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| BRYCS EMAIL
ALERTS |
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you like to hear about new BRYCS resources and Web
site features each month, by email? Just send an email
to info at brycs.org
and tell us you would like to subscribe to the BRYCS
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Promising Practices
for Refugee-Serving Programs
In this month’s Sidebar Series on “Promising
Practices,” BRYCS highlights two cities where
successful collaborations have developed between
public child welfare agencies and organizations
serving foreign-born children.
The New Americans and Child Protection
initiative is the result of the partnership between
the Department
of Social Services’ Children’s Division
and the International Institute in St. Louis, Missouri.
These agencies recognized the need to collaborate
after a child welfare case with a refugee child
did not go well. Although they started with informal
meetings, their partnership has grown over the past
several years, and currently includes a joint hotline
response, cross-service trainings, Boy Scout and
Girl Scout troops, “coffee klatches,”
and CPS workers based in the schools – all
at no additional cost to the agencies, due to collaborative
relationships with other organizations and volunteers.
See their Program
Description and BRYCS’ interview with
Frances Johnson
of the Missouri Department of Social Services for
more details and links to their resources.
Collaborative Partnerships to Enhance the
Well-being of Foreign-born Children in New York
City is the result of immigrant advocacy
groups and the Administration for Children’s
Services recognizing the need to collaborate, despite
very different perspectives and initial conflict.
Five years later, substantial changes benefiting
foreign-born children in need of child welfare services
have been made at the public child welfare and city
policy levels. These changes include the development
of a formal Immigrant Advisory Subcommittee, a new
handbook and training for ACS staff, increased language
access, and improved data collection – all
in a city of over 8 million people with a complex
and strained child welfare system. See their Program
Description and BRYCS’ interview with
Ilze Earner,
one of the founding members of the Immigrant Advisory
Subcommittee, for more details on how this collaboration
was accomplished, and links to their resources.
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BRYCS will continue to develop our “promising
practices” series in the coming months as we
share the innovative work being accomplished by programs
serving refugee children and their families throughout
the United States. Please be sure to visit BRYCS'
Targeted Resources for Program
Managers, where you will find a link to the complete
list of Program Descriptions in the Clearinghouse.
If you have a program to share, or are aware of
any creative efforts towards enhancing services
for refugee children, please contact BRYCS with
the details. We want to recognize and profile these
efforts, so that others can learn from them. We
are also interested in hearing from you about what
tools, resources or mechanisms that you would like
to learn more about. Email
info at brycs.org or call 202-541-3232 to speak
with our Outreach and Information Coordinator.
You may also submit
your program using our Web form.
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| Bridging Refugee Youth
and Children’s Services (BRYCS) is a national
technical assistance project working to broaden the scope
of information and collaboration among service providers -
in order to strengthen services to refugee youth, children
and their families.
Read more about our mission and services.
Who is a refugee?
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THE LIRS - USCCB/MRS PARTNERSHIP
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) and the U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops/Migration and Refugee Services
(USCCB/MRS) have partnered for over 35 years in our work on
behalf of refugee children and families. Out of a common vision
for the need to strengthen coordination between public child
welfare, resettlement agencies, and refugee communities, we
created the Bridging Refugee Youth and Children's Services
(BRYCS) project. Both agencies have contributed technical
assistance expertise, with LIRS focusing on community-based
trainings and USCCB/MRS establishing and developing the Web
site and Clearinghouse. After six years of successful partnership,
regretfully, due to constraints in funding availability, the
contract for BRYCS will be transferred to USCCB/MRS on September
30, 2006. LIRS will remain involved in this project in several
important capacities, including as a key member of the BRYCS
Advisory Committee. Although we will no longer share this
specific project, our two agencies remain strongly committed
to working together to promote the well-being and successful
integration of refugee children and their families in the
United States.
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WINTER
2006 SPOTLIGHT
REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT AND CHILD WELFARE
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Collaboration for Child Protection
An East African family was referred
to CPS following the birth of their fifth child
due to concerns about hygiene in the home. With
the help of an interpreter from a refugee resettlement
agency, CPS worked with the family on household
cleaning products and access to other local resources.
