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Fall/Winter 2014
WELCOME TO 

STRENGTHENING FAMILIES GEORGIA

 

Strengthening Families Georgia (SFG)

Partner Announcements

 

November is Parent Engagement Month

 

The month of November is celebrated as Parent Engagement Month in Georgia to recognize the contributions of parents across the state and to encourage Title I schools to raise awareness of the important roles parents play in a child's education. Parent Engagement Month highlights the many opportunities available for educators, families, students and community members to engage in partnerships with the goal of improving student academic achievement. Each year, schools and communities across Georgia strengthen and celebrate family engagement throughout the month of November.

 

This year, the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) is kicking off Parent Engagement Month with a campaign for Title I schools and parents to renew their commitment to work together and improve the learning opportunities for students at school and at home. The I CAN Play a Role Campaign is an engaging way for everyone to come together around the common purpose of improving student achievement. To participate in the campaign and support their child's school, parents can select 15 different I CAN Play a Role pledge cards (in English and Spanish) to get involved in their child's education. 

 

Parent involvement is not one size fits all. Meaningful parent involvement allows parents to use their time and talents to support their child and the school through individualized opportunities. These pledge cards provide schools and community groups with various ideas to encourage parent engagement.

 

To discover more about I CAN Play a Role Campaign please see the About the I CAN Play a Role Campaign sheet. There you will learn more about the pledge cards, ways to host your own I CAN Play a Role in your individual schools and districts, and how to report the number of pledge cards you collect.  

 

All I CAN Play a Role cards and campaign materials can be downloaded and printed from the GaDOE website. In addition to the campaign materials, you also have access to many of GaDOE Parent Engagement Month Get the Facts, Get Connected, and Get Involved Resources (many in English and Spanish). To see all these resources visit the 2014 Parent Engagement Month website.

 

Resources You Can Use 

 

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

Books Build Connections Toolkit

 

Parents, grandparents, child care providers, and children talk 

about important matters in the doctor's office that are essential 

to a child's development including vaccines, sleep issues, speech development, and so many other topics. Pediatric professionals are often the health care provider with whom parents establish a relationship that is consistent and valued. In order to support pediatricians and family-serving professionals the American Academy of Pediatrics has released a comprehensive website which contains valuable information to reinforce these discussions.


 

This toolkit provides useful information for families to form positive attitudes about and develop good practices for sharing books and receptive and expressive language development by introducing a variety of strategies and tools to support a child's early development, strong parent-child relationships, and future school success. 

Also included in the toolkit are resources for families to explore and expand their understanding of early literacy. Some links have interactive reading games and stories; others have tips for helping struggling readers; and some have early literacy resources in a number of different languages.


 

New ZERO TO THREE Journal

 

The latest issue of the ZERO TO THREE journal is out with a focus on the work of the federally funded National Quality Improvement (QIC-EC) which supported four research and demonstration projects that tested new approaches to preventing child maltreatment of very young children. 

You'll have a chance to learn more about the QIC-EC findings on a future networking webinar - but if you want to read all about it, get your copy of the ZERO TO THREE journal here.

About Strengthening Families Georgia

 

The state lead for Strengthening Families Georgia (SFG) is the Governor's Office for Children and Families (GOCF). SFG is administered by the Georgia Association on Young Children (GAYC) and represents a partnership of national, state, local, and public/private organizations dedicated to embedding five research-based protective factors in service/supports for young children and their families.

  

Vision: All families with children birth through age five in Georgia have the resources and support necessary for a meaningful and successful life.

 

Mission: To utilize the Strengthening Families assets-based framework of Protective Factors in all systems, programs, services and activities supporting families with young children as the approach to achieving the vision. These five Protective Factors are the foundation for the Strengthening Families approach:

  1. Parental Resilience - Parents can bounce back
  2. Social Connections - Parents have friends
  3. Knowledge of Child Development - Parents know how children grow and learn
  4. Concrete Support in Time of Need - Parents know where to turn for help
  5. Social and Emotional Competence of Children - Children learn to talk about and handle feelings

A large group of Strengthening Families Georgia stakeholders, organized into a SFG Leadership Team, Partnership, and Supporters includes over 70 representatives from more than 30 organizations. The Leadership Team, made up of 20-25 members, provides direction and guidance for embedding the five protective factors in all areas of related work via:

  • Policy and systems change
  • Data driven decision-making
  • Integration and prioritization of work
  • Identifying and leveraging resources
  • Coordination and collaboration with similar state efforts
 
Funding Information

 

"This project was supported in part by the Georgia Department of Human Services, Division of Family and Children Services (DHS-DFCS) through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Community Based Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CFDA 93.590).  Points of view or opinions stated in this document are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the DHS-DFCS or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Community Based Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CFDA 93.590)."


For more information on Strengthening Families Georgia contact Jeanette Meyer, Strengthening Families Georgia Statewide Coordinator: strengtheningfamiliesga@gmail.com 
In This Issue
November is Parent Engagement Month
American Academy of Pediatrics Toolkit
New Zero to Three Journal
About SFG