j...? - Action Alliance for Children
Transcripción
j...? - Action Alliance for Children
__-j...?1jsj V PUBLISHED BY ACTION ALLIANCE FOR CHILDREN • ‘I —“Q ‘998 F]’ \ I Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Oakland, CA Permit #1846 I to rev California Association for the Education of Young Children I NOVEMBER—DECEMBER 2001 L rJ I I -I - Ji J J ai:) — — — — — — — :j ) i -J — rJ ;j J r.j 1 rjt. ].r - -.d — — — -J —. cJ - : :(Cuida4 4 00 Big movement for small schools den Child care turning point Consejos de padres y expertos sobre cómo hacer que ésta funcione - DE LA Gran movimiento para las pequeñas escuelas F cus on m How to make it work for your child • Education • Advocacy • Bookbasket Th.e new housing crisis ACTION ALLIANCE FOR CHILDREN • THE HUNT HOUSE • . Advocating for school reform ... Abogando por Ia reforma escolar 1201 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. WAY wwwqchildrerLorq FSOR . • OAKLAND, CA 94612-1217 • • TABLE OF CONTENTS ADVOCATE Volume 29 The bimonthly Children’s Advocate is published byAction Alliancefor Children, a nonprofit orga nization dedicated to informing and empowering people who work with and on behalfofchildren. 3 Grassroots Snapshots Iit Instantaneos de Ia comunidad : Gran movimiento para las pequenas escuelas de Oakland Por Melia Franklin Administration LaVora Perry ccotant Outreach Associate Erica Williams • On-Line Community Manager Jessine Foss Copy Editor Laura Coon — Intern Candace Diaz AAC Logo Design Mitche Manitou 6 0 Printing Fricke Parks Press Distribution Jane Welford Legal Counsel Nonprofit Legal Services Network Board of Directors Jackqueline Cook Warren, President Ronda Garcia, Vice-President Ernest Ting, Treasurer Catalina Alvarado, Secretary Barbara Cannon Carlos Castellanos Charles Drucker Randy Reiter Victor Rubin Marguerite Stricklin • • • Advisory Council Jill Duerr Berrick University of California Child Welfare Research Center Margaret Brodkin Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth Maria Campbell Casey Partnership for the Public’s Health Hedy N. Chang Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund Jonah Edelman Stand for Children Louis Freedberg San Francisco Chronicle Dana Hughes Institute for Health Policy Studies Herb Kohl Author & Educator Milton Kotelchuck Professor, Dept. of Maternal and Child Health University of North Carolina Arabella Martinez Spanish Speaking Unity Council Effle Lee Morris California Library Services Daphne Muse Multicultural author and editor Lucy Quacinella National Center for Youth Law Wilson Riles, Jr. American Friends Service Committee Giovanna Stark Assembly Select Committee on Adolescents Principal Consultant Alan Watahara California Partnership for Children Stan Weisner UC Berkeley Children & the Changing Family Program Rev. Cecil Williams Glide Memorial Church Action Alliance for Children is a tax-exempt organization supported in part by a California State Department of Education (SDE) grant. However, the opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of SDE and opinions expressed by contributors or writers do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this paper. We reserve the right to refuse advertising for any reason. Children’s Advocate assumes no liability for products or ser vices in its features or ads. As this is a copyrighted publica tion, permission to reprint material appearing on these pages must be requested. Circulation: Children’s Advocate is available at select child care centers, retail outlets, social service organizations and public libraries throughout California. Available by bulk order or individual subscription. Subscription Rates (see page 11) $18 for one year. $34 for two years First-time subscribers $12 for one year Sample copies are available for $3 each. For information about our annual multicultural calendar and our bimonthly Master Calendar write or call: Action Alliance for Children The Hunt House 1201 Martin Luther ICing Jr. Way Oaldand, CA 94612-1217 (510) 444—7136 Fax (510) 444-7138 e-mail: [email protected] www.4children.org @Children’s Advocate NewsMagazineASSN 0739-45X Next Issue: January-February 2002 Advertising Deadline: December 10,2001 • 7 Momento critico para el cuidado de niños En enero, los legisladores enfrentarán la insistencia del gobernador en contener los costos del cuidado de ninos—y la insistencia de quienes abogan por expandir la calidad y Ia disponibilidad de este servicio Poriean Tepperman Su niño en educaciôn especial Consejos de padres y expertos sobre como hacer que ésta funcione Por Candace E. Diaz and Jean Tepperman 9 By Lauren John Stories of Native American children today, along with traditional tales, give children from all backgrounds a glimpse into American Indian life By Ben Peterson 13 Breast-feeding: helping nature along Support programs in hospitals and workplaces help more mothers breast-feed By Lori Selke 14 Children’s Advocates Roundtable: El cuidado de ninos, Child care turning point In January legislators will face the governor’s insistence on containing child care costs—and advocates’ insistence on expanding child care quality and availability By Jean Tepperman 8 Early education programs for American Indian children emphasize culture and connection 12 Continuing traditions The new housing crisis 5 Volunteer Patty Overland • Ask the Advocate: Advocating for school reform By Melia Franklin PregUntele al Defensor: Abogando por la reforma Por Melia Franklin Low-wage jobs and soaring rents are pushing more families into homelessness By Irene Moore Publication Design and Production Judy July and Generic Type American Indian educators discuss positive ways to teach about their peoples; Activists tackle negative stereotypes and increase awareness about issues affecting American Indian children By Jessine Foss 11 “School feels like family” 4 Outreach Manager Melia Franklin Number 6 10 Focus on American Indian children’s needs: Big movement for small schools in Oakland By Melia Franklin Executive Director Philip Arcs • parte integral de la economia de California/Child care is an integral part of California’s economy; Programas extracurriculares (‘After school”) en California: nuevos datos/After school in California: new data; “Children Now” (Los NinosYa): Activismo Online/Children Now: Online Advocacy; 15 Cuánto cuesta mantener una familia en California? How much does it cost to raise a family in California? 16 Hablando con los niños sobre terrorismo y prejuicios Your child in special education Talking with children about terrorism and prejudice Tips from parents and experts on how to make it work By Candace E. Diaz and Jean Tepperman EDITOR’S NOTE H ere at Action Alliance for Children we have some big news of our own! Part of it you can see: We’re now printing four more pages—in Spanish. From now on, we’ll be able to print Spanish and English versions of Grassroots Snapshots/Instantaneos de Ia Comunidad, Ask the Advocate! Preguntele al Defensor, articles on the Children’s Advocates Roundtable pages (now 14, 15, and 16), and one additional feature each time-this time it’s our report on the coming legislative struggle over child care funding (pages 6 and 7). In addition, two new staff members have joined our team. Erica Williams is our new outreach associate, working with Outreach Manager Melia Franklin. They’ll work together continuing to build interactive relationships between the Children’s Advocate and grassroots organizations working with and for children and families all over California. Through this project, an increasing number of organizations are dis tributing the Children’s Advocate and giving us a wealth of ideas and information that enable us to make the Children’s Advocate a more effective tool for their wprk. LaVora Perry is ournew administrative associate, freeing up our former administrative a5sociate, Jessine Foss, to fill the new position of “online community manager.” Jessine will be work ing to convert our web site (www.4children.org) into a commu nications hub where California’s diverse advocates for children can ask questions, post information, enlist support, and discuss issues. For more information, please check out our web site, e-mail Jessine at [email protected], or call her at 510444-7136. Both of these new positions have been made possible by a generous grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. In January, look - September 11, in an economic and political environment that will make solutions harder to find. In addition to new pressures on child care funding (pages 6 and 7), low-income families are facing a new level of housing crisis (p. 5). On the Roundtable pages, the California Budget Project’s new report contrasts the high cost of living with persistent low wages (p. 15), and two more reports present new information on the importance of child care—to the California economy and to the safety of children and communities. In our changed world, however, some families are facing challenges that haven’t changed—from learning to breast-feed a new baby (p. 13) to struggling to ensure appropriate educa tion for children with special needs (pages 8 and 9). Finally, in this season when it’s traditional for schools to teach children about American Indians, we offer some ideas and some resources from the American Indian community: tips on respectful and inclusive ways of teaching about native peo ples, with news on current advocacy efforts for American Indian children (p. 10), descriptions of some school programs that affirm American Indian children’s heritage (i 11), and a great bookbasket full of stories that range from traditional tales to accounts of American Indian children today (p. 12). As we gather children, friends, and family members for the beginning of the holiday season, despite the tough challenges ahead, it seems all the more clear that what we really have to be thankful for is each other. —Jean Tepperman Gran movimiento para las pequeñas escuelas de Oakland Por Melia Franklin C uando Fatima, Ia hija mayor de Emma Paulino—una mama de Oakland—asistIa a Hawthorne Elementary siete años atrás, “tenla que mudarse cada 25 dIas a un aula nueva’ con rotaciones que le hacian entrar y salir de la escuela para poder hacer lugar a otros alum nos. La superpoblación de escuelas como Hawthorne—la cual fuera originalmente construida para 700 estudiantes y hoy alber ga 1400—forzó al Distrito Escolar Unificado de Oakland (0USD) a poner en vigor calen darios de actividad anuales. Cuando un promotor comunitario (community organizer, en ingles) de Oakland Community Organizations (OCO), una organizaciOn comunitaria de base religiosa, llego a su iglesia preguntando a los padres sobre la educación de sus ninos, Paulino decidiO involucrarse. Cuatro ailos más tarde, Paulino y otros padres están cele brando la inauguración de cinco pequenas escuelas, incluyendo Ascend, donde sus hijos MacEdward (11) yEdgardo (8) comenzaron hace poco sexto y cuarto grado respectiva mente. “Para ml la diferencia es que (ahora) están en un lugar seguro, el programa es excelente, y los padres sienten que los mae stros y el director son parte de Ia familia”, dice Paulino. Padres como Paulino ban liderado cada paso—con el apoyo de los promotores comunitarios de OCO—habiendo investiga do los diversos problemas existentes y orga nizado el apoyo necesario. Son ellos quienes ayudaron a preparar los reglamentos, dis eñar las escuelas, y contratar a los maestros. Ron Snyder, director ejecutivo de OCO, atribuye el éxito al “liderazgo dave de padres que se convirtieron con los años en un 1 poderoso grupo que no aceptaba un ‘no’ como respuesta’ CLAVES PARA EL EXITO: • Investigación: Los padres compartieron experiencias y compararon los puntajes de los exámenes estandarizados en escuelas que sufrIan de superpoblación con los de escue las de menor tamafio. Con ello descubrieron que “el tamai’io de la escuela era un factor importante en el rendimiento escolar’ dice Snyder. En un viaje subvencionado a Nueva York para visitar escuelas pequenas, padres y funcionarios de 0USD con poder de toma de decisiones observaron “estudiantes involucrados en el proceso de aprendizaje, y padres participando a todos los niveles. Las escuelas se sentlan como escuelas de la comunidad’ dice una de las madres, Lillian LOpez, hoy co-presidenta de OCO. . . . • Promoción Comunitaria (“Organ izing”): Los padres lideres salieron a visitar hogares y escuelas, dice Snyder, “incitando a Ia gente a que pensara en cosas” con pregun tas provocativas como: “mo le parece que el rendimiento de su hijo debiera estar al nivel de su grado?”, y “que hace falta para cam biar esto?’ Después de una serie de derrotas, a los padres se les ocurrió una estrategia al nivel de distrito. Recuerda Lopez: “De golpe tuvimos grupos de padres que se plantaron y sabIan lo que querIan’ • Acción: Los Ilderes elevaron su caso ante funcionarios con poder de toma de deci siones, primero en reuniones pequenas, después en acciones masivas delante del alcalde y el concejo escolar. En noviembre de Emma Paulino, lIder de padres en Oakland, con su hija en Ia fiesta inaugural de una nueva pequeña escuela. / Emma Paulino, a parent leader in Oakland, with her daughter, at a celebration for the opening of a new small school. 