This relationship with CPS and other child welfare
workers ultimately led the refugee mother to end
an abusive relationship and move with her children
into subsidized housing. “CPS was extremely
helpful to fund the assistance that the family
required to understand how they could successfully
function within the U.S. system.” [1]
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This example, from the new BRYCS Child Welfare
Toolkit, Refugees
and the U.S. Child Welfare System: Background Information
for Service Providers, highlights the type of
positive collaboration that can occur when refugee service
providers and public child welfare agencies work together
to serve newcomer families. Increasingly, public child
welfare agencies are recognizing their need to collaborate
with agencies serving refugees and immigrants so that
services to families from diverse backgrounds occur in
a language and culture they understand. Similarly, refugee
and immigrant service agencies are recognizing their need
to better understand child welfare laws and services,
and the resources each discipline can offer the other.
BRYCS continues to support and encourage this type of
innovative collaboration through publications such as
our Cross
Service Training Guide, and the Child
Welfare Toolkit mentioned above.
To read the rest of this month's
Spotlight, click
here. The Spotlight and featured
search focus on collaborations between newcomer
services groups and child welfare organizations. The
featured search lists the most up-to-date and useful
resources on this topic available for free download.
Additional resources available free or for a fee can
be found here.
Last month's Spotlight
and featured
search on the child care for refugee self-sufficiency
are available in the BRYCS
archive.
| 1
- Information provided by Mary Flores, Director Refugee
Services, St. Vincent Catholic Charities, Lansing,
MI. From: BRYCS (September 2006). Refugees and the
U.S. Child Welfare System: Background Information
for Service Providers, p. 12, http://www.brycs.org/documents/CWToolkit.pdf.
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WHAT'S
NEW - DECEMBER 2006 |
NEW from BRYCS! Coming soon.
Interview with Ahmed: A Somali Refugee Parent. BRYCS
is pleased to publish our first refugee parenting
interview! Ahmed and his wife come from Somalia and
are raising their five children in the United States.
He shares his perspective on traditional parenting
practices in Somalia as well as challenges he and
his wife face in raising their children in the United
States. Please note that the views expressed in the
interview are those of Ahmed and do not represent
the views or experiences of all Somalis. |
Two New Videos Available!
The videos A New Day: Refugee Families in the
United States and Be Who You Are: Refugee
Youth in the United States are now available
from the Center for Applied Linguistics. These videos
were created to assist refugees and refugee providers
and cover topics such as family adjustment, discipline,
school life, home life, and learning English. To order
the VHS or the DVD, go here. |
FUNDING NEWS
Grants of up to $1,000 are available for survivors of
domestic violence in order to achieve their educational
and job-related goals. The Allstate Foundation has partnered
with the National
Network to End Domestic Violence Fund to establish the
Education and Job Training Assistance Fund. Any survivor
of domestic violence is eligible to apply, although the
fund requests that applicants have local domestic violence
programs request for and complete the applications. Visit
the NNEDV
Fund Web site for complete program information, a list
of domestic violence coalitions, and FAQs. There is no deadline.
FOR REFUGEE YOUTH
Check out The
Multicultural Advantage by Convergence Media, Inc. to
find scholarships
and internships
for immigrants and refugees looking to go to college!
ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS
The Journal of Border Educational Research is accepting
submissions for an upcoming edition on “Marginalized
Students in Secondary School Settings,” which are
due on February 1. A great deal of research has focused
on broadly classifying student populations according to
class, race and ethnicity, which has resulted in valuable
knowledge. However, subpopulations of student communities
within those particular racial and ethnic categories, such
as English Language Learners and immigrants, also need to
be examined. For more information, please contact Reynaldo
Reyes III by email
or 915-747-8817.
EVENTS
Putting
the Pieces Together for Children and Families: The National
Conference on Substance Abuse, Child Welfare and the Courts
will be held on January 31 – February 2, 2007 in Anaheim,
California. This national conference brings together professionals
from the fields of child welfare, substance abuse, juvenile
and family court, health care, children’s mental health,
and youth development to promote advances in practice and
policy that lead to effective, coordinated, and culturally
relevant services for children, youth, and families affected
by substance use disorders and child abuse or neglect.
