For the second year, Children’s Institute will hold a signature fundraising event designed to raise crucial support for children and families exposed to adversity and poverty in Los Angeles. The 2019 Cape & Gown Gala will take place on October 30 at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica.

This year’s event will honor the important contributions of Channing Dungey, Vice President, Original Series, Netflix, and long-time supporters Bridget Gless Keller & Paul Keller.

In addition to her position at Netflix, Dungey is deeply committed to advocating for educational resources and life changing services on behalf of disadvantaged children and families in Los Angeles.

“CII has done a wonderful job bringing healing and opportunity to underserved children and families, a cause that is near and dear to me as a parent. I am humbled by their recognition and honored to champion their efforts in creating programs that bring meaningful change,” Dungey said.

Bridget Gless Keller and Paul Keller have been active supporters of CII’s mission for over a decade. Together, they are leading the charge to build the organization’s new, Frank Gehry-designed Watts Campus. Slated to break ground by the end of 2019, the new campus will house therapeutic programs and a variety of supports for children and families in the community.

“The impact that CII has on the lives of children in Los Angeles is extraordinary, and I can’t imagine what our city would be without it. And to bring the architecture of Frank Gehry to the children of Watts, to help create a timeless landmark for that community, is a profound honor,” Bridget Gless Keller said.

“Bridget and I learned compassion from our parents, we love Los Angeles, and we are committed to helping and mentoring kids. Those passions converge at CII, which is building a brighter future for LA’s children,” Paul Keller said.

The event will include a cocktail reception, seated dinner, awards and live auction hosted by Billy Harris. The revenue from table, ticket, advertising and auction sales will fund CII’s strategic plan initiatives for this fiscal year.

Last year’s inaugural gala honoring Beth & Bob Lowe and Frank, Berta & Sam Gehry was attended by 400 guests and raised over $1.3 million for CII.

For more information and to purchase a table or tribute ad, click here.

A new school year can be just as exciting as it can be stressful. To ensure children in early education programs get the most out of their time in the classroom, CII has gathered helpful tips for parents to incorporate into their daily schedules. While their children will be spending their days in the classroom, there are plenty of opportunities at home for families to support learning: 

• Establish a predictable daily routine through visual aids. It is helpful to place a calendar at the child’s eye-level to help children identify days they will attend school and days they will be home along with other important dates.  
• Attend your child’s school orientation and parent meetings to be sure to get all of the information you need to help your child be successful.
• Get involved! Attend parent meetings, join a parent committee, or volunteer in the classroom.
• Review the weekly lesson plan and be sure to complete any and all family engagement activities at home.
• Play and have fun doing daily tasks such as sorting laundry or experimenting with recipes in the kitchen.
• Support your child in building self-help skills. For example, allow your child to choose their clothes and dress themselves. Activities like this will boost your child’s self-confidence, autonomy and motor skills.
• Read aloud to your child daily to spark their interest in storytelling and establishing a regular reading routine. It is also helpful for family members to read their own books so children can see this part of normal adult routines.

Below is a helpful printable guide. If you would like to enroll your child in an Early Childhood Education program at CII, please visit here. If you are interested in volunteering at CII, check out our available volunteer opportunities.

Consejos para una Transición Exitosa para el Regreso a la Escuela

Un nuevo año escolar puede ser tan emocionante como estresante. Para asegurar que los niños en programas de educación temprana aprovechen su tiempo en los salones de clase, CII ha reunido consejos útiles para que los padres pueden incorporar en sus horarios diarios. Mientras sus hijos pasan sus días en los salones, hay muchas oportunidades en casa para que familias apoyen el aprendizaje de sus hijos:

• Establezca una rutina diaria predecible a través de ayudas visuales. Es útil colocar un calendario a la altura de la vista de su hijo para ayudarle a identificar los días en que asistirá a la escuela, los días que estará en casa, y otras fechas importantes.
• Asista la orientación escolar de su hijo y a las reuniones de padres para obtener toda la información que necesita para ayudarlo a tener éxito.
• ¡Involúcrese! Asista las reuniones de padres, únase a un comité de padres o sea voluntario en el salón de clases.
• Revise el plan semanal de lección y asegúrese de completar todas y cada una de las actividades de participación familiar en casa.
• Juegue y diviértase con los quehaceres del hogar como experimentando con recetas nuevas en la cocina.
• Ayude a su hijo desarrollar habilidades de autoayuda. Por ejemplo, permítale a su hijo elegir su ropa y que se vista solo. Actividades como estas aumentan su confianza, la autonomía y las habilidades motoras en su hijo.
• Léale a su hijo todos los días en voz alta para despertar su interés en contar historias y para establecer una rutina de lectura regular. También es útil que los miembros de la familia lean sus propios libros para que los niños reconozcan esto como algo normal en su rutina.