1999, los padres y otros en apoyo de esta causa ilenaron el gimnasio de una iglesia local y “preguntaron a las autoridades: ‘Están preparados para comprometerse pOblicamente frente a estas 2200 personas a hacer que esto se haga realidad?”, recuerda Snyder. En mayo del 2000 el concejo escolar aprobó por unanimidad el Oaldand Small Schools Initiative. U Base institucional: Contar con una base en 30 congregaciones en Oaldand proveyó “estabilidad institucional” y un “espacio seguro para que los padres puedan hablar’ reflexiona Snyder. Recordando su primera reunion en OCO, dice LOpez: “Nunca habla estado sentada a la mesa hablando de los problemas con otros padres, sin las autori dades de Ia escuela. Muchos de los problemas que dos tenlan eran iguales a los que tenla yo’ U Alianzas: OCO trabajó en proximidad con otros grupos comunitarios y el 0USD, y obtuvo apoyo técnico dave del Bay Area Coalition for Equitable Schools. El 0USD nombró un Superintendente Asistente para la Reforma Escolar, José MartInez, quien describe su cargo como “una victoria de OCO’ Este afirma que Ia apertura de OCO para trabajar en conjunto es fundamental. “Ellos no dicen solo ‘vamos a hacer una huelga y a ilevarnos todos los niños con nosotros!” —expresa Martinez. “Quieren crear una alianza de verdad’ U LSabe usted de algün esfuerzo comunitario debase del cual todo el mundo debiera escuchar? Póngase en contacto con Melia Franklin, direc tora de promoción comunitaria, al 510-444-7136, [email protected] Thanks to the David and Lucile Packard Foundation for its support of this page. Big movement for small schools in Oakland By Melia Franklin W hen Oakland parent Emma Paulino’s eldest daughter Fatima attended Hawthorne Elementary seven years ago, she “had to move every 25 days to a new class room:’ rotating in and out of school to make room for other students. Overcrowding at schools like Hawthorne, which was built for 700 students but enrolls 1,400, forced the Oakland Unified School District (0USD) to implement year-round schedules. So when an organizer for Oakland Community Organizations (OCO), a faith-based community organization, came to her church asking parents about their kids’ education, Paulino got involved. Four years later, she and thousands of others are celebrating the opening of five small schools, including Ascend, where her sons, MacEdward, 11, and Edgardo, 8, recently began sixth and fourth grades. “The difference for me is they are in a safe place, the cur riculum is excellent, and parents feel like the teachers and the principal are part of the family:’ Paulino says. Parents like Paulino have led every step of the way, nurtured by OCO organizers. They’ve researched issues and organized support. They helped draft policies, design the schools, and hire teachers. Ron Snyder, OCO’s exec utive director, credits the success to “key parent leaders who grew over the years into a powerful group who wouldn’t take no for answer:’ homes and schools, says Snyder, “agi tating people to think about stuff” by asking provocative questions like “Don’t you think your child should be performing at grade level?” and “What would it take to change this?” After a series of defeats, the parents came up with a a district-wide strategy. Lopez recalls, “All of a sudden you had groups of parents who stood up and knew what they wanted:’ KEYS TO SUCCESS WERE: I Research. Parents shared experi ences and compared test scores of crowded schools to those of smaller schools. They discovered that “the size of a school was... an important factor in school performance,” says Snyder. On a grant-funded trip to New York to tour small schools, parents and 0USD decision-makers saw “students engaged and learning and parents participating at all levels. The schools felt like com munity schools,” says parent Lillian Lopez, now OCO’s co-chair. • Organizing. Parent leaders visited U Action. Leaders took their case to policy makers, first in small meetings, later in mass actions before the mayor and the school board. In November 1999, parents and supporters packed the gym of a local church and “asked decisiQn-makers, ‘Are you prepared to commit publicly in front of these 2,200 folks to make this happen?” reèalls Snyder. In May 2000 the school board unanimously approved the Oakland Small Schools Initiative. • Institutional base. Having a base in 30 Oakland congregations provided “institutional stability” and a “safe place for parents to talk,” Snyder reflects. Recalling her first OCO meet ing, Lopez says, “I had never been around the table talking about the issues with other parents, without school officials. Many of the issues they had were the same issues I had:’ U Partnerships. OCO worked closely with other community groups and the 0USD and got key technical support from the Bay Area Coalition for Equitable Schools (BayCES). The 0USD appointed an Assistant Superintendent for School Reform, José Martinez, who describes his posi tion as “an OCO victory.” He says OCO’s openness to working together is key: “They don’t just say, ‘let’s do a walkout and take all they kids with us!” he says. “They want to create a true partnership.” U Do you know Of.a9rass roots effort the world should hear abouf’ Contact Meha Franklin, Outreach Manager AAC, S1:0-444 7136 aacmelia@4chtldren org CHILDREN’S ADVOCATE 3 re .LeIe a! Traducción al castellano: Lucrecia Miranda P. Me encuentro frustrado con muchos de los aspectos de Ia escuela de mi hijo. Cómo puedo abogar por el cambio de modo efectivo? • “No trate de hacerlo solo”, acon seja Ron Snyder, director de la organi zación de base religiosa “Oakland Community Organizations” (yea artIcu lo en pagina 3). “Antes no tenia poder alguno porque estaba sola”, dice Lillian Lopez, uno de los padres-lIderes de OCO. ‘Cuando comencé a trabajar con OCO, me cli cuenta que tenla una voz” Hable con otros padres, sugiere Claudia Monterrosa, directora nacional del pro grama para mejorar la cooperacion entre padres y escuelas “Parent/School Partnership” de MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund). Mi, cuando actüa, “Va en repre sentación de un grupo de padres” Los padres pueden demostrar su apoyo fir mando peticiones, escribiendo cartas, o asistiendo a las juntas del distrito. • Identifique el problema. Dan Rothstein, co-director de la organi zación “The Right Question Project, Inc.” (yea “Recursos”), alienta a los padres a que desarrollen preguntas que “vayan al centro mismo de lo que está pasando en su escuela’ Si un niño ha sido suspendido, por ejemplo, los padres pueden preguntar: “Que fue lo que condujo a esto? Cuáles fueron las bases para tomar esta decisiOn? Existe un grupo de ninos al que se suspeude con más frecuencia que al otro?’ Abogando por Ia reforma escolar Por Melia Franklin • Investigue los hechos. Asegürese que las quejas “estén basadas en hechos, no en rumores”, dice Monterrosa. Algunos de los grupos de padres de MALDEF, por ejemplo, han distribuido cuestionarios en sus escuelas. •1 Quién es responsable? “Si [el problema] es el mantenimiento de la escuela, hable con quien se encuentre a cargo del mantenimiento. Si se trata del programa, vaya al superintendente”, dice Monterrosa. “Determinar cuál es su problema e identificar a Ia persona responsable es el primer paso’ • Actáe. Primero su grupo puede escribir una carta a Ia persona respons able, esbozando los hechos y requirien do una acción especIfica para un dia determinado, dice Monterrosa. Pida una junta con la persona responsable. Lieve traductores, si es necesario, y si es posible, una persona neutral. Si ha ago tado los canales correspondientes sin ilegar a resultado alguno, “puede que necesite una campana más agresiva”, incorporando los medios de comuni cación u otros aliados, agrega. • Mantenga copias de todos los documentos. “No entregue nada sin conservar una copia u original”, aconse ja Monterrosa. “Cuando asista a reuniones con alguna autoridad, ileve a alguien que tome notas de modo detal lado’ • “No se rinda”, recomienda una de las lideres de OCO, Emma Paulino. “Es un trabajo duro’ Padres de Oakland celebrando ía inauguraciôn de Ascend, una pequeña escuela abierta recientementel Oakland parents celebrating the opening of Ascend, a new small schooL RECURSOS: Programa “ParenUSthl Partner ship” de MALDEF: Este programa para facilitar el trabajo conjunto de padres y escuelas ofrece un curso de 16 semanas que explica cómo funciona el sistema escolar y ayuda a desarrollar el liderazgo de “padres que están dispuestos a asumir un compro misoy tomar responsabilidad por el cam bio”, dice Claudia Monterrosa, directora nacional del programa. (213) 629-2512, www.maldef.org • Pacific Institute for Community Organization (PICO), es un red nacional de organizaciones comunitarias de base religiosa que realiza promociOn comuni taria (“community organizing”) en diversas areas, incluyendo educaciOn. De acuerdo a Ron Snyder, director de Ia organ izaciOn OCO—afiliada a PICO—”el propósito de nuestra organización es desarrollar Iideraz go. Proveemos entrenadores, profesores y apoyo técnico para el cambio”. PICO California Project: (916) 447-7959, www.PlCOcalifornia.org • Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE) trabaja con padres y escuelas de todo el estado para aumentar Ia partici paciOn de los padres en Ia educación de sus hijos. Su programa de nueve semanas, ofre cido en 14 idiomas, contribuye a que los padres puedan apoyar el aprendizaje en casa, comprender sus derechos y respons abilidades en el sistema educativo, y plani ficar para enviar a sus hijos a Ia universidad. Los padres “aprenden a hacer frente de modo exitoso a problemas que han tenido por años”, dice Ia directora asociada Patricia Mayer, (619) 483-4499. The Right Question Project (RQP), Inc. ha desarrollado un programa simple que “brinda [a los padres] herramientas para precisar sus preguntas con anterioridad”, dice Cathy LeBlanc, miembro de Ia organi zaciOn Yuba Community Collaborative for Healthy Children, que ha entreriado padres con Ia técnica de RQR “Sientes como que... ‘OK, esto es realmente lo que quiero decir”. Programa básico $30, en espanol o ingles. (617)492-1900, ww.rightguestion.org Tiene alguna pregunta para “Pregüntele al Defensor”? Llame a Melia Franklin al 510-4447136 o e-mail [email protected] Have a question for “Ask the Advocate”? Call Melia Franklin at 510-444-7136 or e-mail [email protected] A ocating for school reform By Melia Franklin Q. I’m frustrated with many aspects of my child’s school. How can I effectively advocate for change? • “Don’t try to do it by yourself,” advises Ron Snyder, director of the faithbased Oakland Community Organ izations (OCO) (see p. 3). “I never had any power before because I was alone:’ says OCO leader Lillian Lopez. “When I started working with OCO, I realized I really had a voice.” Talk with other par ents, suggests Claudia Monterrosa, national director of the Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund (MALDEF) Parent/School Partnership program. Then, when you act, “you go representing a group of par ents.” Parents can sho.v support by signing petitions, writing letters, or turning out to district meetings. • Identify the problem. Dan Rothstein, co-director of the Right Question Project, Inc. (see “Resources”), encour ages parents to develop questions that “get to the core of what’s happening in 4 NOVEMBER—DECEMBER 2001 their school.” If a child has been sus pended, for example, parents might ask, “What led to it? What was the basis for the decision? Is one group of kids get ting suspended more often than oth ers?” • Fact-find. Make sure the complaint ‘(is based on fact, not rumors,” says Monterrosa. Some of MALDEF’s parent groups, for example, have conducted surveys at their schools. • Who’s responsible? “If [the prob lem] is school maintenance, talk to maintenance. If it’s a curriculum issue, go to the superintendent,” says Monterrosa. “Zeroing in to what your problem is and then identifying the responsible person is the first step:’ • Take action. First your group might write a letter to the person responsible, outlining the facts and requesting a spe cific action by a specific date, says Monterrosa. Ask for a meeting with the responsible person. Bring translators, if needed, and, if possible, a neutral per son. If you’ve gone through the channels with no results, “you might need a more aggressive campaign:’ bringing in the media or other allies, she adds. • Create a paper trail. “Don’t turn in anything without keeping a copy or original,” advises Monterrosa. “When you go to meet with a decision-maker, have somebody that takes diligent notes?’ • “Don’t give up,” urges OCO par ent leader Emma Paulino. “This is a hard job.” RESOURCES: • MALDEF ParentlSchool Partnership offers a 16-week course that explains how school systems work and develops leadership skills for “parents who are willing to make the commitment to and take responsibility for change,” says Claudia Monterrosa, the program’s national director. 