Announcing 2015-2016 NYSPEP Mini-Grant Awardees

NYSPEP is pleased to award eight mini-grants, of up to $2,000 each, to help providers increase access to evidence based and promising parenting education programs that impart knowledge, skills and resources to nurture children. Congratulations to our recipients!

Funding is provided by the New York State Office of Mental Health (NYS OMH). Twenty qualified applications were carefully considered and scored by a team. At least one application from each NYS OMH region met application criteria and eligibility requirements. Awards were based on thoroughness and quality of the following:

• Documentation that the program is research-based, proven or promising and builds on one or more of the Protective Factors

• Clear description of the problem or need in supporting parents’ access and how the funds would address the problem or need

• Clarity on how funds would be used to collaborate and / or augment other funds for sustainability

WESTERN REGION

• Niagara Falls City School District Focus on Families to provide summer parenting classes using the Incredible Years curriculum 
• Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tioga County to begin implementation of Incredible Years: Parenting Toddlers series in two Family Resource Centers
• Jewish Family Service of Buffalo and Erie County Refugee Parent Support Program to obtain the Incredible Years: School Age Basic Parenting curriculum and conduct a class

CENTRAL REGION

• Opportunities for Otsego Building Healthy Families to hold a Community Baby Shower that provides prenatal and early childhood development education and resources to expecting / new parents

HUDSON RIVER REGION

• Catholic Charities of Columbia and Greene County for the Father’s Parenting Program to hold classes, which do not require a referral and are based on the Nurturing Father's Program 
• Community Maternity Services of Schoharie Otsego for Maternity Outreach, which incorporates multiple evidence-based curricula, to serve women who fall outside the program's age parameters yet demonstrate a need for assistance

NEW YORK CITY REGION

• Henry Street Settlement for Neighborhood Resource Center / Parent Center, which provides several evidence-based curricula including ACS / Family Court approved Parenting Journey, to provide metro-cards that previously helped increase completion rates by 20 percent

LONG ISLAND REGION

• Family and Children's Association Family Center to upgrade Active Parenting curriculum materials and facilitator training, and provide child care and transportation support

Invitation for Pyramid Model Master Cadre Trainers

Letter of Invitation
for Pyramid Model Master Cadre Trainers

Dear Colleague:

Social and emotional well-being sets the foundation for the development and learning of infants, toddlers and young children. The Early Childhood Advisory Council - comprised of experts in child care, education, health care, family support and mental health - has identified the critical need to better support and teach young children and families social and emotional skills.  In response, the New York State Council on Children and Families took the lead in bringing together a team of public and private agencies to form a new partnership to provide support to the early childhood field. This new partnership, the New York State Pyramid Model Partnership, will promote the statewide use of thePyramid Model, an evidence-based framework proven to be an effective approach to building social and emotional competence and reducing challenging behaviors in early care and education programs.

The New York State Pyramid Model Partnership is seeking applications from skilled trainers interested in supporting the implementation of this Model. The Master Cadre Trainers will be responsible for training other trainers and coaches and are expected to agree to the activities below.

Applications must be submitted online along with your resume on or before midnight of November 11, 2015. 

Please click here for the application.

In applying to be a Master Cadre Trainer, you agree to:

·        Attend all 10 days of the Training of Trainers (TOT) in Latham, New York:

o   3 Day TOT: Infant Toddler Modules February 9-11, 2016  (Snow dates: February 23-25, 2016)

o   3 Day TOT: Preschool Modules March 15-17, 2016

o   2 Day TOT: Coaching Modules May 11-12, 2016

o   2 Day TOT: Positive Solutions for Families and Parents with Infants Modules June 16-17, 2016

·        Establish and maintain an active Aspire Professional Profile

·        Deliver 15 days of Pyramid Model training each year through 2019

·        Document all Pyramid Model training events through Aspire (or in a monthly report)

·        Participate in monthly/quarterly Master Cadre calls

If the agreement is not fulfilled (including 15 days of trainings each year for three years) trainers will be expected to reimburse NYSAEYC for the value of the training that was received, estimated in the amount of $500 - $1000.

Selected applicants will be contacted for interviews in early December.

For more information about the Pyramid Model, visit:http://vanderbilt.edu/csefel.

Sincerely,
The New York State Pyramid Model Leadership Team

Patty Persell, NYS Head Start Collaboration Director: Patricia.Persell@ccf.ny.gov  518-484-9352
Susan Perkins, NYS Council on Children and Families: Susan.Perkins@ccf.ny.gov  518-474-9023

Applicant Commitment: http://nysaeyc.org/wp-content/uploads/Applicant-Certification.docx

Employer Support Certification: http://nysaeyc.org/wp-content/uploads/Employer-Support-Agreement.docx

NYSPEP Members Wanted for the "Winning Beginning NY" Steering Committee

A Letter From the NYSPEP Executive Committee Co-chair

NYSPEP members,

We have received an invitation to suggest members to join the Winning Beginning NY Steering Committee. This is an active advocacy group on behalf of early childhood and family issues.