A continuación hay una guía útil para imprimir. Si desea inscribir a su hijo en un programa de Educación de Educación Temprana en CII, visite aquí. Si está interesado en ser voluntario en CII, consulte nuestras oportunidades de voluntariado disponibles.

CII kicked-off a new fiscal year at the beginning of July. Our dedicated staff are already working to ensure children and families in Los Angeles receive crucial trauma-informed support whether it is through early childhood education, behavioral health or family strengthening services. Over the next fiscal year, CII expects to serve more than 26,000 children and families facing adversity across LA.

For 2019-2020, we have a number of important initiatives that are either launching or entering crucial stages in their development. We have big events, important campaigns and major milestones ahead that we are excited to share with you.

Below are a few of the highlights we are looking forward to during our 2019-2020 fiscal year. Together, we will work toward breaking the cycle of childhood adversity to build a brighter future for children and families in LA.

Helping LA Better Understand Trauma

This month, CII launched a public awareness campaign focused on educating families in LA about childhood trauma. We created a Public Service Announcement (PSA) in partnership with the nonprofit arts organization Film Independent that was directed by filmmaker Mary-Lyn Chambers, with funding support from the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Prevention & Aftercare program. The PSA started airing on Univision 34 this week, and is also reaching parents in the downtown and mid-city area of LA through a paid social media campaign on Facebook and Instagram. Watch the PSA here.

Trauma-Informed Care Conference Brings New Strategies to Address Trauma

On August 23, CII is holding our annual Trauma-Informed Care Conference where leaders in trauma research will host workshops and discussions on the important ways professionals in the field can better serve children and families facing adversity. This year’s conference features keynote speakers Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith, physician and expert on youth violence, and Elizabeth “Liz” Huntley, accomplished attorney and dedicated child advocate. Click here to learn more about or register for the Trauma-Informed Care Conference.

Expanding Early Head Start at Otis Booth

Our Otis Booth Campus is a hub for many important program activities including early childhood education programs. CII is increasing the number of students we can teach in our classrooms by expanding our Fran Stark Early Childhood Center. Construction to accommodate our new early learners will be completed by the end of this month.

Cape & Gown Gala Returns for a Second Year

On October 30, our annual Cape & Gown Gala will honor Channing Dungey, VP of Original Series at Netflix,  Bridget Gless Keller, CII Trustee and Watts Building Committee Chair, and Paul Keller, Chairman, Mack Real Estate Development. Our signature fundraising event will take place at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica. The Cape & Gown Gala celebrates individuals whose humanitarianism has helped put opportunity within reach for thousands of children and families. Click here to purchase table sponsorships or tribute book ads.

Watts Campus Breaks Ground

At the beginning of 2020, CII plans to break ground on our new Frank Gehry designed Watts Campus, which will house therapeutic programs and a variety of supports for children and families. The building will also be home to the Watts Gang Task Force, which has brokered peace in the community for nearly 15 years, along with the Community Safety Partnership, a nationally recognized model for relationship-based policing. Construction is expected to be completed in 2021.

Sustained Impact Through Neighborhood Schools

This fall CII is launching the Neighborhood Schools program, a key strategic initiative that will significantly increase our reach and impact. Beginning with two schools in Watts, Florence Griffith Joyner Elementary School and Ánimo Watts College Preparatory Academy, we will begin the process of deep partnership and collaboration to ensure all students and their families receive additional support and resources. These include behavioral health and wellness services, along with parent education, I DREAM WATTS, and a variety of other programs based on the need and wishes of the school principal, parents and other stakeholders. Please contact Mary Brougher at mbrougher@childrensinstitute.org for additional information.

Empowering Watts to Overcome Trauma

CII is leading a collaboration between 40 different organizations in Watts through Community Innovations, a partnership to better understand the unique needs of families and individuals that have experienced trauma. We will be holding important events throughout the year in Watts and the surrounding neighborhoods to destigmatize trauma and increase access to key programs and resources.

Adding Our Voice to Public Policy Discussions

CII is focused on expanding our reach and impact across LA and the state by developing and implementing policy and advocacy strategies at all levels of government. In June, we hired Terry Kim as the Director of Government Relations & Advocacy who will help CII build relationships with public officials, policy makers and industry associations across behavioral health, early childhood education, and family strengthening to improve the outcomes of the children and families we serve. You can reach Terry at tkim@childrensinstitute.org.

Creating Volunteer Opportunities for Stronger Partnerships

To better connect with the larger LA community and offer opportunities to support the work of CII, we are introducing new volunteer positions that are great for both corporate teams and individuals. From volunteering in our early childhood classrooms, to painting murals at our Head Start sites, our expanded volunteer program will offer hands on experiences to support children and families facing adversity. Visit our volunteer page to learn more and sign up for an upcoming volunteer orientation.