213-629-2512, www.maldef.org • Pacific Institute for Community Organization (PICO), a nationwide network of faith-based community organizations, organizes around many issues, including education. According to Ron Snyder, director of PICO-affiliat ed CCC, “The purpose of our organiza tion is leadership development. We pro vide coaches, teachers, and technical support for change.” PICO California Project: 916-447-7959, www.PlCOcalifornia.org • Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE) works with parents at schools statewide to increase parental involvement in education. Its nine-week curriculum, offered in 14 languages, helps parents support learning at home, understand their rights and responsibilities in the edu cation system, and plan for college. Parents “learn to effectively confront issues they have had for years,” says Associate Director Patricia Mayer. 619-483-4499. • The Right Question Project (RQP), Inc. developed a simple, scripted curriculum that “gives [parents] tools to focus their questions beforehand,” says Cathy LeBlanc, a member of the Yuba Community Collaborative for Healthy Children, who has trained parents in RQP’s technique. “You feel like, ‘OK, this is what I really want to say.” Basic curriculum $30, in Spanish or English. 617-492-1900, www.rightquestion.org - The new housing crisis Low-wage jobs and soaring rents are pushing more families into homelessness By Irene Moore Advocating for affordable housing T he phone has been ringing off the hook lately at the Alexandria House, a shelter and neighbor hood center in Los Angeles. “Something’s going on out there,” says Nancy Berlin, who works the evening shift. “The iiumber of people calling looking for shelter has maybe doubled since the summer.” According to housing experts and advocates, crowded shelters like the Alexandria House are a symptom of the worsening affordable housing crisis in California. Arlene Krause of the Sacramento Housing Alliance says she has “nothing to tell people” when they call with housing needs. “Most home less shelters are full, transitional houses are full and the waiting lists for Section 8 [federal housing subsidies] are closed:’ says Krause. Tanya Tull, executive director of Beyond Shelter in Los Angeles, agrees. “Things have declined in the last eigh teen months,” says Tull. “Rents have gone above [what Section 8 pays], so many landlords are not accepting Section 8.” It’s simple math: In the recent eco nomic boom, rental costs rose much faster than the average California faini ly’s income—and the current economic downturn hasn’t lowered rents much. • The amount a California worker would have to earn to afford a decent two-bedroom apartment shot up 20 percent from 2000 io 2001, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC). Costs vary around the state, but on average, a California worker would have to earn at least $18.33 an hour, working 40 hours a week, to afford a “fair market rate” two-bedroom apartment, says NLIHC. • In the past three years, landlords have given up federal subsidized housing contracts for more than 15,000 units, converting them to market-rate housing—and 30,000 more units are at risk. • Nearly 500,000 families are currently on waiting lists for public housing and rental subsidies—almost a million children are waiting for housing. Sources: Housing California, California Budget Project T his is “a great time for folks to get involved,” says Julie Snyder, legisla tive advocate for Housing California. Local, state, and national advocates are campaigning for measures to increase the amount of subsidized, affordable housing,.. FEDERAL: Advocates are focusing on legislation to create a national housing trust fund. Young tenants participating in a demonstration for affordable housing. LOOKING FOR HOUSING UMy kids are too old to be in a shelter” “I felt pressured for time to find a place” ee Dee Hickman noticed her children, ages 11, 13, and 14, have been both “more playful and more irritable” since July 2000 when they became homeless. “Their energy comes from anxiety)” says Hickman, who lost her $8.50-an-hour job as a child care worker in Orange County in March 2000. After 18 months of moving between shel ters, hotels and transitional housing, Hickman received a Section 8 voucher in early September, then started the discourag ing search for affordable housing. “I see pages and pages of three-bedroom places, but when I call they’ve all been rented)” she says. She is now living in a temporary studio apartment near downtown L.A., arranged through the community organization Beyond Shelter. “My kids are too old to be in a shelter,” she says. Though the transitional apartment is more comfortable, they want “their own space.” The Section 8 voucher lasts only 60 days. Hickman is worried that she may not be able to find a place soon enough, and she’s wor ried about paying the security deposit if she does. In this uncertain time, Hickman has managed to attend school for training as a drug and alcohol counselor. Her goals now are to find a better-paying job, her own place, and “peace of mind.” e housing crisis has definitely reached inland California. David Montano, a single father with two daughters, ages eight and nine, found himself homeless in Fresno this summer. Having nowhere to sleep, he took his daughters to a family shelter where they lived in one room with three beds for two weeks. “There were so many nights when I couldn’t sleep because the bell kept ringing,” he remembers. The shelter was packed; Montano recalls, “I heard they had to turn a lot of people away.” For Montano, a substitute worker in the kitchens of the Fresno School District, this was a time when he needed to keep his “head on straight.” After the shelter, the family lived hi transitional housing for twa months before they moved into their cur rent two-bedroom apartment, found with the help of the Fresno Housing Authority. Though his daughters adapted well to the shelter and transitional apartment, Montano says, “I was the one who was tressing because I had so much on my mind. I’m a diabetic and the housing situa tion didn’t help. I felt pressured for time to find a place because you can only stay in shelters and transitional housing for so long. At times I felt like crying, but church kept me going.” Finding his current apartment was a huge relief. “There are trees all over the place,” he says excitedly. Montano is now attending Cesar Chavez Adult School, training to be a custodian. He hopes to get a jobm the school district he works in now. “I want to provide for my girls and set a good example for them)” he says. • D Finding affordable housing • Call your local Housing Authority and Housing Redevelopment Agency—list ed in local phone books under city and county government. In addition to their own housing, some housing authorities provide referrals to affordable housing built by nonprofit organizations. • Call your local United Way agency—in many counties they provide referrals for programs including affordable housing. • Contact local homeless services or advocacy organizations—check the National Alliance to-End Homelessness Web site for listings of local home less services and advoEates, www.nationalhoiñéless.org/local!california.html CALIFORNIA: Advocates are pushing for three current bills. I SB 910 (Dunn) would put teeth into the law that requires local govern ments to create “housing ele ments”—plans for building more housing. a SB 1227 (Burton) would put a bond measure on the ballot to raise money for building affordable hous ing, for helping people buy homes, and for building more shelters and transitional housing. • SB 183 (Burton) would allow local governments to help low-income people move into housing without a security deposit—the local gov ernment would guarantee payment for any damages. LOCAL: In many areas advocates are pushing for housing elements when cities and counties revise their general plans, which is supposed to be done every five years. Coalitions in some local areas are promoting other affordable housing proposals. In Los Angeles, for example, Housing L.A., a coalition of business, labor, environ mental, and housing groups, is cam paigning for the city to put $1 million a year into a housing trust fund. HOUSING ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS: I National Low Income Housing Coalition, 202-662-1530, www.nlihc.org a Housing California, 916-447-0503, www.housingca.com • California Coalition for Rural Housing, 916-443-4448 • California Housing Law Project, www.housingadvocates.org • Southern CA Association of Nonprofit Housing, 213-480-1249, www.scanph.org a Nonprofit Housing of Northern CA, 415-989-8160, www.nonprofithousing.org CHILDREN’S ADVOCATE 5 1 Child care turning point In January legislators will face the governor’s insistence on containing child care costs—and advocates’ insistence on expanding child care quality and availability By Jean Tepperman S andra Jacquez is a welfare eligibil ity worker with a three-year-old daughter. Dealing with domestic violence kept her out of work receiving disability payments for almost a year. Recently she went back to work—but only for a week. That week she lined up various relatives to take care of her daughter, but the next week shehad no child care and had to stay home. Jacquez says she can’t afford to pay $600 to $800 a month for child care, but the waiting list for a subsidy is years long. “I don’t want to end up losing my job:’ she says. Michelle Thomson is now receiving a child care subsidy as part of the wel fare-to-work program, but in May she’ll reach the time limit. “There’s no way I could pay for one summer:’ she says. She takes home about $1,600 a month, her house payment is $650, and summer child care for her four schoolage boys would cost at least $1,200. Lack of state child care subsidies could push Jacquez, Thomson, and thousands of other parents onto welfare. A study of 500 low-income parents in Los Angeles found that more than half had lost a job because they lacked child care. Because funds are limited, at least one-third of the children who need sub sidies don’t receive them. Now subsidized child care for lowincome families will be at the center of a major political struggle when the leg islature meets again in January. Governor Gray Davis last year asked for an CCdtti review” (AR) of the child care subsidy program. The AR report, issued in May, predicted that costs could spiral out of control because parents who have left welfare for work continue to receive child care subsidies as long as their incomes are low enough to qualify. The AR predicts the number of ex CaIWORKs families receiving subsidies will grow from 45,000 to 88,000 in the next three years, increasing costs, assum ing no increase in funding, that would shut out families who were never on wel fare. The report lists options for contain ing costs and malçing the system fairer, including raising the sliding-scale fees parents pay, lowering the income “ceil ing,” setting a time limit for families receiving subsidies, and paying providers less per child. In July, Davis held up $24 million in child care subsidy funds. He will release the money, he says, if the legislature, by the end of January, passes measures to contain child care costs. The Women’s Caucus of the leg islature has declared that it will “lead the legislative response to the gover nor’s challenge.” The caucus invited child care advocates to contribute ideas for reforming the system while ensur ing that “harm to families and providers [is] mitigated.” Women’s Caucus mernbei and long time child care advocate Dion Aroner, Child care math: it doesn’t add up Parents and child care providers meet in Oakland to push for quality child care for alL The cost of quality child care is beyond reach for many families. The average cost of center-based care for a child under two is about $550 a month, more than half of the income of a parent working full time at a minimUm wage job. (D, Berkeley), told a parent group in Oakland, “We’re not going to do any thing without parents at the table.” In late October the caucus held public hear ings in Los Angeles and Sacramento. Child care advocates have been organizing. • In Los Angeles, family child care providers organized by ACORN are ral lying the support of unions, churches, and the City Council. Organizer John Jackson,ays the group will “challenge the governor to expand resources instead of diminishing them and come up with the money to fund the increas ing need for child care.” • In Oakland on September 29, more than 200 parents and providers partici pated in Parent Action for Child Care Today, a one-day “summit” organized by Parent Voices to push for “quality child care affordable for all families.” • A statewide postcard campaign, initi ated by the San Francisco Family Child Care Association and Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth, aims to show widespread support for increas ing, not decreasing, child care funding. Child care providers’ organiza tions have countered