two generation strategies in social services
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taking a two-generationApproach
GAIL HAYES
SENIOR CONSULTANT, AECF
OCTOBER 6, 2014
Our MissionImproving the future of millions of disadvantaged children and their families.
Our FocusStrengthening families, building supportive communities and ensuring access to opportunity.
Our ApproachFinding solutions to overcome barriers to success, help communities demonstrate what works and influence decision makers to invest in successful strategies.
Integral to Our WorkCreating equitable opportunities for all children of all races and ethnicities.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation
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Overview
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I. A Family Struggling to Move Out of Poverty
II. A Two-Generation Approach
III. Hard-Earned Lessons from Practitioners
IV. What’s Next
V. A Family Succeeding in Moving out of Poverty
One Family Struggling to Move Up and Out of Poverty
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Meet the Green Family
Mother in Minimum-Wage Job
Family Challenge 1:
Disabled Father
Family Challenge 2:
Physical and Mental
Health IssuesFamily
Challenge 3: Lack of
Affordable Housing
Must Navigate 10 Public and
Private Agencies for Assistance
Family Challenge 4:
Lack of Transportation
Options
OUR TWO-GENERATION
APPROACH
Our Challenge
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> 17 million children under age 8
living in poverty
of children live in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment
30%
of children ages birth-8 live in low-income households
50%
Poverty can take a serious toll on child and parent health and
well-being.
Why All This Matters
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A child’s first eight years lay a critical
foundation for academic and life
success. The timing of poverty is very
important, especially during preschool and early school years.
A combination of job training, financial
coaching and access to income-support programs can help low-income families
get on a path to stability — allowing
them to better support their kids.
Programs and Agencies in Isolation
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• Separate and inflexible funding streams
• Organizations that serve children or adults but rarely both
• Hard to get distinctive and separate child and adult programs to work together
Workforce Early Childhood
Education
Our Two-Generation Approach
Goal: To strengthen families through a two-generation approach that gives low-income parents and their children the opportunity to succeed together.
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1) We want to connect parents with the tools they need to get a stable job and increase economic opportunities for themselves and their families.
2) We know that children thrive when their parents can set a good example and be involved in their lives.
3) While parents gain new professional and parenting skills, children receive high-quality early care and education in elementary school.
The Approach: Strengthening the Whole Family
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Financial Stability
• Education and job training
• Essential skill building
• Access to income and work support benefits
• Financial coaching; access to affordable financial products
Parent Involvement
• Treating parents as assets and experts on their kids
• Essential skill building
•Culturally competent staff
•Addressing family stress
• Enhancing social networks
Quality Early Care and Elementary Education
• Access to high-quality early education programs
• Successful transition to elementary school
• Quality elementary school experiences
• Effective teaching
More Opportunity for Family
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HARD-EARNED LESSONS FROM THE FIELD
Two-Generation Work Underway
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CASEY INITIATIVESAtlanta Civic SiteFamily-Centered
Community ChangeFamily Economic
Success-Early Childhood
CASEY PARTNERSHIPSMOMS Partnership
Crittenton Women’s UnionHOPE SF/Center for
Youth WellnessJeremiah Program
IN DEVELOPMENTSiemer Institute
(housing/education mobility)
Baltimore Civic Site (young families and
children)
Advice From Expert Practitioners
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Beth Babcock Crittenton Women’s Union (Boston)
Donna Pavetti Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (D.C.)
Tassy Warren Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child (Boston)
Lynn Applebaum Educational Alliance (New York)
Gloria Perez Jeremiah Program (Minneapolis)
Megan SmithMOMS Partnership (New Haven)
COMPETENCE: Parents’ sense of competence to set goals and make decisions
Advice From the Field: Three Important C’s
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CONNECTIONS: Parents’ sense of connectedness to family, other parents and the community
CONFIDENCE: Parents’ sense of confidence in their role as parent and worker
Two Imperatives for Parents:
1) Develop good decision-making and
problem-solving skills. Focus on
setting goals to help their family.
2) Optimize their time and resources:
Maximize their money, space and
social networks.
Essential Parenting Skills: Tip #1
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Beth Babcock President and CEO
• Protecting children from the impacts of toxic stress requires
selective skill building — not simply the provision of
information and support — for the adults who care for them.
• Interventions that improve the family environment by
strengthening the executive function and self-regulation skills will also enhance their employability,
providing an opportunity to improve child outcomes by
strengthening the economic and social stability of the family.
Research for Essential Skill Building
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Executive Function Frameworks
PLANNING
MONITORING
SELF-CONTROL
Examples From Experts in the FieldSilvia Bunge, Neuroscientist,
University of California at Berkley
Source: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Executive-Function-Informed Approach:
1) Goal-setting
2) Coaching
3) Practice
4) Reflection on progress
Key Elements of an Executive-Function-Informed Approach
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Donna Pavetti Vice President for Family Income Support Policy
Start the Work from the Inside Out
Parents will do for their children what
they will not for themselves.
This opens up the opportunity for parents
to start on their new course of direction.
Parents often lack the self-confidence and
need the boost of energy and motivation.
Essential Parenting Skills: Tip #2
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Gloria Perez President and CEO
Empowerment fundamentals
Tools and Skills
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Personal Empowerment TrainingJeremiah Program
Emotional regulation
Positive identity Decision-making skills
Communication
Healthy relationships
The importance of strengthening parent connections: parent and child, parent to other parents, and parent to larger community.
• New Haven mothers reported feeling alone in raising their children and lacking significant sources of support in their lives: “Lots of challenges [as a mom] because I am doing it on my own most of the time.”
Essential Parenting Skills: Tip # 3
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Megan SmithPrinciple Investigator
Tools and Skills
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M-POWER Workshops
• Mothers come together to share, learn and discuss topics important to them.
Stress Management Classes
• An eight-week course that meets once per week and teaches mothers techniques for managing and coping with chronic and severe stress.
Community Mental Health Ambassadors
• Mothers trained in mental health intervention, key principles to promote health and development and achievement across generations.
…Neighborhood House in Seattle (Nathan Buck)
… in Atlanta
Expertise is in This Audience
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… in the Bay Area
… in your hometown?
Examples
What’s Next
National and Local Funders
Federal and State
Policymakers
Innovation and Practice Networks
Researchers and Academics
Casey Initiatives and
Neighborhood-Based Partners
Intermediaries
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In Closing: A Family With Every Opportunity to Succeed
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