NYSPEP Strong Roots - Presenters and Panelists - Rochester

New York State Parenting Education Partnership is pleased to announce our confirmed presenters and panelists for the Strong Roots Last a Lifetime training institute "Helping Parents Prepare Young Children for School Success" in Rochester, NY on Friday, November 04, 2016. This one-day training is designed for parenting educators and professionals who support parents / primary caregivers in their role of nurturing children.

Register at www.nyspep.org/strong-roots/. 
Advance registration is required and closes at 5:00 pm on October 24. 

EVENT ANNOUNCER

Judy Wolf
Cornell Cooperative Extension Tioga County (ret.)

Judy Wolf, serves on NYSPEP's Steering and Executive Committees and is Co-chair of the Credential Workgroup. She also has served on the National Parenting Education Network (NPEN) Council. A retired Extension Team Leader for the Family Development Program of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tioga County, she led a variety of programs from parenting skills workshops and home visits. Under her leadership, CCE Tioga has helped to define the Family Resource Center and supported others in implementing that model. 

MORNING PANEL

Panel Moderator

Alice McAdam, NYSFDC, NYSPEP-CPE
Hillside Children's Center

Alice McAdam ...is the Program Manager for Parents As Teachers at Hillside Children's Center.

Master Cadre Pyramid Model Trainer

Ellen Leopold, MS.Ed.
Children's Institute

Ellen Leopold a supports parents, grandparents, and teachers in identifying practices and strategies to support preschoolers' healthy social emotional development as a Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Health Consultant for Children's Institute. She has worked in education for more than 30 years and has consulted with Rochester city elementary, preschools, and day care centers on implementing the evidence-based PATHS and PATHS Preschool. She is a certified Pyramid Model trainer and coach under Aspire's New York Works for Children.

Regional Special Education - Technical Assistance Support Center (RSE-TASC) Behavior Specialist

Megan King
Regional Special Education Technical Assistance Support Center (RSE-TASC)

Megan King is a preschool behavior specialist with the Western region RSE-TASC. She works with preschools on utilizing evidence-based practices to promote social emotional competence in children. She has been in the education world for over 13 years, with a wide variety of experience and age ranges. Megan received her Master's degree in Special Education at Canisius College. She has a total of five teaching certifications in both general and special education. 

NYSPEP Credentialed Parenting Educator

Kara Georgi, NYSPEP-CPE
New York State Community Cafes Parent Leader

Kara Georgi is a NYSPEP Credentialed Parenting Educator, Certified Protective Factors Trainer, NYS Community Cafes Parent Leader, and Co-chair of the Alliance National Parent Partnership Council. Kara is also a Certified Teacher for Pre-K-6.

Child Care Resource & Referral Representative (CCR&R)

Carla Hibbard
Child Care Aware of Steuben and Schuyler

Carla Hibbard, Director of Child Care Aware of Steuben and Schuyler, manages a $1.5 million budget and staff of 17 to improve the quality, availability, affordability, and accessibility of child care. Previously, Carla worked as a Head Start Family Worker / Resource Advocate and as a Child and Adult Care Food Program Training Coordinator. She also coordinated professional training programs for Corning Incorporated, a Fortune 500 company. Carla serves on the NYS Early Care & Learning Council, Steuben County's Integrated Planning, and the Government Affairs Councils for Watkins Glen and Corning Chamber of Commerce.

Please visit www.nyspep.org/strong-roots for information and registration.

Parenting and LGBTQI Identified Persons

Background 
Recently, Donna Morrison of The Guidance Center of Westchester forwarded a newsletter on the topic of serving transgendered youth. She felt parenting educators would benefit from and be interested in the content.

In reflection, I thought of my own experience at age eight. An adult family friend transitioned gender. Sadly, I only met Shirley once. At that time, my parents introduced her as the estranged widow of our family friend, delivering toys that he would have wanted my brother and I to have.

Below are resources that may be helpful for parenting educators and professionals who support parents and primary caregivers who either identify as LGBTQI*, or who are raising children who self-identify, and their families.

Resources for Youth-Serving Organizations and Professionals

• NCFY Reports: Serving Transgender Youth explores services that transgender youth may need to navigate and provides steps adults can take to help transgender youth feel welcome


• Is Our Education System Criminalizing LGBTQ Students? assists understanding of pathways and disparities that may push LGBTQ youth out of school and into the juvenile justice system


• True Inclusion Assessment Tool enables homeless youth serving organizations to assess the current level of LGBTQ-inclusive and affirming practices in a non-judgmental manner

Resources for Parents and Prospective Parents

• PFLAG is the extended family of the LGBTQ community, founded in 1972 with the simple act of a mother publicly supporting her gay-identified son

• Our Trans Loved Ones: Questions and Answers for Parents, Families, and Friends of People who are Transgender and Gender-Expansive is a PDF guide focused on providing support for families and friends of transgender and gender-expansive children, adolescents, and adults

• Frequently Asked Questions From Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ) Prospective Foster and Adoptive Parents is a PDF fact sheet offered by The Children's Bureau / Child Information Welfare Gateway.

Final Thoughts
I acknowledge the many colleagues, friends, and family who identify, or are raising children who identify, as LGBTQI or 'Two-Spirit'.

If you would like to suggest other supportive federal, state, not-for-profit, or grassroots resources on the topic of parenting and LGBTQI identified persons, please leave a thoughtful comment** below.

-Angelina M. Hart

* LGBTQI is the acronym for Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgendered, Questioning, or Intersexed persons

** Comments are screened prior to posting. We are unable to promote resources that advertise or promote for-profit products or services.