the AR’s alterna tives with suggestions for other changes, such as creating a “tiered sys tem” that pays more for higher-quality care and/or less for unlicensed care. Some provider groups also go along with some AR options, such as lower ing the maximum age from 13 to 12. Think tanks including the Child Care Law Center (CCLC) and the California Budget Project (CBP) have written detailed comments on the options outhned in the Administrative Review and suggested principles to guide reform. Noting current school-readiness efforts, CCLC Director Nancy Strohl says, “We can’t reduce opportunities for quality child care, then pretend that we are providing equitable opportun ities for all children to be ready for school.” • OVERVIEWS OF CALIFORNIA’S CHILD CARE SYSTEM • Broadening the Context: Background for Discussion of California Child Care Policy Options, Child Care Law Center, 415-495-5498, www.childcarelaw.org • Lasting Returns: Strengthening California’s Child Care and Development System, California Budget Project, 916-444-0500, www.cbp.org • Since the start of welfare reform, California has increased spending on subsidized child care by $2.1 bil lion. Still, almost 300,000 eligible children, can’t get subsidies because funds are limited. • The California Budget Project esti mates that with another $1.7 bil lion, California could fund subsidies for all who need them. • The per-child reimbursement the state pays child care providers has failed to keep up with inflation. Some school districts have been unable to continue operating child care centers, turning them over to nonprofit organizations with lower pay scales. • Low salaries (averaging $16,000 to $20,000 a year) contribute to a worsening child care staffing crisis and increase turnover, undermining the quality of care. • The cost of quality child care is beyond reach for many families. The average cost of center-based care for a child under two is about $550 a month, more than half of the income of a parent working full time at a minimum wage job. Sources: Child Care Law Center, California Budget Project What YOU can do I Send postcards to your legislators and Governor Davis, expressing your views on subsidized child care • Invite political leaders to spend a day at a child care center and meet with providers and parents I Discuss child care issues with your union, community group, or religious organization I Write letters to your local news papers • Call your local child care resource and referral agency (for the num ber, call 800-543-7793) I Contact a child care advocacy group: ACORN, 213-747-4211; SF Family Child Care Assoc., 41558751 11; Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth, 415-239-0161; Parent Voices, 415-882-0234 CHILDREN’S ADVOCATE 7 __ - Tips from parents and experts on how to make it work By Candace E. Diaz and Jean Tepperman hen Beverly (not her real name) was concerned that her o-year-old daughter still wasn’t speaking, she took her to Children’s Hospital in Oakland. There Beverly was told that her daughter had a developmental disability. She left the hospital feeling “completely lost”—but then she heard about Parents Helping Parents (PHP). “The day I went to PHP, it changed my life forever,” Beverly says. At PHP, Beverly found information on special education laws and got training on how to participate in school meetings to prepare an “individualized educa tional program” (IEP) for her daughter. Parents and experts agree: to get the best education for a child with special needs, the most important thing a parent can do is to get support. Spt y receive a “free and appropriate” public education, based on an assessment without cultural bias an “individualized educational program” (IEP). - 9r - When you find other parents whose children have special needs, “you feel more confident, that you’re not alone,” says Lourdes Ocampo, who belongs to a parent support group in Los Angeles. Parent groups, adds Vicki Benson of Exceptional Parents Unlimited in Fresno, offer “unbiased advice,” School districts, she says, “have a vested inter estin keeping costs down,” She adds, “If parents know what their rights are, they usually get a lot more services.” Exceptional Parents Unlimited is one of a statewide network of organiza tions run by and for parents whose children have special needs (see Resources), with financial support from the California Department of Education. Parent centers provide libraries, support groups, coaching, and advocacy EW I Sometimes children are falsely labeled with learning disabilities just because they don’t speak English, says Blanca Brown of Fiesta Educativa, a Southern California group formed to educate Latino parents about special education. Other parents, Brown says, have to struggle to get schools to recognize their children’s disabilities. “There was one parent here today,” says Brown, “whose second-grader was on suspen sion for the third time this year.” The school was refusing to test her son for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, saying he just had a behavior problem. If parents feel their child may have a disability, they should insist on a professional assessment. “Our experi ence is that if parents keep pushing, they do it,” says Brown. “If something doesn’t feel appropri ate, speak up!” says Marti (not her real name), mother of a 14-year-old boy with autism. She recalls one c1assrooin where her son, overwhelmed by too much stimulation, just sat under a desk. Marti pushed for a tr-ansfer to a small, specialized school, where her son blossomed. OUR CHIW HAS THE RIGHT TO Benson, whose son has cerebral palsy, says the most important point is to “stay on top of things—going to the school, talking with the teacher on a regular basis,” Ocampo had little opportunity to visit school until an illness kept her out of work. “I went to visit my child’s class and found out there were many things that should have been done,” such as providing physical education adapted to his needs. When a principal claimed, at an IEP meeting, that Marti had never expressed concerns about her son’s placement, Marti was able to show a series of notebooks with correspon dence between her and her son’s teacher. The notebooks clearly showed she had expressed many concerns. “Make detailed notes and get copies of everything you sign,” Marti advises. 2) Speak to the supervisor. If that doesn’t work, 3) “Take formal steps.” Recently the mother of a child with Tourette’s syndrome contacted Joan Tellefsen at Team of Advocates for Special Kids (TASK) in Anaheim. The mom disagreed with the school’s assessment of her child. Tellefsen went with the mother to meet informally with the school psychologist. They real ized that they really disagreed about only two paragraphs. The next day at the IEP meeting, the psychologist said, “I slept on this and you’re righC’ - If you and your child’s school still disagree, you can file a formal com plaint. “If families take it beyond the local level,” says Benson, “they almost always prevail.” - Dawn Walsh, regional administrator of Greater Anaheim SELPA, a regional special education organization, advises families to use the “three-strikes rule”: 1) Always try to work things out infor mally with the person working with your child. If that doesn’t work, q! - • “We tell parents never to go to an IEP meeting by themselves,” says Joan Tellefsen of TASK. Bring another parent, a relati,’e, or a professional advocate. • “It’s important for parents to have a copy of their child’s assessment before the meeting. “If the summary doesn’t feel accurate to you, something’s wrong,” Tellefsen adds. • Before the meeting, jot down points you want to raise, says lawyer Stephen Rosenbauin of Protection and Advocacy. • “Never leave a meeting without a follow-up list: 1) What will be done, 2) Who will be responsible, and 3) By when,” advises Dawn Walsh, regional adminis trator of Greater Anaheim SELPA. I AS A PARENT, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: i Participate in the development of the IEP Receive written notice in your native language if the school plans a change in your child’s program Get an independent assessment, paid for by the school district, if you disagree with the school’s assessment Give informed, written consent before your child receives any assessment or services—or refuse to consent Keep your child in his/her current program if there’s a disagreement about placement To take your complaint to a “due process hearing”—but you’re encouraged to try mediation first. - From Special Education Parents’ Rights, available from the California Department of Education in English, Chinese, Spanish, and Vietnamese. RESOURCES Parent framing, Information, and Resource Centers: • Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (Oakland), 800-446-4232 • Exceptional Parents Unlimited (Fresno), 559-229-2000 • Loving Your Disabled Child (Los Angeles), 323-299-2925 • Matrix Parent Network and Resource Center (Mann Co.), 41 5-884-3535 • Parents Helping Parents (Santa Clara), 408-727-5775 • Parents Helping Parents San Francisco, 415-841-8820 • Parents of Watts (Los Angeles), 323-566-7556 • SEA Center (Paradise), 530-876-8321 Support for Families of Children with Disabilities (San Francisco), 415-282-7494 • Team of Advocates for Special Kids (Anaheim), 714-533-8275 • Team of Advocates for Special Kids (San Diego), 858-874-2386 • Vietnamese Parents of Disabled Children (Carson), 310-370-6704 Nonprofit advocacy organizations: • Fiesta Educativa, 800-281-8252 • Protection and Advocacy, 800-776-5746 CHILDREN’S ADVOCATE 9 Focus on American Indian Children By Jessine Foss American Indian educators discuss positive ways to teach about their peoples VI e need to educate respectful ly about other peoples, not to perpetuate stereotypes,” Starr (Cheyenne—Arapaho), Paula says executive director of the Southern California Indian Center. “During Thanksgiving children make war bon nets without realizing the religious sig nificance. We hold eagle feathers in high [it] seems almost sacrilegious regard to us.” American Indian educators offer recommendations for talking with stu dents about American Indians: American Indians (see page 12). Bring in speakers: For guest speakers or advice, contact local tribes, particularly storytellers and historians to talk about local customs. American Indian centers or education programs, libraries, or uni versities with American Indian studies departments might also be helpful. ... 7 Emphasize present tense: “We are not extinct and we are not in the past tense,” says Start Viola Martinez (Paiute), now retired from the Los Angeles Unified School District, would begin her third-grade class by placing baskets around the room that her students could see and touch. She asked the children to think about why, and one child would guess, “You’re part Indian.” She would then explain how the baskets were used and what they were made from. John Orendorif (Cherokee), college counselor at Belmont High School, rec ommends looking at current American Indians, such as Wilma Mankiller, former chief of the Cherokee nation, Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (Cheyenne), and Cory Witherill (Navajo), a race car driver. For younger children, invit speakers or read children’s books about - Drawings on p. 10 and 11 were made by American Indian children participating in the annual art contest held by the Kiamath-Trinity Indian Education program. II went to a school with an [American] Indian mascot for two years,” says Paula Starr (Cheyenne-Arapaho), executive director of the Southern California Indian Center. “I would walk through the school and have negative imagery thrown at me. [At sports events] opposing teams would say ‘scalp the Indians’ and ‘kill the Apaches:” It’s harmful for children to “see peo ple desecrate religious objects such as feathers anface paint and misappro priate their culture,” says Eugene Herrod (Muscogee-Creek), a spokes person for Advocates for American Indian Children. American Indian stu dents “feel the disrespect and are intimidated,” says John Orendorff, (Cherokee), a college counselor at Belmont High School and chair of the Alliance Against Racial Mascots. He connects that disrespect to “the disen gagement of our people from the [school] system—kids are dropping out:’ Starr, Herrod, ad Orendorff are members of a network of American Indian activists in the Los Angeles area. They’ve been working on a range of issues affecting American Indian chil dren, from banning American Indian mascots to creating a special American Indian Children’s Council within the Study specific tribes: “Tribes in Cali fornia are totally different than on the Plains: they each have a distinct culture, language, and history Make connections for students to where they are living, rec ognizing that the Native way of life was tied to the land,” says Andre Cramblit (Karuk), former president of the California Indian Education Association. Address negative stereotypes: “If stu dents have derogatory comments, ask them, ‘why do you say this? Why do you feel this way?” says Martinez. Then