MOAPPP Adolescent Parent ENews

September 2010

Dear Governor, Our kids need a safety net.

–Gail Rosenblum

Announcements

Access to Education for Pregnant and Parenting Students: Title IX and Beyond

September 30 at MN Department of Education

This is a must for anyone working as an advocate for teen parents and for anyone working at a school that includes (or attempts to exclude!) student parents. For more information, see the full training description.

Please Join Us!
10-10-10

October 10, 2010
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 pm
Minnesota State Capitol
10,000 March and Rally for Children and Youth

MOAPPP is joining hundreds of others who care about children in a march and rally to speak out for the children and youth of Minnesota to put their needs on the election campaign agenda as a priority.

The marchers will converge on the state capitol from multiple directions, carrying banners, placards and signs to give 10 specific messages to civic leaders, policy makers, and candidates running in the upcoming state elections.

There will be a press conference held at one of the gathering points prior to the march.

There will be justice music by locally known groups, a celebrity keynote, short speeches by civic leaders, clergy and children. Gubernatorial candidates will be invited and given a few minutes to say how they would address one of the 10 focus issues.

The rally will end with a challenge for change to give ALL Minnesota children a fair start in life. Citizens will be asked to vote for candidates who know the issues that impact children and promise to address them. There will be commitment cards and/or stickers for participants to use to expand the movement.

This is a great opportunity for you and any youth groups you work with to act for justice for children. Go to the event website and review the issues. Choose an issue that you care about. Make posters and banners about the issue. Give our office a call or email and let us know you are participating. We will make sure you get all the details. Then just show up to march and participate in the rally: 10-10-10.

Help Needed on MOAPPP Conference Planning Committee

MOAPPP is looking for some new members of its conference planning committee who have a commitment to teen mothers and teen fathers. The commitment would be a meeting once a month and some occasional out-of-meeting tasks. Even if you can’t commit to this, please let us know if you have some ideas for topics or presenters surrounding teen parent issues. Please respond to [email protected].

Research

Navajo Adolescent Mothers’ Intimate Relationships: A 15-year Study

In this study, data were collected from Navajo Native American adolescent mothers over a period of 15 years. Guided by feminist family theory, this investigation sought to (a) examine Navajo adolescent mothers’ intimate partner relationships during the transition to parenthood, (b) identify themes in the young mothers’ intimate partnerships across time, and (c) assess participants’ psychosocial well-being in adulthood. Four themes emerged in the women’s long-term intimate relationships: limited support, substance abuse, infidelity, and intimate partner violence. Implications of the findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Report on Public Education and Black Males

The Schott Foundation for Public Education released their 50 State Report on Public Education and Black Males 2010 today. The report finds that while many districts are successfully improving the achievement of black males in the classroom, it also highlights that the overwhelming majority of U.S. school districts and states are failing to make targeted investments to provide the core resources necessary to extend what works for Black male students. The report finds, among other things, that the 2007/8 graduation rate of black males was only 47 percent.

Minnesota’s Child Welfare Report 2009

The new report about Minnesota’s child protection response continuum was recently released online. The 152 page report (PDF) includes vast data about the families served, services provided and more. According to the report, among families being assessed or investigated through the child welfare system, social workers identified that nearly half of all families were experiencing parenting issues and nearly one third were dealing with mental health conditions. The most commonly recommended service was mental health or individual counseling (34 percent), followed by parenting education (24 percent) and mandated child protective services (23 percent).

Resources

Shaking Babies Can Result in Brain Injury – Do You Need Information or Training?

The Brain Injury Association of Minnesota offers support to Minnesotans affected by brain injury. They provide education on how to prevent a brain injury as well as resources available to individuals who have sustained a brain injury and those caring for them. Currently they are working with many community organizations and offering:

Trainings and informational sessions about brain injury, how to prevent it and how it might affect the individual. They also talk about the resources the Brain Injury Association of MN offers. These trainings are for individuals and/or staff.
One to one visits with individuals for information and enrollment in services.

For more information about brain injury causes, prevention, symptoms and support services, please visit www.braininjurymn.org. To schedule a training, contact Chantel at 612.378.2742, [email protected].

Minnesota Department of Health Family Home Visiting Newsletter – Home Safety Checklist

The Minnesota Home Visiting section in the Minnesota Department of Health has a regular newsletter with wonderful information for providers. Click here (PDF) for the latest newsletter containing a home safety checklist.