RESOURCES
Cultural Orientation/Acculturation
In light of the recent incident where an Ethiopian
father was jailed for circumcising his daughter in the
United States, it is important to include this topic in
Cultural Orientation classes whenever possible. For service
providers unfamiliar with the practice, see the World
Health Organization’s brief description of the
practice and an article about it in Ethopia.
For ideas of how to approach the topic with refugees, please
see Rainbo's pamphlets on Female Circumcision and Women's
Health and Female Circumcision: A Religious and Cultural
Discussion and pages 14-15 of Taking
Account of Gender, from the UNHCR. In addition, check
out The Female Genital Cutting Education and Networking
Project, Appendix D of the Journey of Hope Curriculum published
by the U.S.
Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, and the Usman
Family Outing scenario. Finally, see pages 10-17 of
Female
Circumcision in the Netherlands: From Policy to Practice
to see how Dutch communities handled the issue with their
Somali immigrant population.
The October 2006 issue of Migration
Information Source was on second generation immigrants.
Included in that issue is The
Second Generation in Early Adulthood: New Findings from
the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study,
by Rubén G. Rumbaut and Alejandro Portes, which discusses
the large new “second generation” of immigrants
that has formed during the last four decades. Most of its
members are still in school, but many entered adulthood
during the 1990s and the first years of this century. (Description
summarized from the report.)
Child Welfare
Culture
and Parenting: A Guide for Delivering Parenting Curriculums
to Diverse Families, by L. L. Ontai, A. M. Mastergeorge,
and the Families With Young Children Workgroup at the University
of California, Davis, is a new resource to help professionals
who provide parenting training to families from many cultures.
The guide covers topics found in parenting education curriculums
for which there are significant variations among cultures
such as discipline, family structures and roles, among many
others.
Child
Abuse: Characteristics and Patterns Among Cambodian, Chinese,
Korean, and Vietnamese American Families, by the
California Social Work Education Center, is a curriculum
that focuses on child maltreatment issues and effective
practice strategies among immigrant Asian families. It is
intended for use by child welfare faculty who educate social
work students and by public child welfare workers seeking
to increase cultural competency. The curriculum provides
information on immigration history, patterns of child abuse,
and characteristics of victims and perpetrators for immigrants
from Cambodia, Korea, China, and Vietnam. Suggested intervention
strategies and topics for discussion are also included for
each population group.
Child
Welfare Terms: English-to-Spanish & Spanish-to-English,
by the Child Welfare Information Gateway, was developed
to better serve the needs of Spanish-speaking families and
the professionals who work with them. This glossary was
also designed to improve consistency in Spanish language
use in the child welfare field. The CWIG made every attempt
to apply cultural context and wherever possible, the glossary
offers a preferred term along with several acceptable options.
Many professional translators and bilingual child welfare
professionals from at least six Spanish-speaking countries
were consulted throughout the development of the glossary
resource. Yet, it is a work in progress and the CWIG welcomes
your feedback. (Description summarized from the CWIG list
serv.)
Interjurisdictional
Placement of Children in the Child Welfare System: Improving
the Process from the Children's Bureau was written
in response to serious concerns about the delays in and
complexities of interjurisdictional placements for children
in foster care. For some children in public custody, the
best available foster care or pre-adoptive home is located
across State lines. However, the usual barriers that plague
the foster care population are exacerbated and made more
complex for interstate placements. This report began with
a national survey of child welfare leaders. The survey was
designed to move beyond previous efforts focused on identifying
problems to identifying possible solutions. (Description
summarized from the Executive Summary.)
The Fall 2006 edition of The Future of Children,
by the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University and
the Brookings Institution, entitled Opportunity
in America, has nine articles, which focus on the
extent to which children's chances of success depend on
the circumstances into which they are born. Of those, readers
may particularly be interested in Making
It in America: Social Mobility in the Immigrant Population.