dis cuss stereotyping—its causes and effects. Celebrate the heritage of all children: Martinez created opportunities for stu dents to share their own cultural back grounds. On Fridays, when students learned about cooking, they would bring in their favorite recipes as well as recipes Teach American Indian history: It’s important to look at historical events from an American Indian viewpoint, says Cramblit, adding “there was a genocide here of proportions unequaled anywhere else.” In fourth grade, for example, children in California study the mission system and build models of a particular mission. “I would not have a Jewish child build a model of Auschwitz,” Cramblit com ments. “We worked out with our school district [to allow American Indian chil dren] to build models of traditional housing:’ He suggests that teachers ask students what they know about the mis sions, then read stories from a Native per spective on the impact and long-term effects of missions on the daily life of California Native peoples. Working with younger children, “I would talk about different ways of sub sisting and getting along,” says Martinez. “I would tell this story: My uncle lived in three places during the year. In the sum mer he lived by the water and planted crops, in the fall he lived elsewhere and hunted, to store food for the winter. I’m sure the white man did not know this. And when he saw where my uncle lived, and how beautiful it was, he stayed. And when my uncle came back, there was a struggle over who would leave:’ “California history standards leave so ,much out, not just about American Indians, but about other ethnic groups too:’ says Starr. “We need the oppoftunity to rewrite our history from our per spective, then we would show the true diversity of this country:’ u American Indian activists tackle negative stereotypes and increase awareness about children’s needs Los Angeles Children’s Planning Council. Activists and community members educated teachers, students, and the Board of Supervisors about the mascot issue. Activists showed a video about a football game where “a young white kid was dressed like an Indian and acting like a buffoon and a fool,” says Orendorf. Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)—like San Francisco and Dallas schools—did decide to ban American Indian mascots, but many schools still caricature Indians. This month American Indian activists are planning to protest Burbank High School’s use of an Indian mascot at a football game, and advocates around California are working on legislation to remove American Indian mascots from public schools statewide. American Indian Child Welfare Activists also campaigned to strengthen enforcement of the federal Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), which requires that American Indian children removed from their homes be placed with extended family, tribal members, or other Indian families where possible. But some judges were applying this law only for families who maintained close ties to a tribal com munity. That undermined “the tribes right to determine whether a child is an Indian child,” says Joanne Willis Newton (Cree), staff attorney for California Indian Legal Services. A campaign led by the Southern Indian Health Council, including let ters of support from 103 tribes, won passage of a California law strengthen ing the rights of American Indian chil dren to be placed with Indian families, but the law is currently tied up by a court challenge. • American Indian Children’s Council Another activist campaign, this one led by Advocates for American Indian Children, persuaded the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors to create a special planning group for American Indian children. The Los Angeles Children’s Planning Council had divided the county into eight geographic areas, cre ating a regional planning council for each. But American Indian activists convinced the Board of Supervisors that American Indian children, scat tered through many parts of the coun ty, needed a special council to plan ser vices for them. AICC’s regular meetings bring advo cates for American Indian children together with representatives from county departments, improving aware ness in county departments about American Indian issues and concerns. One of AICC’s first efforts is to find out more about American Indian children in the county. “We need a check-box on all [forms from] county services, so we know who accesses those services and if there are issues around access,” says Peggy Barnett, AICC researcher. A sim ilar effort statewide is seeking legisla tion requiring all state and county gov ernment and social services agencies to provide an “American Indian/Native Alaskan” check-box with a line for trib al affiliation. • RESOURCES • Advocates for American Indian Children, 714-962-6673, www.geocities.com/CapitolHilIJLobby/ 4828/aaic.htm • Alliance Against Racial Mascots, (213) 250-8787 x 223, [email protected] • Southern California Indian Center, (714) 962-6673, www.indiancenter.org • Southern Indian Health Council, 800-400-1189 “School feels like family” Early education programs for American Indian children emphasize culture and connection By Lauren John eraldine Martinez expected her three-year-old son John Dean to cling to her on his first day at the Hintil Kuu Ca preschool in Oakland. Instead, John Dean immediately started playing with the other kids. When Martinez went. to kiss him goodbye, he shrugged and casually said, “Mom, I thought you left already.” “I think one reason he adjusted so quickly is that, a lot of the kids at the school are related to my son and the school feels like an extension of our fam ily,” says Martinez. Hintil Kuu Ca has been running preschool, summer school, and after-school programs for American Indian children for over 25 years. Martinez and her son are American Indians of Sioux and Blackfeet descent, and Martinez, now 21, attended the school when she was a child. “Hintil Kuu Ca” means “house of children” in the language of California’s Porno Indians. Currently there are 125 children, ages three through 12, who are enrolled in the school’s preschool and after-school programs. Eighty percent of the kids are of American Indian descent, representing 64 different tribes, says Marlene Beltran, a teacher in the school’s prekindergarten class. “The kids take great comfort in seeing faces like their own,” Beltran says. “Originally, the state developed pro grams for American Indian children because the kids were dropping out as early aithird grade, with few kids mak ing it through high school.” Today, she adds, far more American Indian kids are graduating from high school and some are attending college. Martinez, now a student at the United Indian Nations business school in down town Oakland, says, “I know I have con tinued my education because of the sup port I received when I was young’ She adds that she is still close to her child hood friends from Hintil Kuu Ca and that some of the teachers she had when she was there are now teaching her son. Teacher Beltran, descended from the Paiute tribe in Nevada, serves as a role model for the students. She says that she wishes that there had been programs like Hintil Kuu Ca’s when she was a kid. “When I attended Everett High School in Washington state, I was the only Native American in a school of 2,000 kids:’ she says. “The reason I grad uated and went on to college was because I had a lot of strong family sup port. But it would have been great to also have programs that recognized my histo ry and culture at school:’ Hintil Kuu Ca preschool programs are designed to build self-awareness and self-esteem and better prepare children for elementary school, Beltran says. For example, she points out that Native American culture teaches young children to listen to their elders rather than speak up. “Many of these kids may know the answer to a question raised in class, but they will be the last ones to raise their hands and give the answer:’ Behran says. “The culture teaches them not to show off.” At Hintil Kuu Ca, they Jearn to speak up. Hintil Kuu Ca also offers students G classes in crafts such as clay work and beading. Martinez says that to this day she continues to do beadwork on a loom—a skill she first learned as a child attending the school. In addition she remembers field trips out of the inner city to Tomales Bay and Half Moon Bay—trips that taught her about Native American values such as respect for the environment. INDIAN EDUCATION STATEWIDE While Hintil Kuu Ca is run and fund ed by the Oakland Unified School District, a statewide American Indian Early Childhood Education program sponsors education for American Indian children in prekindergarten through grade four. Andrew Andreoli, Californi&s Indian Education director, says the pro grams aim to help students master school standards without compromising their cultural background. The early childhood program empha sizes literacy Kids and teachers tell tradi tional stories that have been passed down orally through the years. Older students write down and publish the stories. Twelve schools around the state are currently conducting American Indian Early Childhood Education programs. At some schools, local elders teach Native languages, others encourage older children to mentor and tutor younger ones. In Fresno County, Sierra Elementary has a home-school liaison who works to involve parents and com munity in cultural activities. Toyon Elementary in Shasta County provides after-school and preschool programs, home-visiting, and other services for parents and the community Elementary school students also learn about history from a Native American point of view. “We let the students know how the American government treated the Indian people:’ says Andreoli. Many American history books, he adds, pre sent American Indians as people that “once were here and now are gone”— confusing for Indian children. INDIAN CHARTER SCHOOL In Chico, American Indian parents and community leaders have taken Indian education a step further and cre ated their own charter school, jointly sponsored by the Butte County Office of Education and the local Indian Educa tion Center. Of the 120 children at Four Winds School, more than three-quarters claim Native American heritage. The school includes grades one through eight. At Four Winds, as at Hintil Ku Caa, education is a family affair. Teacher Janice Delgado and school secretary Marty Gore are sisters—both from the Maidu Indian tribe based in Susanville, and they often see their nieces and nephews who are enrolled at the school. The upper-grade kids and pre schoolers both participate in morning drumming circles that start the school day, says Delgado. It is at these drum cir cles that the school prinicpal makes announcements and birthdays are acknowledged. Students also pass a sage smudge stick, following a Native tradi tion in which a smoking bundle of wood David Sepulveda and D.J. Edwards join a morning drum circle at Four Winds School in Chico. and dried herbs is passed to cleanse the group of negative spirits. “The preschoolers aren’t at the circle every day,” says Delgado, “but they are brought over for special occasions, and we have a set of smaller drums that the older kids teach the younger ones to play:’ Recently, a local salmon hatchery sponsored a program in which kids of all ages learned about the life cycle of the salmon—and about how Native Americans cleaned, cooked, and pre pared salmon, says Judy Strang, associate director for student support services. That fit well into early grades’ curriculum, described by Strang as “a Montessori educational model with an American Indian cultural focus:’ Another cultural activity of great appeal to younger kids and their parents are quarterly pow-wows-where the kids sing and dance for friends and family. Often parents work for days to help pre pare the traditional regalia and the local Native American community turns out to watch. The school strives to give children “an education that honors American Indian traditional teachings and learn ing:’ Strang says. “For example, when teachers introduce the A-B-C’s, they use pictures of objects that are familiar to the students—baskets, feathers, crafts, and places in their neighbor hood,” she explains. She adds, you would never see a flashcard like those used in some elementary schools that say, “I is for Indian:” “Our culture:’ she adds, “is always there:’ • The school strives to give children an “education that honors American Indian traditional teachings and learning.” —JUDY STRANG, FOUR WINDS SCHOOL “INDIAN’S WAY OF EATING” FRANKIE TRIPP, FIRST GRADE California Department ofEducation American Indian Education Programs, 916-657-3700, www.cde.gov/iasa/indian.html CHILDREN’S ADVOCATE 11 f BOOK BASKET Continuing traditions Stories of Native American children today, along with traditional tales, give children from all backgrounds a glimpse into American Indian life By Ben Peterson hildren’s literature provides important lessons to children about the world, its history, and its people. Unfortunately, in