New Resources From InJoy Videos

Healthy Steps for Teen Parents: Our award-winning teen pregnancy program is now even better! Completely updated, and delivered in an engaging, upbeat style, it gives teens the straight story on the entire birth experience—from pregnancy and birth to parenting and childcare. Direct, honest and encouraging, this three volume set takes a real-world look at how teens can successfully meet the challenges of being young parents. Click here to read more or order.

Better Breastfeeding: A Guide for Teen Parents: It’s a fact—only 36 percent of teen moms breastfeed their babies! Now, you can help change that statistic by giving young mothers the information they need to succeed. This concise program features an all-teen cast of confident moms demonstrating good positioning and the asymmetrical latch. By showing how breastfeeding works, dispelling myths and addressing common problems, you can encourage teens to stick with it. Click here to read and to purchase.

Buy One, Get One Free Offer for Lionheart’s Power Source Parenting

Lionheart’s book/curriculum for at-risk teen parents is meeting with great success. Since May 2008, more than 1,800 organizations have incorporated Power Source Parenting into their programming and feedback from experts in the field and professionals on the front lines has been outstanding. We are excited to announce a “Buy One Get One Free” offer on Power Source Parenting: Growing Up Strong and Raising Healthy Kids. From now until the end of Sept. 2010—buy one get one free! Click here to read more and to purchase.

Free Zero to Three Journal Articles

Cultural Influences on Early Language and Literacy Teaching Practices. Click here (PDF) to download the article now.

Linking Play to Early Learning and Development Guidelines: Possibility or Polemic? Click here (PDF) to download the article now.

Also from Zero to Three

Information and activities for toddler age 19 months and 20 months.

University of Minnesota Family Education Resources

To stay fully abreast of the latest efforts, information and updates about the importance of families and the lives of children, you can surf the websites www.extension.umn.edu and/or www.parenting.umn.edu or better still, sign up for the Family Education Network listserv. It’s free and comes right to your in-box!

Policy Action Alert

Appropriations for Child Care Funding Needs Support

Click here to learn more about what’s happening in Congress.

Funding Opportunities

New RFP from Minneapolis Department of Health and Family Support

An RFP for Minneapolis-based teen pregnancy prevention program funding can be found here.

Upcoming MOAPPP Trainings

September 23, 2010
Teen Pregnancy Prevention 101

9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Community Room at Snell Motors
1900 Madison Avenue, Mankato
This training is offered twice a year at various locations across Minnesota.

This training is intended for professionals new to the field of adolescent pregnancy prevention. Participants review the basics of adolescent pregnancy prevention including pregnancy, birth and STI statistics; trends in adolescent pregnancy and sexual behaviors; basics of adolescent growth and development; risk and protective factors associated with adolescent pregnancy; and prevention strategies that work. Each participant will leave with a basic understanding of current research and resources, what to do to promote adolescent sexual health and where to go for more information and support.

For more information and to register, see the flyer and registration form (PDF). Click here to register online. Questions? Contact Jocelyn at 651.644.1447 x 19, [email protected].

September 27-28, 2010
It’s That Easy! Parent Educator Training

8:45 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Center for Families
3333 North Fourth Street, Minneapolis

If you work with parents/caregivers of children aged birth to 18, you are in a unique position to support them in their critical role as sexuality educators for their children. However, sexuality is not always easy to discuss. Come learn tools and techniques to engage parents/caregivers in developmentally appropriate approaches to raising sexually healthy children. Participants receive the It’s That Easy! resource manual, a comprehensive guide designed to help you work with parents in your community. For more information and to register, see the flyer and registration form (PDF). Click here to register online. Questions? Contact Jocelyn at 651.644.1447 x 19, [email protected].

This training is designed to equip professionals working directly with parents/caregiver, with information and strategies to assist parents/caregiver in raising sexually healthy children. This is not a training of trainers’ event.

September 30, 2010
Access to Education for Pregnant and Parenting Teens

8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
MN Department of Education
1500 West Highway 36, Roseville

This forum will delve into the meaning and scope of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 with respect to the prevention of discrimination against students who are pregnant and/or parenting. Forum objectives include:

How the law protects access to education for pregnant and parenting students: Title IX is not just about sports!
The unique needs of pregnant and parenting students.
What do pregnant and parenting students need to stay in school, graduate and move on to post-secondary schools and/or job opportunities?
How can districts provide programming to meet those needs and help students graduate?