Earlier this year, Ginger Lavender-Wilkerson, Clinical Program Manager at Children’s Institute, was wrapping up a call when she received a report about a recent gun-related homicide in Watts. She left the phone call and scheduled a meeting with an official at the elementary school near the crime scene. Later in the day, she would speak with her contacts at LAPD and the LA City Attorney’s Office to identify kids who witnessed the homicide and may need counseling.

Based out of CII’s Watts Campus, Lavender-Wilkerson said that her role rarely has a typical day, but her one constant is working alongside a wide array of community leaders, public officials and residents in and around Watts. By her estimation, she interacts with upwards of 50 external partners or community members in a single week.

As one of the four CII Values, partnership is essential to almost every role within the organization, but it is especially central to Lavender-Wilkerson’s work. She simply couldn’t do her job without utilizing the knowledge and expertise of other professionals.

“We don’t have all the answers at CII, but there are partners in our community who can help us fill in the blanks,” she said. “Without a strong approach to partnership, none of this would happen.”

In 2009, when Lavender-Wilkerson started at CII as a therapy intern in Watts, she was just getting to know the area while finishing her counseling degree at Mount Saint Mary’s University, Los Angeles.

In those early days, she noticed how Watts had a high concentration of government, faith-based and nonprofit initiatives, but that there was limited collaboration between these services. Families, who had endured generations of adversity, were only getting partial access to resources because organizations had not built effective partnerships. Referrals were being missed in areas like health care expansion, poverty reduction and crime prevention.

Without a strong approach to partnership, none of this would happen.

Ginger Lavender-Wilkerson, Clinical program Manager at CII

Today, Lavender-Wilkerson proudly describes her day-to-day as a positive evolution in the way CII collaborates with other organizations to serve Watts. This level of cooperation highlights a shift in the way crucial services are being accessed and demonstrates the heightened enthusiasm around partnership between service organizations.

This push for substantive partnerships comes during a time when Watts is in need of extra support. The area, which is one of LA’s smallest neighborhoods, has experienced high levels of crime and violence during the first half of 2019. Both shootings and homicide are up from the previous year.

Much of Lavender-Wilkerson’s emphasis on partnership focuses on developing a response to these events. She splits her work between two separate initiatives, The REACH TEAM and Community Innovations. Both involve work with multiple organizations and government partners who share important seats at the table when it comes to decision-making on community initiatives and region-wide activism.

In Community Innovations, CII works closely with Partners for Children South LA, Watts Leadership Institute and Saint John’s Child Wellness Center to expand services that will help residents in Watts heal from decades of trauma.

The collaboration combines the expertise of more than 40 different nonprofits to understand the unique needs of communities that experience trauma and the factors that contribute to them. As Lavender-Wilkerson puts it, Community Innovations is designed to empower the citizens of Watts to become a trauma-informed community, link children and families to resources that help them heal from existing exposure and hopefully, limit future activity that leads to trauma.

When Lavender-Wilkerson is not answering calls or attending meetings for Community Innovations, she is partnering with LAPD and the LA City Attorney’s Office to reduce the impact of trauma on children and families exposed to gun violence through The REACH TEAM.

Lavender-Wilkerson leads CII’s efforts while receiving support from Care Coordinator Eztli Herrera-Gardea and therapist Maria Reyes. The team responds anytime there are reports of shots fired in Watts and provides free counseling services to children who may have seen or heard the shooting.

I feel extremely lucky to have found a partner in Ginger, who deeply understands and appreciates the needs of these children and families we are helping in South LA through The REACH TEAM

Lara Drino, LA Deputy City Attorney Lara Drino

To do this work, the team is in constant contact with local schools, housing projects, Watts Gang Task Force and churches so they have a reliable group of sources who can share information about the people or areas of the city that may have been affected by a shooting. These key connections also help reduce residents saying no to services because of stigma tied to counseling.

With LAPD and the LA City Attorney’s office as the primary external partners with The REACH TEAM, Lavender-Wilkerson is constantly in contact with Lieutenant Gena Brooks of LAPD, and CII member of CII’s Board of Trustees, and Deputy City Attorney Lara Drino. The three are on the phone sharing details on weekends or sending text updates throughout the week at any time of day or night.

Drino said Lavender-Wilkerson has been a great partner in growing The REACH TEAM’s connection to Watts.

“I feel extremely lucky to have found a partner in Ginger, who deeply understands and appreciates the needs of these children and families we are helping in South LA through The REACH TEAM,” Drino said.