the past, most children’s books ignored the rich cultural and historical significance of Native Americans, often relegating them to simplified stories of Thanksgiving. In recent decades, a rich collection of children’s books has emerged, dealing with Native American cultures, both historical and contemporary. In the following sto ries, authors present traditional Native American stories and describe the lives of American Indian children today. Teachers, parents and children will value these books for their cul tural worth and enjoyable tales. LAST.9RSTTI•M JhAnd Jingle Dancer, story by Cynthia Leitich Smith, illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu. This children’s book tells the story of young Jenna, a present-day Native American girl, who wants to jingle dance at the Powwow like her Grandma Wolfe, but doesn’t have enough jingles for her dress. She borrows a row of jingles each from her Grçat-Aunt Sis, who entertains her with old, Muscogee Creek tales; her neighbor, Mrs. Scott, who makes fry bread and Indian tacos; her Cousin Elizabeth, who is busy working on a case for her law firm; and her Grandma Wolfe, who practices dancing by watch ing a video tape of herself. Children will enjoy Smith’s story of sharing and inge nuity while getting an appreciation of how Native Americans living in the modern world celebrate their traditional culture through food, dance, and family. Ages four to eight. (Morrow Junior Books, 2000) In a Cirde Long Ago: A Treasuiy of Native Lore from North America, stories retold by Nancy Van Laan, illus trations by Lisa Desimini. Van Laan offers a proud collection of twenty-five songs, stories, and poems from 20 dif ferent tribal traditions and includes a pronunciation guide, a map, and brief descriptions of the regions where each tribe is located. The tales give a broad look at Native American culture and the distinctions between tribes. Parents and teachers who read this with their chil dren can use this book to discuss why the Navajo would have a “Corn Song” and why certain animals are included in certain regions. It is important for chil dren to understand that Native Americans represent a complex group of many diverse tribes. Ages four to 10. (Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 1995) 11 Dancer •aø.,fl.lW 12 NOVEMBER—DECEMBER 2001 Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest, story and illustra tions by Gerald McDermott. Having won the Caldecott Medal for Arrow to the Sun and the Caldecott Honor for Anansi the Spider, McDermott chooses in this book to tell the traditional tale from the Pacific Northwest of the brave raven who brought light to his people. Transforming himself into a pine needle and then into the grandson of the Sky Chief, the raven in this tale is able to find the sun and offer it to the people of the land. The search for fire and light is a common theme for many Native American stories. McDermott’s depic tion of the raven as a totem-pole image and the story’s simple, often humorous, language make this book an enjoyable read for children. Ages four to eight. (Harcourt Brace, 1993) A Man Called Raven, story by Richard Van Camp, illustrations by George Littlechild. In this modern story, also based on the raven, a strange man confronts two boys who are chasing and hitting a raven with hockey sticks in their garage. He tells them the story of a wicked old man who, after mistreating an innocent raven, is driven mad and turned into a raven himself Returning to his village where he had always been mean to everyone, the raven is surprised. and touched to see that the villagers sing for him at his funeral. He decides then to watch over and protect his people and even saves some of their lives in a snowdrift. The mysterious man telling the story explains that this is why the boys must always respect ravens. He then walks outside and flies away. Van Camp’s story-within-a-story modern izes another traditional myth about a raven and helps children understand why it important not to torment ani mals. Ages four to eight. (Children’s Book Press, 1997) Very Last First Time, story by Jan Andrews, illustrations by Ian Wallace. Eva Padlyat lives in an Inuit village on the Ungava Bay in Northern Canada. When the tide pulls the sea away, the people of her village cut holes in the ice and descend into the space between the frozen ice and the bottom of the sea to collect mussels. For as long as she can remember, Eva has gone to the bottom of the sea with her mother. This story follows her emotional adventure as she goes under the ice alone for the first time. Andrews’ story offers readers an intriguing glimpse at a modern lnuit family performing a traditional and essential practice. Wallace’s warm, realis tic pictures illustrate the fusion of the old and new lifestyles of the village, showing Eva’s neighbors putting out their animal furs with telephone wires in the background and Eva and her mother cutting into the ice while an air plane flies overhead. Ages four to eight. (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 1985) The Rainbow Bridge: Inspired by a Chumash Tale, story retold by Audrey Wood, illustrations by Robert Florczak. In this California Chumash traditional tale, Hutash, the earth goddess, plants seeds that grow into her beloved people, while her husband, the wise sky snake, sticks out his tongue and creates lightfling for their fire. When the land becomes too crowded, Hutash makes a rainbow bridge for half the people to get to the empty land on the other side of the water. When a few children fall off, she saves them by turning them into dol phins. This is the reason the Chumash believe dolphins are their brothers and sisters. Florczak’s passionate and scenic paintings illustrate the beauty of the California Coast where the Chumash lived.. Ages four to eight. (Harcourt Brace, 1995) Iktomi and the Boulder: A Plains Indian Story, story and illustrations by Paul Goble. Iktomi is a common hero in many Native American tales. Sometimes called by other names, Iktomi is clever, vain, greedy, and often deceitful. In this tale, Iktomi is a modern Plains Indian walking in his best traditional feathers to a neighboring festival. He gets himself into trouble when he offends a boulder by giving and then taking away a blan ket. Angered, the boulder pins him to the ground. To get free, Iktomi tricks a colony of bats to break the boulder to pieces by ramming into it. The story explains that this is why bats have flat tened noses and why scattered rocks are strewn all over the Great Plains. Throughout his tales, Goble also offers Iktomi’s thoughts and the narrator’s asides. This storytelling convention adds humor and makes it an especially enter taining read-aloud book. If children enjoy reading this modern adaptation of the ancient trickster tale, they should also check out Goble’s other Iktomi books including Iktomi and Buzzard, Iktomi and the Ducks, and Iktomi and the Coyote. Ages five to 10. (Orchard Books, 1988) We Are Still Here—Native Ameri cans Today. Series includes: Children of Clay—A Family of Pueblo Potters; Clambake—A Wampanoag Tradition; Ininatig’s Gift of Sugar—Traditional Native Sugarmaking, Kinaalda—A Navajo Girl Grows Up; The Sacred Harvest— Ojibway Wild Rice Gathering; and Shannon—An Ojibway Dancer. These books introduce young readers to the customs and events of contemporary Native Americans in the cities and rural areas of North America. Using pho tographs to illustrate the real-life stories of specific Native Americans practicing and performing traditional customs, they offer honest, realistic, insiders’ views of how traditions are still prac ticed in the modern world. Ages five to 10. (Lerner Publications Company) Breast-feeding: helping nature along Support programs in hospitals and workplaces help more mothers breast-feed by Ion Selke D espite the important health benefits of breast-feeding, many new mothers are intimidated. “The number one concern among new mothers is, ‘do I have enough milk?” reports Christine Bedgood, a lactation consultant at Washington Hospital in Fremont. That worry is usually based on mis understanding, says Kathy Hesser, head of the hospital’s Maternal and Child Health Education Program. “People think that after babies eat, they shouldn’t be hungry for three or four hours because that’s how it works with us.” Hesser tells new moms that frequent nursing—babies wanting more after an hour or even after five minutes—is not only normal, but it’s the way nature ensures milk production. The baby’s sucking stimulates the hormones that tell a mother’s body to make milk. That kind of information can make a big difference in the number of women who breast-feed their infants. And for the babies, the stakes are high —breast milk protects infants from a range of health problems (see sidebar). But U.S. women have a low rate of breast-feeding compared to other countries, according to the federal Department of Health and Human Services. That’s why, in 2000, the department released a Blueprint for Action on breast-feeding, calling for more programs like the one at Washington Hospital. FROM THE START After a woman gives birth in Washington Hospital, she gets a visit from one of the hospital’s three lacata lion consultants every day she’s there. The consultants advise the moms on the signs of successful breast-feeding— is the baby alert during feeding? Does the baby swallow every one to three seconds? And they urge the mothers to feed their babies frequently. “The more she feeds, the quicker the milk comes in:’ Bedgood says. For those few moms who start off without much milk, says consultant Rita Meekma, they provide extra coaching and herbal supplements. Consultants also help in “getting a mom and baby together in the right position.” All the attention pays off: More than 90 percent of Washington Hospital’s new mothers are breast-feeding their children when they are discharged, and Hesser is confident that many continue to breast-feed. That’s partly because “we advertise to our patients, when they leave, not to hes itate to call if they have a question:’ says Hesser. Three days a week, a lactation consultant is on hand to take phone calls and meet with outpatients. Instead of loading down moms with free formula samples, Washington Hospital sends them home with literature on breastfeeding—and on breast pumps. MILK AT WORK Since many women must return to work shortly after the birth of their babies, breast pumps have become Breast-feeding benefits • Increased resistance of infants to infectious diseases including diar rhea and pneumonia. Ear infections are three times more common in formula-fed infants. • Reduced risk of chronic diseases. Breast-feeding may reduce the risk of a child developing diabetes, allergies, and astbma. • A stronger immune system. Children who were breast-fed have fewer illnesses on average than those who were bottle-fed. • Better nutrition. Human milk is more digestible, less stressful on the kidneys, and has the ideal balance of proteins and vitamins to promote infant growth. • Better maternal health. There is evidence that breast-feeding reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancer in the mother. It might also reduce the likelihood of osteoporosis later in life. .Frequent nursing—babies wanting more after an hour or even after five minutes—is not only normal, but it’s the way nature ensures milk production. The baby’s sucking stimulates the hormones that tell a mother’s body to make milk. • . increasingly important. Women can pump breast milk at work, then leave it for caregivers to feed their babies the next day. That’s a real benefit, says Hesser—babies who drink only breast milk get fewer infections and allergies. Washington Hospital runs a popular breast-pump rental station. “We’re now up to 100 pumps:’ Hesser notes, “and we may need to go up again!” But iron ically, at Washington Hospital, “We really don’t have a spot yet for our own employees to pump.” She adds, “I think that’s our next step’ MODEL PROGRAM Washington Hospital might look for inspiration to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP), whose breast-feeding program was recently recognized as a model by the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition. Rona Cohen, who administers the program, is a certified lactation consul tant; she teaches classes about breastfeeding “as part of a whole series of pregnancy classes. This is an equal ben efit for both male and female employ ees, so men can come to class,” says Cohen. “Sometimes if I have a lot of men, I’ll have what we call a ‘coaching class’ for successful breast-feeding:’ She also works one-on-one with parents who might have breast-feeding issues or concerns, “mainly on the phone, but occasionally on-site.” The DWP provides lactation rooms for its employees; women schedule a time to come in, express their milk, and save it. Each gets a cooler case and a free breast pump. Every male employee whose partner works somewhere else can also take a breast pump home at no cost. “It’s probably the only company in the