If you missed the April, 19 2022 meeting, here are the minutes.
SGFA April 19,2022
Service Groups and Faith Alliance April 19, 2022
Meeting Minutes Strategies for Keeping Children Safe
Nicole Bernard, Niki Miller, Laura Goulian, Ofc KennethRagland, Elliot Brooks, Kim Adcock, Spencer Bradford, Tom Klatt, Danica Coleman, Karen Morant, Deb Vinci
Introduction
Welcome from Nicole and thanked Lew Wilson Art for sponsorship. This Friday 1-2 April 22, APD is holding Child Abuse awareness event.
April 26, Apex town council will be presenting a proclamation to Shield deeming May Foster Care Awareness month. Encourage community to support foster care.
New Life church has gathered items for foster families and will be delivering April 30. Providence Church has small groups collecting items as well including luggage as a primary need that helps negate shame in use of plastic bags for belongings.
Planning event for May to honor foster families postponed to June. Looking for event space. Let Niki know if you can assist. (niki@shieldnc.org)
Looking for volunteers to help canvas neighborhoods to place door hangers regarding needs for foster children, May 10, May 21 and May 25. Email Nicole if you are interested. (nicole@shieldnc.org)
Notes
Laura Goulian introduced Safe Child and April is Child Abuse Prevention month. She agreed on the value of the great project to provide luggage.
Safe Child is an Agency in Wake County that exists to educate and empower parents and caregivers and allows a more positive impact for children. Multi-pronged approach; community outreach, parent education and funny tummy program.
Protecting children – the first line of defense is a safe nurturing environment. Understand their unique role in their children’s lives can help provide positive safe place.
Parenting groups – Safe Child receives referrals through the court system & social services. Your organization or church can also refer individuals. Self-referral is also welcomed and encouraged. There is no cost.
Programs provide focus for Mothers, Fathers and Spanish speaking. Helpful to understand child development to have realistic expectations for children. Conflict resolution and control are addressed.
Help Mothers become confident caregivers, how a negative relationship can impact a child, ie an unmarried male. How domestic violence impacts children.
Online access has been a more frequently used point of contact.
Funny tummy program – delivered this to all Wake County schools for first and second graders.
· Help children understand what they feel. Learn to determine what is not appropriate and how to respond.
· Also now offered in private and charter schools due to new grant. Looking for other schools that want to partner with Safe Child to bring this program to them.
Moms supporting Moms to help parents be the most protective adults for their children.
· Works with women with new babies (often first child) to find community and mitigate isolation, sharing the challenges and joys of this experience.
· Also specialized group that deals with post partum mood disorders or anxiety which is the most common and hard to talk about. Lead by Mom that has experienced this and assists with eliminating negative feelings for Mothers.
Safe Child Advocacy Center – forensic investigation run by law enforcement and medical professionals. Set up center to tell story one time to trained interview and then that is used as needed.
General Comments
Good education point is domestic violence and how to talk about it. Suspicion and concern require a soft approach. Controlling or coercive partner may not be recognized by abused.
Safe Child does not address services for the child, but focus is on support for the parents to create a best environment. They use language that is inclusive. Child development education includes underlying acceptance of who children are including gender identity.
Laura shared the calendar of events for Safe Child at info@safechildnc.org
Circle of Security program is a great program they love to bring to the community if interested (see website).
lgoulian@safechildnc.org, Intake Coordinator 919-232-5664
Q&A
Who can they contact for Moms supporting Moms: Laura Goulian is the intake coordinator for any help that is needed as a single point of contact for direction. Clients from courts or social services which often goes back to a domestic violence core issue.
Advocacy Center referral is done when there is an open investigation.
Elliot (TFS) asked how their services compare to DOS does (26-week intervention for battery). Safe Child is 11-week program that works best after DOS. It makes them more self-aware and accountable. (BIT vs. Anger Management program)
Do you have any needs?
Volunteer coordinator, Claudia Cortina-Czap
Resilient screening is available to help adults understand how to eliminate stress for children