Lavender-Wilkerson said she expects the number of people she works with on both Initiatives to grow. While it may mean more phone calls and meetings, it also means the number of people in Watts accessing these services is growing too.

“This is hard yet rewarding work. It requires a certain skill set that is adaptable to the population it serves, ” Lavender-Wilkerson said. “We’re becoming more and more embedded in this community and these key relationships are growing.”

On Wednesday, the Individualized Transition Skills Program (ITSP) at Children’s Institute came together for a special trip to The Broad in downtown Los Angeles. The visit to the famed contemporary art museum served as a chance for foster youth in the program to see the incredible art collection for the first time while building important bonds with peers with similar experiences in the foster care system.

The group of 30 youth, who ranged from 16-21 years old, were excited to take advantage of the trip and see a portion of the more than 2,000 pieces of artwork The Broad has on display between their private collection and secure vault. Moments after entering, the group appreciated some of the more famous pieces like a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting or the giant inflatable dog by Jeff Koons. The group was especially engaged touring the special exhibit Souls of Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power.

Cynthia, an 19-year-old in ITSP, moved through the museum with peers Alice and Alexis and their Transitional Development Specialist Alejandra Bueno. While standing near a giant canvas about female empowerment, Cynthia said she had never seen art like this before. More than the art, she said she appreciated getting the opportunity to hang out with other foster youth in a unique setting.

The main thing is that they get to be around their peers and hang out with youth like them.

Julio Cruz, ITSP Program Supervisor

“We are really spending quality time with each other,” she said.

ITSP works with youth who are preparing to age out of the foster care system. The program is designed to motivate and empower youth to achieve academic and professional success through one-on-one support from counselors that double as advocates and mentors. Youth in foster care are a population that struggles when transitioning to adulthood. Less than 13 percent attend college and more than 40 percent experience homelessness at some point in their lives. As a testament to the program’s success, ITSP celebrated 94 percent of their youth graduating high school and making plans to attend college in May.

Julio Cruz, ITSP Program Supervisor, said outings to places like The Broad are important to expose youth to things like art, but also serve as an opportunity for them to simply connect with other foster youth. He said that foster youth don’t always get to hang out with each other and it is nice to be with people who have gone through similar experiences. The unique circumstances of entering foster care can sometimes be hard to discuss with classmates who have not endured this type of trauma.

 “The main thing is that they get to be around their peers and hang out with youth like them,” he said.

Hajah, an 18-year-old in ITSP, spent most of her day navigating the museum with Justin Stewart, a Transitional Development Specialist at CII. She echoed Cynthia in appreciating the opportunity to meet other youth while getting to take part in a new experience.

I feel like this is one of our best outings, because it exposes them to something they don’t normally see while also letting them relax.

Justin Stewart, ITSP Transitional Development Specialist

“It’s different. I haven’t seen anything like this before and I really like it,” she said. “Being at The Broad has given me a chance to reach out to people I don’t normally get to interact with and that’s cool.”

Stewart said he was seeing a different side of the youth at the museum. During the year, he works with Hajah and other youth on a number of academic or professional skills. These sessions are important, but can be serious.

“I feel like this is one of our best outings, because it exposes them to something they don’t normally see while also letting them relax,” he said.

In August, the group will be attending a Los Angeles Sparks game together. They’re already looking forward to connecting and spending more time together.

The early childhood development approach seems simple – when a member of the family is absent, children miss out on key development milestones. Yet at the Fatherhood Solution Conference held by Children’s Institute’s Project Fatherhood last week, childhood experts gathered for the 12^th year to discuss how fatherhood involvement could be increased across their field. As the point was brought up frequently throughout the day, fathers have long been undervalued by public and private institutions tasked with caring for at-risk families.

The conference, which was held inside the Westin Hotel near Los Angeles International Airport, brought together over 400 professionals that ranged from LA County Department of Children and Family Services staff to leaders and program participants in father-specific services. Keynote speakers included DCFS Deputy Director Angel Parks-Pyles, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Social Work Assistant Professor Dr. Tova Walsh, and Los Angeles City Council President Herb J. Wesson. 

Dr. Walsh, who has spent more than a decade researching fathers and their impact on children, said many systems that support at-risk families have made it difficult for dads to stay involved. Whether during custody decisions or family therapy sessions, it is not uncommon for fathers to feel left out.

“We know that when fathers are included in positive ways, they will be associated with better outcomes in multiple areas,” Dr. Walsh said. “We need to support fathers and create programs that are thoughtfully designed with fathers at the center of them.”

Nationally, 17.8 million children, or roughly one in four kids, live without their dads. During her presentation, Dr. Walsh explained that when fathers are involved, children develop better socially, emotionally and mentally. Through high school, children with present fathers have better outcomes in school and lower rates of teen pregnancies.