To learn more about WBNY please go to: http://winningbeginningny.org/

If you are interested in becoming active in this work, please consider applying to be a part of the Steering Committee (reminder the deadline is November 6th).

And if you have any questions, please do not hesitate contacting me, Susan

Susan E. Perkins
Project Director NYS Early Childhood Advisory Council
Senior Associate for Early Childhood Initiatives
Co-chair, New York State Parenting Education Partnership 

NYS Council on Children and Families
52 Washington Street, Suite 99 West
Rensselaer, NY 12144
(518) 474 9023

Community Cafe Training: Learn to Host - Become a Parent Leader

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2015

10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

BUFFALO, NEW YORK

CLICK HERE for the Complete 2-Page Flyer

CLICK HERE for the Registration Form

Travel Reimbursement Available!

For More Information About NYSPEP Community Cafes, please visit www.nyspep.org/community-cafes

QUESTIONS? aspengler@jfsbuffalo.org

Strong Roots 2015 - Strengthening Parenting Competence and Confidence: Parental Roles and Protective Factors

New York State Parenting Education Partnership (NYSPEP) is pleased to announce our 2015 Strong Roots training institute topic Strengthening Parenting Competence and Confidence: Parental Roles and Protective Factors.

This professional development institute was designed to support you in helping all parents meet the needs of their children throughout your career. Learn how to apply the Protective Factors Framework in your work with parents who may face any number, or combination, of barriers and challenges that affect the parent's ability to fulfill his or her role, such as: challenges with physical or emotional wellbeing, physical challenges, family conflict, and poverty.

Judith Rae "Judy" Wolf

Judy Wolf, Extension Team Leader of the Family Development Program for Cornell Cooperative Extension Tioga County will present the plenary in six locations across New York state.

• Watertown (9/10) Registration closed
• Buffalo (10/07) Registration closes 9/24)
• Lake Placid (10/27) NEW DATE! (rescheduled from 9/24) 
• New York City (11/05)
• Owego (11/19)
• Latham (12/02)

Pre-registration is required. Visit www.nyspep.org/strong-roots for information and registration.

If you work with parents or families with children, this one-day institute may be for you. We'll review what developmental theories tell us about the parents' role, identify challenges parents face, and look at how the Protective Factors Framework can be used in our work with parents.

Even if you don't necessarily identify as a parenting educator, if you're providing support to parents in your role as a home visitor, family support worker, LCSW, family advocate, clergy, CASAC counselor, pediatric nurse, teacher, parent liaison, etc., you're welcome to attend.

NYSPEP's Strong Roots Last a Lifetime training institutes deliver high-quality content developed by experienced professionals. Topics focus on realities that families face and are associated with effectiveness in supporting parents. Topics are also aligned with the competencies for the statewide NYSPEP Parenting Educator Credential.

We hope to see you this Fall!

ALBANY 8/22: Free School Supplies Available for Enrolled K-12 Students

The Back to School Bash provides FREE school supplies to students in grades K-12 with proof of enrollment.

The event will be held on Saturday, August 22 from 10AM to 3PM at In Our Own Voices, 245 Lark Street, Albany, NY 12210.

For more information, please call (518) 432-4188.

NYSPEP Member Spotlight: Patricia "Tricia" Colon

Patricia "Tricia" Colon

Tricia is an active member of NYSPEP’s Steering Committee. She recently applied for the Tier II Parenting Educator Credential. Her application portfolio will undergo panel review and is pending approval.

Tricia started her career as an Elementary Education teacher. In 1993, she became a new mother and quickly grew her family to five children. Like many of the parents she observed while teaching, Tricia also sought guidance, direction, and support from her children’s teachers in order to raise her children in the best possible way.

In 2013, Tricia served as a Leave Replacement High School Counselor. Once again, she witnessed parents looking to school professionals for help in raising their teenage children. Through these experiences, decades of conversations with parents, and an awareness that loving a child and rearing a child are not the same, Tricia has developed a passion for supporting parents in raising healthy children through positive parenting.

Tricia holds a Master of Science in School Counseling from Long Island University and Master of Arts, Elementary Curriculum and Design from Columbia University. She has a conversational knowledge of Spanish and previously served as a substitute bilingual high school counselor in Huntington, NY.

"All my roads have led me to emphatically learn about raising healthy children and positive parenting so I can be a role model for others."

