Childrens’ Advocates Look For Keys To Statewide Success

July 30, 2013

Children’s advocates from the capital area met Monday in Tallahassee to discuss — and at times debate — their top priorities for the families they serve.

They did so at a forum held by the Children’s Movement of Florida, which launched three years ago and is trying to turn its priorities — early learning, children’s health, special-needs screening and treatment, mentoring and parent engagement — into policy gains.

The meeting included a lively debate about how to get parents involved in their children’s programs. Some speakers said for the children to succeed, the parents must participate — and in any case, it’s the best use of slender resources.

Others said many of the parents they serve have their hands full trying to hold down two or three jobs, care for their kids and perhaps take a night class.

“In Chattahoochee and Havana, we never even see a parent,” said Theresa Flury, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of the Big Bend. “If we tell them, if you don’t come to a parent meeting, your child can’t come…We’ll have that child come on his bike and bang on the door, and say, ‘Please let me in.’ How do you say no? You just can’t.”

“We’ve got to go where they are if they’re not going to come to us,” said Ted Granger, president of the United Way of Florida.

Brittany Birken, executive director of the Florida Children’s Council, said there should be clear expectations for parents if they want their children to receive services.

“If we can do some organizing that helps parents know where to plug in and set some expectations, then we can look at where we’re falling short,” Birken said. “Are there specific groups of families that are falling out because of their level of crisis? And then move resources to address that.”

Vance Aloupis, statewide director of the Children’s Movement of Florida, said every local area has its own agenda, and finding it is the key to organizing Florida.

“How do you find that frustration, that energy within each of these local neighborhoods…that translates into effecting change statewide?’” Aloupis said. “This is a statewide movement.”

The Children’s Movement of Florida has divided the state into 17 regions, and Aloupis meets regularly with the leaders of each as they develop their lists.

In the Big Bend, on Monday, advocates represented the United Way, the Children’s Forum, the Early Learning Council of the Big Bend, the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities at Florida State University, the Boys and Girls Club of the Big Bend and more.

They heard that the top five priorities for their region were the creation of a Children’s Services Council — an independent special district with dedicated funding — more support for the holistic Whole Child Leon, higher-quality early education, more comprehensive family-support services and community-based literacy.

Also on hand for the meeting: Courtenay Garcia, the coordinator for the Children’s Movement’s ReadingPals program in Tallahassee. The three-year initiative, administered by local United Way organizations, is trying to train and deploy volunteer “ReadingPals” in 10 Florida regions to increase the number of students reading at grade level by the end of the third grade.

By The News Service of Florida

Comments

3 Responses to “Childrens’ Advocates Look For Keys To Statewide Success”

  1. Krystal French on August 18th, 2013 10:50 am

    I would love to become more involved in the Early Childhood Education/Early Literacy Community in Pinellas County. Who should I contact?

    I believe that libraries should be active partners in this wonderful cause. I am a former preschool teacher (with a BA in General Education) and am currently working in a local public library in the children’s dept. I have been at my current job for 12 yrs and have always wanted my library to be more active in the Early Learning Community beyond our library walls. I am involved in some outreach for HeadStarts, preschools, public schools, and more but I feel strongly that there are many, many more possibilities that are not being explored!

    Please help me get in contact with the right people so that I can be more involved. Thank you for all you are doing for our young friends. They are special gifts that should be cherished by our society!

  2. Tiffany Grantham on August 2nd, 2013 12:21 pm

    This is perhaps the most important issue of our time. Giving each child a sound foundation . . . to move forward for their lifetime. Thank you to all who are involved!

  3. Janet Burnett on August 2nd, 2013 12:02 pm

    I agree with encouraging parent involvement. BUT, I remember being the parent who has to work double shifts seven days per week to get myself into an economic position to not be a drain on society.

    I needed every help the community could offer. I do not believe it should be mandatory for parents to be involved. Also, consider surrogate parenting. By that I mean someone else, family, friend contribute to a child’s upbringing. It takes a village to raise a child. No nuclear family, on its own, can raise a well-rounded member of society.

    I’d love more information and want to participate. I’m a grandma now and I believe in youth.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News