country that goes to this extent,” Cohen notes. Benefits for the DWP, Cohen says, include “35 percent lower health care daims and 27 percent lower female em ployee absenteeism, for those who were providing breast milk to their babies.” SUPPORTIVE DADS For a company that’s 80 percent male, “It’s unusual to have this kind of program,”- Cohen says. “We have extremely high usage by our male employees:’ Cohen coaches new fathers in their role of supporting their breastfeeding partners. “They can support eating healthy by helping with meals. Or maybe they can comfort the baby if it’s fussing. And, Cohen adds, “of course, he would be the one picking up the breast pump. It’s now very com mon here to watch these big, macho men walk out with their little breast pump:’ Cohen says. “We’ve started a lit tle society of new dads. These men play a major role in the success of the breast-feeding experience.” Washington Hospital and the DWP have etensive programs to support breast-feeding, but even small steps make a difference. Washington Hos pital’s program, Hesser points out, began with informal individual consul tations between nurses and moms. Many workplace programs begin with a room and a comfortable chair set aside for lactation. • “ Breast-feeding is also cost-effective: Formula is expensive; breast milk is free. Formula-fed infants also average $200 more in medical expenses per year than breast-fed infants. RESOURCES ON BREASF.FEEDING • La Leche League International, 800-LA-LECHE, www.lalecheleague.org LLLI is an independent organization, with local chapters across the country, devoted to supporting breast-feeding mothers. • California Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Supplemental Nutrition Program, 888-WIC-WORKS www.wicworks.ca.gov WIC provides support and information for low-income pregnant, breast-feed ing, and post-partum women. • The African-American Breastfeeding Alliance, 877-532-8535 AABA’s mission is to create a breastfeeding-friendly culture within the African-American community; they provide a hotline, plus publications and videos. • San Diego County Breast-feeding Coalition, do Children’s Hospital and Health Center, 3020 Children’s Way MC5073, San Diego, CA 92123-4282 www.breast-feeding.org SDCBC is a private nonprofit associa tion of health professionals providing community outreach and education. • The Breast-feeding Task Force for Greater Los Angeles, 626-856-6650. www.breastfeedingtaskforla.org The BFTLA provides resources and information including an annual direc tory of area resources. CHILDREN’S ADVOCATE 13 Children’s Advocates ROUNDTABLE Traducción al castellano: Lucrecia Miranda California Children’s Advocates Roundtable is a coalition of more than 150 organizations advocating for children. This page is dedicated to information from the Rótindtable’s monthly meetings in Sacramento and information from member organizations. (For information about the Roundtable, call the Children’s Advocacy Institute at (916) 444-3875.) The El cuidado de ninos, parte integral de Ia economla de California U Programas extra-curriculares (“After-school”) en California: nuevos datos uchas personas saben que los niños que asisten a programas extra-curriculares después de clase obtienen mejores resultados en la escuela, y tienen menos posibifidades de convertirse en vIctimas o perpetradores de un crimen. Hoy, la agencia de California “Fight Crime: Invest in Kids” ha publicado un nuevo informe mostrando de modo especffico Ia eficacia de los programas extra-curriculares en California, asI como también Ia gran cantidad de ninos que ann quedan “solos en casa” debido a las liinitaciones de fon dos disponibles para este tipo de progra mas. El informe California’s After-School Choice: Juvenile Crime or Safe Learning Time? (“La elección extra-curricular de California: Crimen juvenil o tiempo de estudios seguro?”) cita varios estudios sobre este tipo de programas en California, entre los cuales pueden men cionarse: • Un estudio de Ia Universidad de California en Irvine sobre ci programa estatal After-School Learning and Safe Neighborhoods Program (“Programa de Aprendizaje Escolar y Barrios Seguros”) demostró que las suspensiones de estudi antes disminuIan en las escuelas que contaban con este programa. En dichas escuelas, y en el caso de estudiantes que hablan estado ausentes más de 26 dias el ano anterior, la asistencia habia mejora do en más de tres semanas. • Después de un año de programas extra-curriculares en 12 comunidades de “alto riesgo’ el nümero de estudiantes que habIa recibido notas insuficientes en sus boletines habla decrecido en un ter cio. • Estudiantes que hablan participado en ci programa extra-curricular L.A. BEST pasaron de la categorla “con mane jo limitado del ingles” a “uso fluido” con más rapidez que otros estudiantes. M A pesar de estos estudios—entre otros que demuestran-los beneficios de los programas extra-curriculares antes y después de clase—el informe encontró que solo una de cada siete escuelas dc mentales y de grado medio (y una de cada cuatro en las areas de bajos recursos consideradas) obtienen fondos estatales para subvencionar este tipo de progra mas. Del total de niflos de cinco a catorce años en las familias de bajos recursos, apenas airededor de un tercio se beneficia de los programas extra-cur riculares actualmente subvencionados por fondos estatales o federales. Si desea una copia del informe citado más arriba, puede bajarlo del Internet accediendo al sitio web http://www.fightcrime.org/ o pedirlo por teléfono ilamando al (510) 836-2050. S n nuevo informe del National Economic Development and Law Center (NEDLC), titulado “El cuidado de ninos y su impacto en Ia economIa de California”, demuestra que Ia industria del cuidado de niños genera miles de millones de dOlares en beneficios, crea decenas de miles de puestos de trabajo, y genera aumentos en Ia productividad que representan miles de millones de dólares para las famiias, empresas y ci gobierno de California. Entre los hall.z gos del informe se encuentran: • La industria certificada de cuidado de niiios genera entre 4700 y5400 millones de dOlares en beneficios brutos—com parables al tamaño de las industrias de cultivos agrIcolas o la ganaderla. • Esta industria emplea más de 123.000 personas en California. • El cuidado de ninos hace posible que los padres que trabajan alcancen una ganancia de al menos 13.000 millones por año. Cuando los padres gastan ese dinero, crean mayor demanda, lo cual estimula la economia. Los aumentos de productividad derivados directa o mdi rectamente de la industria del cuidado de nifios contribuyen 65.000 mifiones al producto bruto del estado. El informe apunta que la importan cia de esta industria continuará crecien do: “Se espera que la población californi ana de entre cero y cuatro años de edad crezca en más de 325.000 en los próxi mos diez años. Se espera que el námero de padres [indicando padres y madres] que trabajan también crezca: es proba ble que para ci año 2010 ci 85 por ciento de la fuerza de trabajo consistirá en padres de familia’ La oferta de guarderlas certificadas en California, sin embargo, apenas cubre airededor de un quinto de la demanda. El informe también inciuye recomen daciones: • El planeamiento de desarrollo econOmico a niveles del estado, conda do, y local, debe incluir el cuidado de nifios. • La capacidad actual de centros certi ficados de cuidados de niños debe ser preservada y expandida, de modo tal de proteger el impacto económico de esta industria y su apoyo a otros sectores. Si desea bajar del Internet ci resumen ejecutivo y las recomenda ciones propuestas por este informe, puede hacerlo accediendo al sitio web http://www.nedlc.org/. Asimismo, puede solicitar el informe entero desde el mismo sitio web, o por teléfono, liamando al (510)251-2600. 5 a Children Now: Activismo Online n nuevo centro llamado “Children Now Action Center” se encuentra disponible online, permitiéndole recibir alertas sobre politicas de infancia, compartirlas con sus amigos, y enviar cartas personalizadas sobre diversos temas de interés a través de e-mail o fax a los legisladores de su distrito. El Action Center también ayuda a sus miembros a que puedan identificar fácilmente a los legisladores que los representan en el ámbito estatal y federal, asI como las responsabili dades respectivas que les atañen como integrantes de los diversos comités. Si desea hacerse miembro de Children Now Action Center. visite el sitio web del centro en http://gal.org/childrennow/join U Child care is an integral part of California’s economy new report from the National Economic Development and Law Center (NEDLC), Child Care and Its Impact on California’s Economy, shows that the child care industry generates bfflions of dollars in revenues, creates tens of thousands of jobs, and gener ates productivity gains that represent billions of dollars for California fami lies, businesses, and government. The report found: • The licensed child care industry generates between $4.7 billion and $5.4 billion in gross revenues—about the size of the livestock or vegetable crop industries. • Child care employs more than 123,000 people in California. • Child care enables working parents to earn at least $13 billion a year. When parents spend that money, they create more demand, which stimulates the economy. Productivity gains directly and indirectly due to child care contribute $65 billion to the gross state product. The report points out that the importance of child care will keep growing: “The population of Cal ifornians aged zero to four is expected to increase by more than 325,000 over the next ten years. The number of working parents is also expected to grow: by the year 2010 it is likely that 85 percent of the labor force will con sist of parents.” California’s supply of licensed child care, however, meets only about onefifth of the need. The report also includes recom mendations: • Economic development planning at the state, county, and local level must A include child care. • Current licensed child care capacity must be preserved, maintained, and expanded to protect both the indus try’s economic impact and its support of other sectors. You can download the executive summary and policy recom mendations of this report from www.nedlc.org. You can order the full report from the web site, or call 510251-2600. 5 Children Now: Online Advocacy new online Children Now Action Center allows you to receive policy alerts, share them with friends, and send customized letters on the issues, via e-mail or fax, to legislators in your district. The Action Center also helps members easily identify their state and federal legislators and their committee assignments. To join the Children Now Action Center, visit http:/!gal .org/childrennowljoin A After school in California: new data any people know that children who attend quality after-school programs do bet ter in school and are less likely to become either the victims or the perpretrators of crime. Now the California branch of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids has published a new report specifically showing the effectiveness of after-school programs in California—and also showing how many children are still left “home alone” because of limited after-school-program funding. California’s After-School Choice: Juvenile Crime or Safe Learning Time? cites many studies of California programs including these: • A UC frvine study of the state’s After School Learning and Safe Neighborhoods M Children & the Changing Family Cuánto cuesta mantener una familia en California? U n nuevo informe de California Budget Project (“Proyecto para el Presupuesto de California’ CBP) mues tra que, en promedio, se necesitan más de 50.000 dólares por año para que una familia con dos padres trabajadores pueda hacer frente a los gastos famiiares. De acuerdo a la definición federal ofi cial, una famiia de cuatro no es “pobre” si SU ingreso supera los 17.650 dólares por año. Pero el Budget Project dice que esta definiciOn es “obso1eta’ Para obtener una cifra más realista, CBP “comenzO de abajo hacia arriba, construyendo un pre supuesto básico familiar que tuvo en cuenta el costo de la vivienda, au mentaciOn, cuidado de niiIos, y otros fac tores esenciales”, tales como impuestos, transporte y servicios medicos. Habida cuenta que los costos de vida son tan diferentes en diversas partes de California, CBP muestra los gastos para diferentes tipos de familias en diferentes areas del estado. Una familia con dos padres traba jadores, en promedio, necesitarla un ingreso de $52.034, variando entre $42.588 en los condados rurales con costo de vida más bajo, hasta $6 1.593 en el Area de Ia BahIa. Esto implica que cada padre deberla ganar un mInimo de entre $10,24 la hora y $14,81 la hora, dependi endo de su sitio de residencia. Una familia de dos padres en Ia que uno de ambos miembros permanece en casa debiera aportar como promedio un ingreso de $36.245—variando entre $29.806 en las areas de menor costo y $42.304 en las areas de costo más eleva do. Esto implica que cuando la respons abiidad del