Preventing
Child Maltreatment: a Guide to Taking Action and Generating
Evidence, by the World Health Organization, is
intended for policy makers and program planners at national
and local levels in the fields of health care, social services,
and law. This report provides readers with the international
definition of child maltreatment, an overview of its scale
and consequences, and risk factors. In addition, this report
provides information on prevention programs, services for
children and families dealing with child maltreatment, and
recommendations. Readers working with foreign-born families
may particularly find useful the explanation on "Discipline
or Punishment?" (page 12), the paragraph on "Changing Social
and Cultural Norms" (page 37), and the information on parenting
programs in Chapter 3.
The
Human Trafficking Web Portal, by the National
Multicultural Institute, is now multilingual and includes
online videos through its Human Trafficking TV. The portal
provides information on human trafficking, child labor,
forced labor, and sex slavery and is searchable by keyword,
country, or theme in 14 languages. NMCI is also developing
training for professionals on how cultural competency facilitates
service delivery to victims of human trafficking.
Youth Development
Positive
Youth Development So Far: Core Hypotheses and Their Implications
for Policy and Practice from Search Institute Insights and
Evidence states that although there are many definitions
and frameworks of positive youth development in the field,
there is also a great deal of common ground growing out
of current theory and research. This report reviews seven
hypotheses that have important implications for both policy
and practice. Read
the one-page summary.
Education
A
WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute, by the Anti-Defamation
League, is a peer training program that uses a unique combination
of instructional and peer influence strategies to combat
name-calling, bullying and harassment, and create safe and
inclusive school communities. A recent study conducted by
Yale University determined that the program can have an
important effect on reducing bias in schools. (Description
summarized from their Web site.)
Similarly, Challenge
Day, by Rich Dutra St. John and Yvonne St. John Dutra,
has ignited young people’s passions by demonstrating
that love and connection are possible in our schools and
communities. Recently featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show,
it was shown that Challenge Day has the potential to help
students begin to talk about issues of diversity in schools
across America. (Description summarized from their Web site.)
Program Development
Wise
Decision-Making in Uncertain Times: Using Nonprofit Resources
Effectively by editor Dennis R. Young is especially
useful for organizations dealing with the challenges of
a post-9/11 world, which includes reduced government funding.
A team of experts offers practical guidelines to help nonprofit
managers develop strategies to steer their organizations
through profound changes in programs, operations, fund development,
and financing. (Description summarized from the report.)
Health
Migrant Clinicians Network is a national, not-for-profit
organization founded in 1984 by clinicians working in migrant
health. With nearly 2,000 members, the organization is the
oldest and second largest clinical network serving the underserved.
MCN’s goal is to improve health care of migrants and
other mobile poor populations by providing support, technical
assistance, and professional development services to clinicians.
In particular, see their section on Migrant
Children.
Juvenile Justice
The State
Juvenile Justice Profiles Web site by the National Center
for Juvenile Justice is a quick and easy way to find out
information on your state’s Juvenile Justice program.
Just click on your state in the turquoise box at the top.
The Office
of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
announces the availability of Lessons
Learned From Safe Kids/Safe Streets. This bulletin
reports results from an evaluation of OJJDP's Safe
Kids/Safe Streets Program, which applies a comprehensive,
collaborative approach to child maltreatment. The bulletin's
portrayal of the experiences of participating program sites
offers insights into collaboration, system reform, and service
options, among other matters. (Description summarized from
their Web site.)
COMING SOON:
New publications this year by BRYCS will
include:
An illustrated educational booklet for refugees about
parenting and U.S. child protection laws available for free
download, on a CD, and in hard copy.
Monthly articles with highlights from interviews with
refugee parents on their traditional parenting practices,
their challenges parenting in the U.S., and helpful suggestions.
BRYCS will feature the topic Refugee Children
and the Schools starting in February, including
a new Spotlight, Promising Practices Sidebar, and Featured
Resources. BRYCS will debut our new Technical Assistance
Web page soon. This page will have information on our new
National Technical Assistance Network,
including eight regionally-based expert practitioner-trainers
who can provide you with technical assistance consultations
and presentations, and have the dual benefits of local knowledge
and national support. You will be able to request technical
assistance through this Web page or continue to contact
us via our toll-free number (1-888-572-6500) and email (info@brycs.org).
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