute for Parenting Workshop - Disorganized Attachment

RESOURCES: NPEN Whitepaper - Diverse Practitioner Roles in Parenting Education; CCF - Kids Count Data Book; IMHA Online - IMHA Website

POLICY OF INTEREST: S.1697 / H.R.3461 - Strong Start for America's Children Act; S.1810 / H.R.3712 - Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act (FAMILY Act)

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NYSPEP Member Spolight: Judith A. Richards

Ms. Richards is a founding member of NYSPEP and actively serves on the Steering Committee and Co-chairs the Community Cafe Workgroup. She's spent nearly 40 years in human service administration and direct services in both the private and public sector. She is Program Director for the Children and Family Trust Fund through the NYS Office of Children and Family Services and is a strong advocate for primary prevention.

To read Judy's expanded biography with photo on our blog, please CLICK HERE.

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NYSPEP 2013 - A Year In Review

NYSPEP offers even more than the Parenting Educator Credential, Strong Roots Last a Lifetime training insititutes and professional development webinars. Our 2013 look-back highlights some of the partnerships, initiatives, and behind-the-scenes activities, which have contributed to NYSPEP's growth. 

To read the complete year-in-review on our blog, please CLICK HERE.

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NYSPEP Announces Mini-grant Awardees

NYSPEP is pleased to announce the 2013 parenting education program mini-grants recipients. Five mini-grants were awarded, one to the top candidate in each of five regions designated by the NYS Office of Mental Health, which provides funding for the mini-grant program. 

To read the complete announcement on our blog, please CLICK HERE. 

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Adelphi University - Institute for Parenting

Understanding Disorganized Attachment & Caregiving

Thursday, February 6, 2014 • 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

UJA - Federation of New York • New York, NY

Judith Solomon, Ph.D., will introduce how a high-risk attachment relationship is identified through observation of parent-child interaction, child doll play, maternal interview, and a questionnaire. Video and interview material will demonstrate the use of attachment-based measures for clinical assessment and treatment planning. This program has been approved for 6 CEUs.

For more information and to register, please CLICK HERE.

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NPEN: Peer Educators, Paraprofessionals, & Professionals

Diverse Roles of Practitioners in Parenting Education

The National Parenting Education Network published A Closer Look at Diverse Roles of Practitioners in Parenting Education: Peer Educators, Paraprofessionals, and Professionals, co-authored by NYSPEP Steering Committee member Judy Wolf. This white paper seeks to clarify the role of peer educators and paraprofessionals in the field and provide recommendations for advancing parenting education by being more inclusive of diverse practitioners. 

To access the white paper online or download in PDF format, please CLICK HERE.

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CCF - 2013 New York Touchstones

Kids Count Data Book

The 2013 New York Touchstones Kids Count Data Book has been released through the NYS Council on Children and Families. This year's edition presents six key areas of child well-being through the lens of diversity and disparity. 

To access the data book online or download in PDF format, please CLICK HERE. 

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Infant Mental Health Association - NY Greater Capital Region

www.infantmentalhealthnycr.org

The Infant Mental Health Association of the Greater Capital Region recently launched its website, which features a resource listing of organizations, helpful websites for parents, and an event calendar. 

To visit the website, please CLICK HERE. 

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Of Interest - Introduced Legislation: S.1697 / H.R.3461

Strong Start for America's Children Act

Identical bills have been introduced in both the Senate and House of Representatives. Highlights include:

• A new federal-state partnership for Pre-K
• Enable Early Head Start programs to reach more eligible children through innovative partnerships with child care programs to improve quality.
• Allow states to use 15% of their Pre-K funds to provide services to infants and toddlers.
• Endorses the expansion of evidence-based home visiting programs.

To learn more about the identical bills on the Congress.gov website, please CLICK HERE.

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Of Interest - Introduced Legislation: S.1810 / H.R.3712

Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act (FAMILY Act)

Identical bills have been introduced in both the Senate and House of Representatives. The Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act or FAMILY Act would create an independent self-sufficient trust fund within the Social Security Administration to collect fees and provide payments for family or medical leave, updating the 1993 law providing leave without pay. 

For more information about the 1993 law and proposed updates on Sen. Gillibrand's website, please CLICK HERE. 