Parks-Pyles, who spoke on behalf of DCFS director Bobby Cagle, highlighted many ways the department has partnered with Project Fatherhood to correct some of the gaps. This included specialized trainings with staff along with cofounding the Los Angeles Fatherhood Network, a collaboration that interfaces with 60-plus organizations to address barriers for father involvement. The broader partnership model between Project Fatherhood and DCFS is something Parks-Pyles noted is being replicated on a national level by other public child welfare agencies.

We need to support fathers and create programs that are thoughtfully designed with fathers at the center of them.

Tova Walsh, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Social Work Assistant Professor

“Through training, every new social worker must be proficient with father engagement,” she said. “To date, Project Fatherhood, in partnership with our training division, has trained over 300 new hires.”

Keith Parker, Director of Project Fatherhood, has led the program since November 2018 and believes there is an immediate need to address the challenges fathers face. “The fatherhood conference is an opportunity to engage stakeholders across the fatherhood field and to recognize our work with fathers from all walks of life by sending one clear message that fatherhood involvement is shaping the next generation,” he said.

This year the conference honored 16 Project Fatherhood participants by inducting them into the Fatherhood Hall of Fame.  Dr. Edward Berumen, Program Supervisor with Project Fatherhood, said the Hall of Fame recognizes fathers for their long-term participation in the program. To be eligible, fathers had to be currently active in Project Fatherhood and completed 100 group sessions over three years.

“We’re hoping as we move forward that more fathers will want to join,” Dr. Berumen said. “It’s been rewarding to see all of the hard work these men have done together.”

Hall of Famer Jaime, who has participated in Project Fatherhood for eight years, said many of the dads in the program never knew their own fathers. He said the program addressed the challenges they faced in their own childhoods to make them stronger parents. The award was an acknowledgement of just how far they had come.

“To be able to help our kids, we fathers need to be helped first,” he said.

Another Hall of Fame inductee, Evan, has been part of the program for six years and currently serves as a facilitator for weekly group discussions with dads. He said many of the fathers enter the program having lost custody of their kids and feel isolated and alone. The Hall of Fame represents the transformation that happens when dads receive the right support.

The fatherhood conference is an opportunity to engage stakeholders across the fatherhood field and to recognize our work with fathers from all walks of life by sending one clear message that fatherhood involvement is shaping the next generation.

Keith Parker, Project Fatherhood Director

“It’s seeing guys come in broken and watching them create a bond with one another to become better dads,” he said. “There is no amount of money in the world that can beat the joy of watching this process up close.”

Wesson said that being a father is vastly more important than being Speaker of the Assembly or City Council President.  As an African-American, he described the challenges of raising a son in a world where young men of color are frequently targeted by the police.  He also talked about Camp Wesson, which takes 150 kids camping each summer. 

“The most important thing to a child is to know you love them and approve of them,” he said.

Learn more about Project Fatherhood here.

When McGyver first became a father 10 years ago, he wanted a different relationship with his children than he experienced with his own dad. McGyver believes his dad was a good person, but lacked the ability to have an intimate relationship with his kids. He grew up feeling something was always missing.

Now a father of four living in South Los Angeles, McGyver is preparing for his 10^th Father’s Day as a parent. The holiday is an opportunity to reflect on what he has accomplished as a dad and how he has worked to be a constant presence in the lives of his kids. This has meant blocking out weekends for uninterrupted family time and fully embracing whatever activities his kids find interesting.

His focus on being a more involved father is what led McGyver originally to sign-up for Children’s Institute’s Project Fatherhood. McGyver, whose youngest son and daughter are enrolled in CII’s Head Start programs, learned about Project Fatherhood a few months ago while attending a health fair and felt the program resonated with his own beliefs about being a dad.

“What fatherhood really means is being there to grow up alongside my kids,” he says. “I’ve wanted to be heavily involved in their lives from the get go and have them know that their dad is always behind them.”

This Father’s Day will mark Project Fatherhood’s 23^rd year supporting dads in their approach to parenting. The program works with a range of dads – those, like McGyver, who seek out the program voluntarily, as well as fathers who are court-mandated to join due to claims of abuse or neglect in the home. Regardless of how men get there, Project Fatherhood staff promote a culture where dads are active participants in their family and serve as a constant support to their kids.

Project Fatherhood fills a crucial gap. Nationally, 19.7 million children, or roughly one in four, live without a father, and few programs exist that focus on the needs of parenting men.  Program Director Keith Parker says it’s important to understand that the role of father is not optional in families, observing that, “Father’s Day honors the essential role of fathers in their children’s lives.”