Judith M. Nordstrom: June 3, 1947 - April 17, 2015

Judith "Judy" M. Nordstrom

Judith M. Nordstrom, 67, of Townsend, MA, formerly of Truxton, NY passed away Friday evening, April 17th, 2015 with her children at her side. She was born in Concord, MA to the late Charles “Bud” Vidito and Elizabeth Bourke Vidito. She will be missed and lovingly remembered by her husband of 37 years, Gerald A. Nordstrom; brother: Bruce Vidito; sister: Elizabeth Farfaras; children: Eric Mannion, Tiffany Mannion, Kristy Mannion, Noelle Nordstrom, and Michael Nordstrom; grandchildren: David Mannion, Brianna Mannion, Erika Shufeldt, Danielle Mannion, Dana Mannion, Natalie Shufeldt, Jessica Mannion; and mother to Elizabeth Arcieri, Deborah Dwight, Diana Mendes, Carol Lincoln, Cynthia Nordstrom, Heather Dunlap, Jerry Nordstrom and 17 grandchildren. 

Mrs. Nordstrom was founder and Lead Educator of TEPE Training Institute, created the multi-modal “thematic module” concept in curricula design, unveiled at the Center for Parenting Education at the University of North Texas. She developed the F.A.C.T.S. Model, used in training parenting educators and the “Parenting Education Matrix”, a needs assessment and evaluation tool and served as an honorary member of the New York State Parenting Educator Partnership (NYSPEP) Steering Committee.  

A funeral with collation will be held at 11 am on Saturday, May 2nd, at the First Baptist Church in West Townsend, MA.   

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to New York State Parenting Education Partnership (NYSPEP). 

Please make checks payable to “Prevent Child Abuse New York”, fiscal agent for NYSPEP. Please indicate “NYSPEP / Judy Nordstrom Memory” in the memo field on the face of the check. 

Please mail donation to: 

NYSPEP Coordinator 

c/o Prevent Child Abuse New York 

33 Elk Street, 2nd Floor 

Albany, NY 12207

To read Judy's original NYSPEP Member Spotlight, please visit: 

http://nyspep.blogspot.com/2013/08/nyspep-member-spotlight-judy-nordstrom.html

NYSPEP Member Spotlight: Kate Provencher

Kate Provencher is a Program Specialist in the Division of Integrated Community Services for Families and Children, NYS Office of Mental Health. In this capacity she oversees several prevention and early intervention initiatives that promote the importance of children’s social emotional health and early identification of problems. These initiatives include the Early Recognition Screening Initiative and Project TEACH (Training and Education for the Advancement of Children’s Health).

Kate also serves on NYSPEP's Steering Committee. She is a member of NYSPEP's newly emerging workgroup that is exploring connections between parenting educators and pediatricians, as well as related practitioners and providers of health services for families with children.

Prior to joining the Office of Mental Health in 2013, Kate’s experience included working for over 20 years in community mental health as a clinician, supervisor and coordinator of Trauma Recovery services.

NYSPEP Renews Membership with NPEN

NYSPEP is pleased to announce our renewed Organizational Membership with NPEN, the National Parenting Education Network. NPEN provides a variety of resources for parenting educators and networking on the national level.

The 2015 Organizational Membership allows NYSPEP's website (www.nyspep.org) to be listed on NPEN's website. Up to five NYSPEP representatives are granted access to post to the NPEN list-serve. The representatives are also eligible to join NPEN Committees if they wish.

The following NYSPEP Steering Committee members have been selected to represent NYSPEP's Organizational Membership with NPEN in 2015:

• Tim Hathaway, Prevent Child Abuse New York
• Liz Hood, New York State Education Department
• Susan Perkins, New York State Council on Children and Families
• Deirdre Sherman, New York State Office of Children and Family Services / Children and Family Trust Fund
• Rebecca Widrick, New York State Council on Children and Families

Two additional NYSPEP Steering Committee members are currently serving on the NPEN Council:

• Meg Akabas, Parenting Solutions and author of 52 Weeks of Parenting Wisdom
• Judith Rae "Judy" Wolf, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Tioga County

NPEN is committed to the advancement of the field of parenting education. For more information, please visit www.npen.org/.

NYSPEP Member Spotlight: Deirdre Sherman

Deirdre Sherman is a Program Manager with the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), NYS Children and Family Trust Fund, and serves on NYSPEP’s Executive Committee. Her work at OCFS includes support, technical assistance, and oversight for programs funded through the Trust Fund, including Family Resource Centers, home visiting and parent education programs, and elder abuse prevention programs. She also provides support for the Safe Babies New York, a statewide initiative which provides education on abusive head trauma (Shaken Baby Syndrome) and safe sleeping practices to parents of newborns at all 134 maternity hospitals across the state.