There will be content for both administrators and those who work directly with students. Plenary session by Lara Kaufmann of the National Women’s Law Center.

There will be two tracks offered at this training: one designed for those working directly with students and one designed for those who develop and implement school policies. For more information and to register manually, see the flyer and registration form (PDF).

Click here to register if you work directly with students and are interested in how to talk with and counsel pregnant and parenting students in ways that do not violate their Title IX rights.
Click here to register if you are an administrator, board member or interested in the ‘policy-making’ aspects of Title IX for pregnant and parenting students.

Questions? Contact Sue at 651.644.1447 x 15, [email protected].

October 5-7, 2010
¡Cuídate!: Training of Educators

Minnesota Department of Education
1500 Highway 36 West, Roseville

¡Cuídate!—which means “take care of yourself”—is a six-session curriculum for use by school districts, faith communities and community organizations that helps youth develop the knowledge, attitudes and skills to reduce their risk for HIV. This evidence-based curriculum, designed for Latino youth ages 13-18, emphasizes risk reduction strategies such as waiting to have sex and condom use while highlighting cultural values that support safer sex, and reframing cultural values that are perceived as barriers to safer sex. In addition to the two and a half days of highly interactive training, each participant receives a copy of the ¡Cuídate! Curriculum.

For more information and to register, see the flyer and registration form. Click here to register online. Questions? Contact Jill at 651.644.1447 x 18 or [email protected].

November 8-10, 2010
Teen Outreach Program (TOP) – Facilitator Training

Minnesota Department of Health
1645 Energy Park Drive, Saint Paul

The Teen Outreach Program (TOP) is a nationally acclaimed, science-based program that has been shown to prevent adolescent pregnancy and help youth succeed in school. Designed for youth ages 12-19, TOP incorporates a strong service-learning component based on principles of youth development. TOP has been successfully implemented in a variety of settings and with diverse populations. In addition to the two and a half days of highly interactive training, one participant from each agency receives a copy of the TOP curriculum.

For more information and to register, contact Jocelyn at 651.644.1447 x 19, [email protected].

Other Upcoming Trainings

Now through December 1, 2010
Online Workshop: Understanding Teen Risk-Taking – Online Research Update for Professionals

This short term professional development opportunity is designed to: define risk-taking, present a multi-dimensional framework for understanding risk-taking, introduce a model of adolescent decision making, reframe risk-taking and offer a systems approach to risk-taking with an emphasis on family influences. Participants will have opportunities to apply current research on risk-taking through online activities and in threaded discussions. Participants will also be encouraged to discuss topics with other colleagues. The workshop is geared to professionals who work in schools, extension, court systems, treatment programs, faith based organizations, and public health; also counselors, social workers, youth workers, parent educators, and others who work with teens and their families in community organizations and agencies.

Registration is open now until October 1, 2010. The workshop is accessible from the time registration confirmation is received through December 1, 2010. To register or learn more, visit www.parenting.umn.edu. Questions? Contact Colleen Gengler, Extension Family Relations Educator, at [email protected], 888.241.4635 or 507.372.3907, or Jodi Dworkin, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, at [email protected] or 612.624.3732.

September 20-November 22, 2010
2010 Regional Workshops: Moving Neglect and Disparities to the Forefront

Child neglect can result in a toxic stress that interrupts a child’s developing brain architecture. Racial disparities in the public child welfare system result in inequitable outcomes for children, particularly American Indian and African American children. To learn more about these disparities and how to address them, register for one of these workshops here. Questions? Contact Ka Youa Vue at 651.523.0099, 800.621.6322 or [email protected].

September 20-November 22, 2010
Parent-Infant Pathways: An Educator’s Guide to Providing Information and Support to New Parents

Center for Early Education and Development, University of Minnesota

The period following the birth of a child offers a special opportunity for professionals to reach new parents with important information and to build relationships. Parent-Infant Pathways captures the key information needed by new parents, has effective strategies and materials to impart this information, and explains how to empower parents and demonstrate support.

The Parent Infant Pathways course is designed to enhance the work of professionals in the fields of early education, early intervention, parent education, nursing, pediatrics, social service and health care by providing specific training around early infant development, parent education, and parent-infant relationships. To register, click here. Questions? Contact Karen Anderson at 612.625.6617 or [email protected].

September 21, 2010
Hopkins One Voice Forum: Life in the Fast Lane? Life in the Teen Brain!