Dr. Hershel K. Swinger founded Project Fatherhood at CII in 1996 after observing the stigma around fatherhood in South LA that limited the involvement of dads in their children’s lives. Some fathers grew up with dads who practiced “tough love” – a way of parenting that often included physical or mental abuse – while others had no contact with their fathers.

What fatherhood really means is being there to grow up alongside my kids. I’ve wanted to be heavily involved in their lives from the get go and have them know that their dad is always behind them.

McGyver, CII Parent

Over the last 23 years, the program has reached more than 15,000 dads who have parented 23,000 children. The program fostered a successful partnership model with the Los Angeles Department of Child and Family Services that is being replicated on a national level.

Dr. Edward Berumen, Program Supervisor for Project Fatherhood, said Dr. Swinger was a visionary in understanding that investing in fathers could improve the abilities of families to overcome the challenges of poverty in South LA.

According to the National Institute for Children’s Health Quality, when fathers are involved during pregnancy, mothers have fewer complications. Throughout infancy and early childhood, a present and engaged father can make a major difference in a child’s social, emotional and mental development, and children with involved fathers have better outcomes in school and reduced risks of teen pregnancies.

“If you want to improve outcomes for children, you need to involve fathers,” Berumen says. “We need programs like Project Fatherhood that strengthen father involvement for the benefit of the whole family.”

Dr. Berumen said a Project Fatherhood’s success is due to networks of support among dads who gather in weekly group discussions to share their experiences and offer suggestions and support. Dr. Berumen and other Project Fatherhood staff facilitate these discussions, but let the fathers lead.

“Fathers walk away learning from people who have gone through similar experiences,” he says. “They go home and use what they’ve learned to improve their relationship with their own families.”

Johnnie has been going to the Project Fatherhood group discussions for three years and said they have transformed the way he parents his 4-year old daughter. Johnnie said many of the dads in his group grew up with absent or abusive fathers and find the groups to be a safe space where they feel comfortable talking about their histories of trauma.

If you want to improve outcomes for children, you need to involve fathers. We need programs like Project Fatherhood that strengthen father involvement for the benefit of the whole family.

Dr. Edward Berumen, Project Fatherhood Program Supervisor

“I didn’t grow up with a father, so I’m trying to be the example that I never had when I was a child,” Johnnie says. “I had challenges early on, but now I live for being a father.”

Project Fatherhood staff say many of the dads decide to stay in the group well after their children grow up, because they enjoy the bonds they’ve formed with other fathers and want to be mentors to new dads. One father has been involved in the groups for 19 years.

Michael, who has been a part of Project Fatherhood for several years, said he doesn’t know if he will still be attending the groups in 15 years, but does appreciates how the group helped him realize that good parenting never ends and there are always opportunities to make small tweaks. He said he wants to give that back to other fathers. “Because of Project Fatherhood, I am constantly learning about being a good father and learning different ways to improve myself,” he says.

McGyver said he carries a similar sentiment as he gets ready to join Project Fatherhood. Whether it is his first Father’s Day or his 20th, growing as a father is something that never ends.

“I’ve learned that having kids is not the same as being a father,” he said. “It takes a lot of work, but it is humbling to look at my kids and be amazed by them every single day.”  

While summer vacation has just started for kids across Los Angeles, Children’s Institute’s early childhood educators are making sure their students don’t miss out on learning opportunities during the long break. Though Summer Slide sounds like a thrilling amusement park attraction, the term refers to the decline in reading and other academic skills that occurs when school is not in session – particularly for low income students.  

Unlike more affluent children who participate in camps and other enrichment activities, many children served by CII spend their summer indoors, watching TV or playing video games.  By the time they return to school in the fall, they’ve fallen behind, exacerbating the achievement gap, and may spend months catching up to their peers.  

But there are opportunities everywhere for children to learn throughout vacation.  Dalila Rodriguez, Director of Early Childhood Education at Children’s Institute, says learning during the summer isn’t a luxury only wealthy families can afford. A number of free community resources make it easier for low income children to keep up with their peers over the summer months, and there are many activities parents can do with their kids to spark learning.

Many of CII’s Early Childhood Education programs avoid the Summer Slide altogether.  Some centers close for only two weeks, minimizing out of school time and allowing parents to maintain their regular work schedules. At centers that follow a traditional school schedule, CII’s monthly parent groups continue during the summer months even when the centers are closed. This way families can share strategies for keeping children engaged and access free community resources and tips to keep their children learning.

Daniela Troya, Senior Early Childhood Services Manager, says CII teachers use summer to reinforce that parents should always be active participants in their child’s education. While children are vulnerable to falling behind during school breaks, parents involved in learning year-round help create better academic outcomes for their kids.