To learn more about the identical bills on the Congress.gov website, please CLICK HERE.

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NYSPEP Awards 2013 Mini-Grants

This year, NYSPEP awarded mini-grants to five (5) recipients, one in each of the five regions designated by the NYS Office of Mental Health. Applicants were limited to those who received NYSPEP mini-grants during the last three years (2010-2012) and who had submitted reports for all mini-grant funds received.

We received an excellent response with many fine proposals. Those who were not selected are encouraged to apply next year.

Preference was given to evidence-based and promising programs. A standardized scorecard was used and the scoring team declared no conflict of interest. 

The scoring team met with the NYSPEP Coordinator, Co-Chair of the Steering Committee, and members of the A-Team (formerly the Executive Committee) to review completed scorecards. There was consensus on all of the awardees, which scored highest in each region as well as among all applications received. 

Congratulations to the following NYSPEP 2013 Mini-Grant Awardees!

WESTERN NY REGION:
Pathways, Inc. 
Corning / Steuben Co.
Therapeutic Foster Care- Family Education Support Group: To improve accessibility and quality of the Family Education Support Group, including purchase of the “Parenting Wisely” curriculum for group and individual use. 

CENTRAL NY REGION: 
Catholic Charities of Broome County
Binghamton / Broome Co.
Gateway Center for Youth- Active Parenting of Teens: To increase the number of parents participating in the “Active Parenting of Teens” program by providing more frequent classes and assistance with childcare and transportation needs.

HUDSON RIVER REGION: 
Mental Health Associate of Ulster County 
Kingston / Ulster Co.
Education and Advocacy Department- “WRAP – Wellness Recovery Action Plan”: To provide the WRAP program to more parents and children by training another co-facilitator and positioning the agency to train parents as facilitators.

NEW YORK CITY REGION:
Boys Town New York 
New York / New York Co.
Common Sense Parenting (CSP): To serve an additional 25 parents with the CSP program by providing facilitator training, materials, refreshments, and transportation assistance; child care provided without cost to the program. 

LONG ISLAND REGION: 
EAC Network 
Ronkonkoma / Suffolk Co.
Long Island Parenting Institute- Common Sense Parenting: To address participation barriers – cost, transportation and scheduling conflicts – for families in homeless shelters by providing three 6-week classes on-site at shelters.

NYSPEP Member Spotlight: Judith A. Richards

Judith A. Richards

Ms. Richards is a founding member of NYSPEP and actively serves on the NYSPEP Steering Committee and Co-chairs the Community Cafe Workgroup. 

She spent nearly 40 years in human service administration and direct services in both the private and public sector. Her career encompasses work in youth development, foster care and adoption, crisis respite care services, public education programs, and prevention services in all aspects of family violence including child abuse, domestic violence, and elder abuse. 

Ms. Richards serves as Program Director for the Children and Family Trust Fund through the NYS Office of Children and Family Services*. She is a strong advocate for primary prevention, the cornerstone of her prevention efforts is the NYS Family Resource Center Network and nationally recognized NYS Shaken Baby Prevention Program. 

Her responsibilities center on administering state and federal funds, oversight for over 50 prevention programs across the state, fostering collaboration at the state and local level, standardizing data evaluation efforts to improve practice and outcomes for families, facilitating professional development opportunities for local and state staff through various partnerships, and contributing to the creation of universal safety messages for parents related to abusive head trauma or Shaken Baby Syndrome and safe sleep practices for infants and children. 

Due to her long standing experience in parenting education and prevention services, Ms. Richards serves on numerous state and national tasks forces and workgroups. She served on the National Alliance of Children’s Trust and Prevention Funds' Board of Directors for many years and on the National Advisory Group for the federal Crisis Respite Program. She is a standing planning committee member for the NYS Annual Child Abuse Prevention Conference sponsored by Prevent Child Abuse New York and contributes to various workgroups through invitation from FRIENDS National Resource Center and the Children’s Bureau. Ms. Richards attended the PREVENT Child Maltreatment Institute and completed a year-long Supervisory Institute sponsored by OCFS.

*UPDATE: Ms. Richards retired from the NYS Office of Children and Family Services in November, 2014.