Prior to OCFS, Deirdre worked at Occupations, Inc.*, a non-profit human service agency in Orange County, NY. She began her 15 year term with the agency as a home visitor in the agency's family development program, an intensive home visitation program providing parenting education, coaching, and skill building for families under family court supervision. Deirdre then worked as a school-based caseworker and went on to become a casework supervisor. She supervised a Healthy Families New York site in Orange County for several years.

Deirdre holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Rochester. She is passionate about strengthening families by building protective factors at the family and community level to prevent child abuse and neglect.

Deirdre enjoys time with family including her husband of more than thirty years, her three children, and one grandchild. Deirdre also volunteers to assist with activities and events to support a homeless shelter in Middletown, NY. In her spare time, she enjoys walking with dogs, bird-watching, and reading.

 *now known as Access: Supports for Living

NYSPEP Member Spotlight: Tim Hathaway

Tim Hathaway, former Executive Director of Prevent Child Abuse North Dakota, joins Prevent Child Abuse New York as its new Executive Director and fiscal agent for NYSPEP. Tim also serves as Co-chair for the NYSPEP Executive Committee.

Tim brings 28 years of experience with children and families and has a strong commitment to the work of supporting parents as they create healthy environments for their children. He is passionate about eliminating racial disparities, driving best practice standards for Child Abuse Prevention, excellence in non-profit administration and advancing place-based, partner-driven solutions.

Prior to Prevent Child Abuse, Tim spent almost 20 years with Head Start programs in a variety of capacities including Parent and Child Centers, Early Head Start, Head Start and the federal Technical Assistance Network.  Early in his career, Tim managed and directed early care and learning programs for the YMCA and faith-based communities.  Tim believes in the value of professional development and has been a trainer and consultant to early childhood professionals for 25 years.

Tim believes NYSPEP is well-positioned to drive leading-edge prevention work for families in New York.

Tim states, "As a network of professionals working to expand the field, we have the potential to reach thousands of families and community members.  This reach is critical to normalizing parenting approaches that build resiliency in children. In a sea of voices, NYSPEP provides leadership based on evidence, experience and systematic solution finding."

NYSPEP Member Spotlight: Wales Brown Selected for Zero To Three Fellowship

Mr. Wales Brown, NYSPEP Member and Tier III Credentialed Senior Parenting Educator (NYSPEP-CSPE), was recently selected as a Fellow for the Zero To Three Fellowship Program. NYSPEP warmly congratulates Mr. Brown. A press release appears below. 

Washington, DC – January 2015 – Wales Brown of Schenectady, New York was recently selected as a Fellow with the ZERO TO THREE Fellowship Program – a prestigious fellowship that engages, enriches, and inspires leaders who are dedicated to advancing the health, development, and well-being of infants and toddlers. Mr. Brown has dedicated his life to helping parents build stronger, healthier connections with their children throughout upstate New York and beyond. He brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the fellowship program from his over 30 years’ experience and leadership as a parent educator with the Northeast Parent & Child Society.

Mr. Brown is joined by nine other fellows who are from eight states across the country and Australia. The fellows bring a diversity of experience from such fields as psychology, child development, law, pediatrics, parent education, mental health, social work, research, and public health. ZERO TO THREE is pleased to welcome Mr. Brown as a fellow and we are excited about the expertise, knowledge, and perspective he brings to the fellowship,” said Matthew Melmed, ZERO TO THREE Executive Director. “His work as a parent educator and a trainer of parent educators to promote the healthy development of infants and toddlers brings a unique and important contribution to the fellowship experience.” he added.

During the fellowship, Mr. Brown will work in collaboration with a diverse group of professionals in the judicial and child welfare systems, as well as parents and community members, to develop a plan to increase the number, skills, and capacity of parent educator teams who work with the children and their families in the foster care system and those at-risk. “The availability of parent educators in juvenile courts can provide support services to help prevent out-of-home placement for infants and young children at-risk or aid in reunification of young children with parents after being placed in foster care”, said Mr. Brown.

The ZERO TO THREE fellowship program, which began in 1981, is guided by the principles that babies do better when the professionals who serve them and their families are work together across areas of expertise, are knowledgeable about the latest child development research, and are well equipped with the leadership skills to advance change in programs, systems, and policies that impact the well-being of infants and toddlers. ZERO TO THREE is a national nonprofit that provides parents, professionals, and policymakers the knowledge and know-how to nurture early development to ensure that all infants and toddlers have the strongest start in life. For more information about ZERO TO THREE, please visit www.zerotothree.org