5:30 – 9:00 p.m.
Hopkins High School
2400 Lindbergh Drive, Minnetonka

Keynote Speaker: Ken Winters, Ph.D. Director of the Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse Research, professor at the University of MN, senior scientist with the Treatment Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA, and a Hopkins Eisenhower Graduate. Dr. Winters will discuss new insights into the development of the teen brain.

Keynote presentation followed by two breakout sessions from 7:10-8:00 and 8:10-9:00 p.m. Breakout session workshops include:

The Parent Game Plan in Fine Arts, Athletics, and Activities – Dan Johnson, Director of Hopkins Athletics and Activities
Smart Strategies for Parenting Teens – Terri McCarthy, author and counselor, Bloomington Public Schools
Teen Emotional and Mental Health – Dr. Mary Wilkens, Adolescent Specialist
Teens and Technology – Karina Berzins, MN Bureau of Criminal Apprehension/Internet Safety Unit

Free and open to the public. Questions? Call 952-988-4081.

September 24, October 1, 12, 13, 14, 19, 29 & November 9, 2010
How the Economy is Changing Fathers, Families and Future Expectations

September 24-St. Paul
October 1-Redwood Falls
October 12-Fergus Falls
October 13-Minneapolis
October 14-Owatonna
October 19-Cloquet
October 29-Crookston
November 9-Brainerd

Register today for one of eight training seminars on the topic of “Navigating the New Normal: How the Economy is Changing Fathers, Families, and Future Expectations.” Sessions will address research and practice related to the ways that married, unmarried and noncustodial families can access government services, how the economy is changing family format and father involvement, and how family service/ educational professionals are impacted in our daily work.

Full details and registration are available at www.mnfathers.org. Questions? Call 651.222.7432 or email [email protected].

October 4 & 5, 2010
Issues in Working with Teen Parents

8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Center for Families
3333 North 4th Street, Minneapolis

Sponsored by Parents as Teachers, this two-day session is for all professionals who work with teen parents. It offers constructive insights into teen parents, their children and the issues they all face.

Topics include:

Adolescent brain development and the developmental characteristics unique to adolescents
Parallel developmental needs of both teen parent and child
Techniques to enhance teen parents’ feelings of confidence and competence and strategies to help them transition into adulthood
Strategies to address the special family dynamics and multigenerational issues teen parents face
Strategies to facilitate father involvement
Parent group meetings and personal visits

Registration fee includes Parents as Teachers Issues in Working with Teen Parents 800+ page curriculum (valued at $165) and parent handouts for use in teen programs.

For more information and to register, download the flyer (PDF) and registration form (PDF). Questions? Contact Jennifer Barshack at 612.332.7563 x 305, [email protected].

October 11 – November 19, 2010
Online Course: Understanding Parent and Child Development and Guiding Children (part of the Partnering with Parents training series)

Understanding Parent and Child Development and Guiding Children is a mini-course of the Partnering with Parents training program. This six week course is delivered completely online via WebCT. Part 1: Understanding Child and Parent Development focuses on ages and stages of development—infancy through adolescence, as well as the developmental stages of parenthood. Part 2: Guiding, Nurturing, and Motivating Children explores research and strategies related to effective parenting. Click here for more information.

October 25, 2010
Minnesota Breastfeeding Coalition Meeting
Breastfeeding Collaboration: Everyone Counts

8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Minnesota Department of Health, Snelling Office Park
1645 Energy Park Drive, St. Paul

Join breastfeeding advocates from around Minnesota to share resources and learn how everyone counts in breastfeeding collaboration. You will hear and see a variety of ways community partners are working to increase breastfeeding initiation, exclusivity, and duration. An exciting day is planned. Click here to register. Questions? Contact Barb King, 651.645.8516 or Linda Dech, [email protected].

October 26, 2010
Boys Adrift and Girls on the Edge Conference

8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
University of Minnesota Continuing Education and Conference Center
1890 Buford Avenue, St. Paul

Minnesota Youth Intervention Programs Association (MNYIPA) presents, “Boys Adrift and Girls on the Edge” Conference. Conference objectives include:

To achieve a better understanding of the factors which motivate boys to achieve in school and in the workplace;
To understand some of the new stresses facing girls, as well as new problems such as non-suicidal self-injury;
And to understand gender differences in the propensity to delinquent behaviors.

Call 612.370.9180 or 877.343.0300 for more details or click here.

For more resources and information about adolescent parents, visit the Adolescent Parent Program page on the MOAPPP website.