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First Responders Respond to the Need
(From GrowHope @ SaintA) Vincenzo (Vinny) and Melanie Paolo’s inclination to help others as first responders is part of what made them so uniquely qualified for being foster parents…
By understanding trauma, Wisconsin youth find path to healing
(From USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin) It was nine years ago, at the age of 11, that Meggi Lampen was sexually abused. It was seven years ago that she first told anyone about it. She withdrew and repressed what had happened. In the back of her mind, she knew something wasn’t right. But she had no ...
SaintA Adds Chief Program Officer
(From GrowHope @ SaintA) SaintA welcomes Cyrus Behroozi as Chief Program Officer for Child Welfare. This newly developed position is responsible for oversight of, and continuity across, all functions of child welfare, including case management, foster care and family services…
Dr. Mora Anderson Receives Black Girlz Rock Honor
(From Capitol West Academy) Over the summer, Dr. Mora Anderson, Capitol West Academy’s Coordinator of Student and Family Services, was honored by Black Girlz Rock Entrepreneurs (BGRE).
21 Years. 300 Kids. 1 Strong Lady.
(From GrowHope @ SaintA) Vivian Lee, a 21-year veteran of foster parenting retired in April of this year. “It took a lot of work, and lots of prayers and tears,” Vivian says of the experience. “But we knew these kids didn’t have anywhere else to go.” …
Specialized Care for Child Sex Trafficking Victims
(From GrowHope @ SaintA) It’s a topic that’s starting to get more attention here in Wisconsin – youth sex trafficking is very real in our largest cities, suburbs and rural areas. In fact, sex trafficking cases have been reported in all 72 counties in Wisconsin. …
Foster Parent Call to Action: Heard & Accepted
(From GrowHope @ SaintA) On Saturday, May 6, SaintA hosted its 2nd Annual Call to Action Day, a celebration of foster parents and a chance for families to recommit themselves to the calling. In attendance were foster families and children, along with friends and family interested in becoming foster parents. …
Wisconsin Foster Parent Licensing Levels: A Primer
(From GrowHope @ SaintA) True or false: No two kids are alike. When it comes to children in foster care, there has rarely been a truer statement. …
Mom, Dad, Baby and Dad Make a Family
(From GrowHope @ SaintA) This is a story about unexpected relationships. It’s a newer narrative in child welfare best practices. And, it represents an important perspective shift in the family visitation model. …
Bedtime Stories & Really Big Dreams
(From GrowHope @ SaintA) My wife Victoria and I are foster parents. Now this means many different things to many different people. However, for us it means that we have a child staying with us; a child who needs a safe, caring and loving place to be while it is decided where he will ...
Does Childhood Emotional Neglect Cause Avoidant Personality Disorder?
(From Psych Central) Avoidant Personality Disorder is possibly one of the least studied and talked about personality disorders; often stemming from Childhood Emotional Neglect…
Is It ADHD or Child Traumatic Stress? A Guide for Clinicians.
(From the ACEs Connection Network) “A number of researchers believe that symptoms of child traumatic stress could be mistaken for ADHD and that the risk of misdiagnosis is high. This is because there is an overlap between ADHD symptoms and the effects of experiencing trauma. Unless symptoms are examined closely, the profiles of child ...
District to Offer Trauma-Informed Care
(From Beloit Daily News) “To help students suffering from complex trauma and toxic stress, the School District of Beloit is training its staff to offer compassionate classrooms and trauma-informed care. Given statistics on crime, child abuse and homelessness, trauma-informed care is more critical than ever.” …
Children left behind: Evidence grows of poverty’s toll on young brains, academic achievement gap
(From The Chippewa Herald) “Wisconsin has the largest disparity in the country between the performance of black and white students and the rate at which they graduate. The state also has the highest suspension rates for black high school students in the nation, the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism’s Children Left Behind series reported ...
Four Tips and Resources for “Post-Race” Parenting
(From Colorlines) Terry Keleher shares his experiences as both parent and racial justice educator. He offers some actionable advice for racially conscious parenting in a supposedly colorblind world…
Bedwetting & Adopted Children
(From Creating a Family‘s blog) “Newly adopted kids often have erratic sleep patterns—not allowing themselves to fall into a deep sleep, frequent waking, etc.—all of which makes night wetting more common.” …
This EMT integrates ACEs, offers emotional first aid
(From ACEs Too High) An EMT offers emotional first aid to clients with the help of his knowledge on the study of Adverse Childhood Experiences…
Schools to take on ’emotional learning’
(From The San Diego Union-Tribune) More schools are promoting social and emotional learning with the help of Trauma Informed Care…
Girls coping with trauma are often met with harsh discipline at school
(From ThinkProgress) “Officers need to ask students open-ended questions rather than make assumptions and take an accusatory tone, especially in incidents where students are victims and reporting incidents of sexual assault.” …
This school replaced detention with meditation. The results are stunning.
(From Upworthy) The power of mindful meditation is a powerful source of regulation, especially as shown through these alternative detention studies…
Nadine Burke Harris: How childhood trauma affects health across a lifetime
(From TED talks) Pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris discusses the risks that Adverse Childhood Experiences have on your health over a lifetime…
Here’s How Schools Can Support Students’ Mental Health
(From NPR) You’ve likely heard the expression “it takes a village.” Well, with mental health, it certainly takes a village to support a student in need…
Violence is just one part of childhood trauma. So why are we focusing so much on childhood violence?
(From ACEs Too High) “In the case of violence – or any other ACE — the solution is not to focus only on stopping the violence; the solution is to provide children, families, organizations, systems and communities – all together — with what they need to become healthy and thrive.” …
Teacher Hands Out List of Things Students Can Do If They Are Stressed. Quickly Goes Viral…
(From Independent Journal Review) A high school Psychology teacher’s list of ways for students to reduce stress goes viral…
Trying To Get The Kids To Put Down Those Phones? Here’s Help
(From NPR) “Ann Steel, a licensed mental health counselor and former practicing physician in Seattle who sees a lot of patients with technology dependence, suggests one family tech-free day a week. Or require everyone to turn devices off during family dinners or car rides.” …