ingreso familiar recae sobre un solo individuo, éste deberIa ganar un mInimo de entre $14,33 y $20,34 por hora. Un padre/madre solterola que tra baja necesitarla, de acuerdo a este estu dio, el ingreso por hora más alto entre todos los grupos considerados, en un rango de $16,30 a $25,99 por hora, dependiendo del area de residencia. Esto se traduce en un ingreso anual de entre $33.897 y $54.069. El salario mInimo del estado se encuentra entre 1/3 y casi 1/2 por debajo del salario por hora necesario para man tener a una familia, de acuerdo a California Budget Project. El salario promedlo por hora de una persona que ha pasado de la asistencia püblica al trabajo en activo, apunta California Budget Project, es de $7/hora. El informe, Making Ends Meet: How Much Does it Cost to Raise a Family in California? (“Haciendo equilibrio para vivir: Cuánto cuesta mantener una familia en California?”) proporciona un desglose detallado de gastos minimos en cada region del estado. Si desea bajar del Internet una copia del informe mencionado, puede hacerlo dirigiendose al sitio web http://www.cbp.org/ o solicitar una versiOn impresa llamando al teléfono (916)444-0500. S A One-Year Study Program for Professionals in the Children and Families Field This interdisciplinary professional sequence includes courses on the changing family in California, strategies for gaining access to services for children and families, and culturally competent family interventions. To request a brochure about the program or find out about the next free information session, call (510) 643-3883. For a free catalog, call 1 888 UC SMART Online: www.unex.berkeley.edu Videos on violence and young children by Action Alliance for Children Violence and Young Children: Successful Violence Prevention Strategies, 1997, 1 hour; Violence and Young Children: Reducing the Risks, 1993, 17 minutes. Mama Bears WOMEN’S BOOKSTORE & COFFEEBAR V The full-spectrum women’s bookstore serving the Greater Bay Area since 1983 $25 each or $45 for both. For volume discounts, call (510) 444-7136. Order from Action Alliance for Children, 1201 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Oakland, CA 94612 / The San Francisco Court Appointed Special Advocate Program (SFCASA) seeks community volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected children. Represent a child’s best interest in Juvenile Dependency Court and develop ing a supportive mentoring relationship. Men and People of Color are especially needed. Call for information: (415) 398-8001 ext. 104. large selection of children’s books — 6536 Telegraph • Oakland, CA 94609 (between Ashby & Alcatraz) Phone: (510) 428-9684 Fax (510) 654-2774 ...FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE AND ANALYSIS IN How much does it cost to raise a family in California? A family with two working parents, on average, woul& need an income of $52,034, ranging from $42,588 in the lowest-cost rural coun ties to $61,593 in the high-cost Bay Area. That means each parent would have to earn from $10.24 an hour to $14.8lan hour, depending on where they live. A two-parent family with one stay mg at home on average would have to bring in $36,245—from $29,806 in lowest-cost areas to $42,304 in highestcost areas. The single earner would have to make anywhere from $14.33 to $20.34 an hour. A single working parent would need the highest hourly pay of all— from $16.30 to $25.99, depending on the area. That translates to between $33,897 and $54,069 a year. The state minimum wage is less than 1/3 to about 1/2 the hourly rates needed to raise a family, according to the Budget Project. The average hourly pay for a per son who has left welfare for work, the Budget Project points out, is $7 an hour. The report, Making Ends Meet How Much Does it Cost to Raise a Family in California? provides a detailed break down of expenses in each region of the state. You can download a copy of the report at www.cbp.org or order a print version by calling 916-444-0500. 5 — SUBSCRIBE... Cuánto cuesta? ow much does it c3? new report by the California udget Project (CBP) shows that on average in California it takes more than $50,000 a year for a family with two working parents to make ends meet. According to the official federal defi nition, a family of four is not “poor” if its income is over $17,650 a year. But the Budget Project says that definition is “obsolete.” To get a more realistic fig ure, the CBP “started from the ground up, building a basic family budget based on the cost of housing, food, child care, and other essentials:’ such as taxes, transportation, and health care. Since living expenses are so different in different parts of California, the CBP shows expenses for different types of families in different parts of the state. Open every day CHILDREN’S ADVOCATE ...FOR THE U P-TO-DATE EVENTS AND RESOURCES IN THE MASTER CALENDAR • ‘% Children’s Advocate: U$12 first-time, one-year rate U$18 U $34 for one year for two years Bulk Orders: (6 issues)year) U $23/yr for 25 copies U $37/yr for 50 copies U $74/yr for 100 copies Master Calendar: U $37 sponsor rate (includes 2 subscriptions) • Action Alliance .‘ forJ,frgfl 5P £ C I A L *..: oFFER! Get both the Children’s Advocate and the Master Calendar for these NAME ORGAN IZATION low rates: U $21 Iìrst-thne, ADDRESS one-year rate U$28 U $52 for one year for two years CITY STATE ZIP U$4. $10 for one year U$22 for two years 29/6 Make check payable (do not send cash) to Action Alliance for Children Please mail this form to: 1201 Martin Luther KingJr. Way, Oakland, CA 94612 CHILDREN’S ADVOCATE 15 .t.. -: hi-J2JJJJLLLJ ) JL) LLs] - Ai ciones, dibujos, escritura, y juegos. • Valide sus sentimientos diciendo cosas como: “Mucha gente siente lo mismo que tü” En vez de descartar sus miedos, explore con ellos los temas que les preocupan y déjeles saber que hay un montón de gente trabajando para protegerlos. • Provea respuestas simples y realistas a las preguntas de los niños, con información apropiada para sus edades respectivas. No los abrume con demasiadas cosas a la vez. • Ponga énfasis en los peligros ql,ie traen los prejuicios y los estereoti pos. Remarque que no está bien juz gar a un grupo entero por las accjones de unos pocos, y que los ataques verbales o fjsicos contra amigos o vecinos árabes o musul manes lo ünico que consiguen es diseminar odio. Construya un mod elo de tolerancia y compasión con sus propias palabras y acciones. • Sea honesto sobre sus propios timientos, pero exprese sus opin iones de forma tal que deje espacio para el desacuerdo; asI, será un modelo de tolerancia y permitirá que los ninos exresen sus puntos de vista. • Coloque los ataques terroristas como ejemplo de las consecuencias JJJ..!) J]]W j oy han pasado dos meses desde los devastadores ataques del 11 de septiembre; aun asI, general mente lieva tiempo que los niños— e incluso nosotros mismos—reconoz camos y expresemos nuestras reac ciones frente a tales eventos. En los dIas que siguieron a los ataques, muchas organizaciones proveyeron listas de consejos para hablar con los niños sobre este hecho, y muchos de ellos ailn son ütiles. Presentamos aquI una breve lista, junto a algunos recursos de Internet para informarse mejor: • Reafirme ante sus ninos que están seguros y que usted está haciendo todo lo que está a su alcance para protegerlos. Haga uso del contacto fIsico para tranquilizarlos cuando tengan miedo: abrácelos, siéntese con ellos, cójalos de la mano. • Esté disponible para los niños y ayádeles a expresar sus sentimientos y a hacer preguntas. • Si los niños no mencionan tales como el terrorismo o las ame nazas de guerra, puede utilizar even tos de actualidad para traerlos a colacion; sin embargo, si expresan que no quieren hablar de ello, respete sus sentimientos. • Anime a los niños a expresar sentimientos a través de conversa - terribles de la violencia. Ensene maneras no violentas de resolver disputas. • Ayude a crear condiciones para que grupos diferentes de Ia comunidad se unan, y puedan aprender más los unos de los otros. • Encuentre maneras de que los niños puedan ayudar a otros niños, como por ejemplo juntando dinero para UNICEF. Fuentes: National Association of School Psychologists, PTA, Brazelton Touchpoints Center, Children’s Defense Fund, womancentral.msn.com, Southern Poverty Law Center, Early Childhood Equity Alliance. Recursos en el Internet para hablar con los niños sobre terrorismo y prejuicios • The National Association of School Psychologists, con consejos en inglés, espanol, árabe, persa, coreano, urdu, vietnamita y chino, www.nasponline.org/NEAT/crisis 0911.html. www.nasponline.org/NEAT/tolerance.html • The Parent Teacher Association, con recursos en inglés y español, www.pta.org/parentinvolvementltragedy • Sesame Street, ejemplos especIficos sobre qué decir cuando su niño expresa miedo (en ingles y espaflol), www.sesameworkshop.org/parents/advice/arti cle/0.4125.49560.00.html#1 • Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution, consejos basados en el desarrollo psicológico del niño (material disponible sOlo en ingles), www.state.oh.us/cdr/schools/trauma/tentips • National Education Association, consejos para escuelas (solo en ingles), www.nea.org/crisis • National Association for the Education of Young Children, para niños de tres a siete años (solo en inglés), www.naeyc.org/resources/eyly/l 998122htm • Southern Poverty Law Center, www.tolerance.org • U.S. Department of Education, consejos y enlaces varios de Internet (sOlo en inglés), www.ed.gov/ints/septemberl 1/index.html - -“t - .. - - - - - -. J2JIkiJJj !kJLLJ] : JJfJJ JjE:] t’s now been two months since the devastating attacks on September 11, I but it often takes time for children— and all of us—to recognize and express all our reactions to the event. In the days after the attacks, many organiza tions provided lists of tips for talking with children about the events. Many of their points are still helpful. Here’s a brief list, together with Internet resources for learning more: • Reassure children that they are safe and that you are doing everything you can to protect them. Use physi cal contact—hugs, sitting together, holding hands—to comfort fright ened children. • Be available—help children express their feelings and ask questions. • If children don’t bring up the issues of terrorism or the threat of war, you can use current events to bring the subjects up—but if they say they don’t want to talk about it, respect their feelings. • Encourage children to express feel ings through tailcing, drawing, writ ing, and playing. their feelings—you might Validate • say something like, “A lot of people feel that way.” Don’t simply dismiss fears, but explore the issues and let children know that a lot of people are working to protect them. • Give simple, factual answers to chil dren’s questions with information that’s appropriate for their ages— 16 NOVEMBER—DECEMBER 2001 Internet resources for talking with children about terrorism and prejudice nv_I 171L ‘-k.,’ I AKELA FRANKLIN-BAKER, GRADE 3, OAKLAND. CA don’t overwhelm them with too much. • Emphasize the dangers of prejudice and stereotyping. Point out that it’s wrong to judge a whole group by the actions of a few, and that verbal or physical attacks on Arab or Muslim friends and neighbors only spread hate. Model tolerance and compas sion in your own words and behavior. • Be honest about your own feelings, but express your opinions in a way that leaves room for disagreement, so you model tolerance and allow children to express their views. • Use the terrorist attacks as an exam ple of the terrible consequences of violence. Teach nonviolent ways for resolving disputes. • Help create ways for different groups in the community to come together and learn more about each other. • Find ways that children can help other kids, such as collecting money for UNICEF. Sources: PTA, National Association of School Psychologists, Brazelton Touch points Center, Children’s Defense Fund, womancentral.msn.com, Southern Poverty Law Center, Early Childhood Equity Alliance • The National Association of School Psychologists ,tips in English, Spanish, Arabic, Farsi, Korean, Urdu, Vietnamese, and Chinese, wwwnasponline.orglNEATlcrisis 0911.htmL’ www.nasponhine.orglNEATltolerance.html - The Parent Teacher Association, resources in English and Spanish, www.pta.org/parentinvolvementltragedy Sesame Street, specific examples of things to say when your child expresses fear, English and Spanish, www.sesameworkshop.org/parentsladvicel artide/O.4125.49560,00.html#1 I Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management, tips based on children’s psychological development, English only, www.state.oh.uskdr/schoolsttraumaltentips The National Education Association, advice for schools, English only, -www.nea.org/crisis • National Association for the Education of Young Children, for children three to seven, English only, www.naevc.ora/resources/evlv/1998!22h1m • Southern Poverty Law Center, English only, www.tolerance.org U.S. Department of Education, tips and links, English only, www.ed.ciov/ints/seøtem - - - - - -