“Families are lifelong teachers and we want to promote that,” Rodriguez says. “Summer is a really good time to remind parents about how important it is to spend time with their kids and help with the learning process.”

Here are some helpful tips CII recommends to ensure students continue to learn outside of the classroom.

Sean Anders, the writer and director of last year’s hit film Instant Family, addressed an audience of high school seniors dressed in matching maroon gowns at Children’s Institute’s third annual Dream BIG Graduation last Friday. At the end of each school year, graduation scenes like this play out across Los Angeles, celebrating young people marking this important milestone on the path to adulthood. What’s different about the group listening to Anders is that every single graduate was earning their diploma while in foster care.

Anders, who created Instant Family after he and his wife Elizabeth adopted three siblings from the foster care system, understands the challenges and remarkable achievement of the 107 graduates. Nationally, youth growing up in foster care are three times likelier than their peers to drop out of high school, fewer than 13 percent will attend college and only 3 percent will earn a college degree. By contrast, every student participating in the 2019 Dream BIG Graduation was heading off to college in the fall.

“The truth is you have a lot of mountains ahead of you to climb, but you have already climbed incredible mountains to be where you are today,” Anders said. “You have already proven so much.”

This year’s Dream Big Graduation was full of such affirmations from foster youth advocates like Jessica Chandler, an LA County social worker and former foster youth who was recently featured in the HBO documentary Foster, joined Anders in celebrating the Dream BIG Graduates. Other speakers included former foster youth Sandra, currently a student at Pasadena City College, and Candi Marie and Maraide Green who worked with Anders on Instant Family.

At the end of the ceremony CII’s Board Chair Paul Kanin presented the graduates with a fully loaded dorm kit to ensure the students begin their college journey in style. The rolling suitcases filled with bedding and other supplies were provided by Random Act Funding, founded by Susan and Robert Downey Jr, and CII’s support group The CHIPS, who also sponsored the event. The evening concluded with a celebratory BBQ dinner catered by Donny Joubert of the Watts Gang Task Force.

I hope you all will come back here and have the opportunity to show people what you are capable of.

Jessica Chandler, DCFS Social Worker and Foster Youth Advocate

Each graduate at Dream BIG participates in CII’s Individualized Transition Skills Program (ITSP)which supports academic and professional success for teens and young adults who are aging out of foster care.

Due to instability and a lack of support, youth aging out of foster care are far likelier to be chronically unemployed with almost 40 percent experiencing homelessness within 18 months of leaving the system. Yet this year’s Dream BIG Graduation boasted a 94 percent graduation rate for youth in CII’s program. Each plan to attend a variety of colleges and universities next fall that include UCLA, USC and UC Berkeley.

ITSP Supervisor Julio Cruz said the Dream BIG Graduation serves as a reminder that youth in foster care can accomplish their goals when they receive proper support and guidance. Cruz said youth often fall behind academically in the foster care system because they move homes and schools frequently. It’s not uncommon for a foster youth to move between four different schools in a single year, which sets them up for failure. For those who do graduate high school without the support of ITSP, they receive little guidance on navigating the complexities of the college admission process or accessing financial aid.

When youth enter ITSP, they are behind in school and usually at risk of dropping out. They are assigned a counselor who serves as their personal advocate, partners with DCFS social workers to limit moves between schools and foster homes, and works with school officials to make sure all previous academic credits are counted. Counselors provide individualized support such as helping youth get a driver’s license or reviewing transcripts to determine the right course selection to graduate. As the youth get closers to finishing high school, ITSP counselors guide them through the process of college applications, financial aid and freshman housing.

The truth is you have a lot of mountains ahead of you to climb, but you have already climbed incredible mountains to be where you are today. You have already proven so much.

Sean Anders, Creator of the 2018 film Instant Family

Broadly, Cruz said the program emphasizes a culture where graduating high school and attending college is seen as achievable. He said the Dream BIG Graduation is the perfect example of this culture where younger youth in the program attend and see how many kids in the 2019 class were able to do it.

“We help show them that being a high school graduate and attending college is possible,” Cruz said. “We take them on college tours and have current students meet with older youth who have graduated.”

Sandra, a sophomore at Pasadena City College and 2017 Dream BIG Graduation alumnus, spoke at this year’s ceremony and credited ITSP for where she is today. She was on the verge of dropping out of high school after entering foster care mid-way through her sophomore year. At the time, Sandra said she felt isolated and alone before her ITSP counselor helped turn things around.

“I didn’t have anyone to help me with applying to school or jobs,” she said. “I would never have got this far without CII’s program.”

Jada, a 2019 Dream BIG graduate attending USC next year, said she was proud of her own accomplishments, but more importantly saw her experience as an opportunity to inspire others. USC ranks as the 22nd best undergraduate university in the country according to US News Best College Rankings. Jada said foster youth have a tendency to put a ceiling on their own potential when in fact they have the ability to accomplish a lot.

“It’s always a constant battle with ourselves,” she said. “It can be hard to cope with what we’ve experienced, but one of our major focuses should be on attending college and building our own personal support systems where we can succeed.”

It can be hard to cope with what we’ve experienced, but one of our major focuses should be on attending college and building our own personal support systems where we can succeed.

Jada, 2019 Dream BIG Graduate attending USC in the fall

Many of the youth participating in this year’s Dream BIG Graduation were first generation graduates in their own families. With the average college graduate expected to earn an average salary of $44,000 (compared to $25,000 for those without a high school diploma), Jada said it has never been more important to hold a college degree as a way of breaking the cycle of generational poverty. She said college isn’t only a pathway to higher earnings but it also offers foster youth a chance to enrich their lives by discovering what they are passionate about both academically and professionally.

Jessica Chandler, the social worker for the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services who was featured in the HBO documentary Foster, spoke to the graduates about her own doubts earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree in social work after she grew up in foster care. Chandler told them that they have the ability to earn degrees and be successful regardless of the path they took to get there.

“It doesn’t matter what you had to overcome or how close you were to not being here today, because you all made it,” she said. “I hope you all will come back here and have the opportunity to show people what you are capable of.”

Nathan, a 2019 Dream BIG graduate attending El Camino College this fall was ready to get started on his own college career and eventually earn a degree, but said being able to rely on ITSP will make a huge difference during his freshman year. While he has appreciated the extra guidance on applying to things like financial aid, he said having people he can call regardless of what is happening in his life will be the most important resource.

“It’s nice to have someone I can rely on whenever questions comes up,” he said. “And I know they will be checking in to make sure I’m not slacking, because everyone needs someone to keep you on track.”

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are stressful or traumatic events that children experience before age 18, such as violence at home, neglect, abuse, or having a parent with mental illness or substance dependence. High or frequent exposure to ACEs can dysregulate children’s stress response. Fortunately, the support of a caring adult can help buffer against stressful events for children.

Most of us – no matter who we are or where we come from – have experienced some level of adversity in our lives. However, there are wide ranges in the type, severity and frequency of adversity. If it is severe or chronic, it can cause changes to our bodies and may lead to significant health problems.

While 60% of the population reports having one or more ACEs in their own lives, families who grow up in neighborhoods plagued by violence and poverty tend to have more frequent and damaging exposure.  Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, California’s first-ever Surgeon General, recently appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom, has said childhood adversity “literally gets under our skin and has the potential to change our health.”

Stress responses are overactive in situations where ACEs are common and persistent like growing up in neighborhoods with high rates of community poverty and violence, or in a home where there is prolonged abuse, neglect or a parent with criminal or substance abuse issues. This affects brain development, immune systems and other parts of the body. The results over time are health problems, substance abuse and other high-risk behaviors, trouble staying focused, or completing tasks, school dropout and difficulty getting along with others – challenges that appear in childhood and last throughout adulthood. Often children who grow up with high ACEs scores also have parents who faced persistent childhood adversity leading to a cycle of trauma and intergenerational poverty.

CII engages children and families from an early age and provides practical skills and relationship-oriented interventions to promote self-regulation, instill hope, foster resilience, and build protective factors that limit the effects of ACEs.

Jesús Parra, Vice President of Behavioral Health & Wellness at CII

Research shows that some individuals with a high number of ACEs do not experience these health risks because they received support in the form of therapy or protective home environments, which points to the importance of early intervention, family strengthening and easy access to mental health and wellness programs.

Children’s Institute supports communities across Los Angeles where children and families are facing adversity caused by poverty and community violence. We provide high-quality Early Childhood Education in nurturing environments that support healthy development for children and offer a wide variety of supports for parents.  We work with kids who may have experienced trauma and connect them with counselors to promote emotional wellness.

Jesús Parra, Vice President of Behavioral Health & Wellness at CII, said early intervention paired with emotional and social support are key in preventing and healing trauma. He said that a high number of ACEs won’t dictate a child’s life as long as children receive loving support and feel safe in their family and community.

“Neuroscience helps us to understand how the presence of at least one healthy relationship can serve as a buffer for adversity that promotes self-regulation and builds resilience,” Parra said. “CII engages children and families from an early age and provides practical skills and relationship-oriented interventions to promote self-regulation, instill hope, foster resilience, and build protective factors that limit the effects of ACEs.”

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. If you are interested in learning more about mental health and wellness at Children’s Institute or need access to mental health services, please contact 213.807.1998 ext. 3433 or fet8@childrensinstitute.org.