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taking a two-generationApproach

GAIL HAYES

SENIOR CONSULTANT, AECF

OCTOBER 6, 2014

Our MissionImproving the future of millions of disadvantaged children and their families.

Our FocusStrengthening families, building supportive communities and ensuring access to opportunity.

Our ApproachFinding solutions to overcome barriers to success, help communities demonstrate what works and influence decision makers to invest in successful strategies.

Integral to Our WorkCreating equitable opportunities for all children of all races and ethnicities.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation

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Overview

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I. A Family Struggling to Move Out of Poverty

II. A Two-Generation Approach

III. Hard-Earned Lessons from Practitioners

IV. What’s Next

V. A Family Succeeding in Moving out of Poverty

One Family Struggling to Move Up and Out of Poverty

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Meet the Green Family

Mother in Minimum-Wage Job

Family Challenge 1:

Disabled Father

Family Challenge 2:

Physical and Mental

Health IssuesFamily

Challenge 3: Lack of

Affordable Housing

Must Navigate 10 Public and

Private Agencies for Assistance

Family Challenge 4:

Lack of Transportation

Options

OUR TWO-GENERATION

APPROACH

Our Challenge

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> 17 million children under age 8

living in poverty

of children live in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment

30%

of children ages birth-8 live in low-income households

50%

Poverty can take a serious toll on child and parent health and

well-being.

Why All This Matters

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A child’s first eight years lay a critical

foundation for academic and life

success. The timing of poverty is very

important, especially during preschool and early school years.

A combination of job training, financial

coaching and access to income-support programs can help low-income families

get on a path to stability — allowing

them to better support their kids.

Programs and Agencies in Isolation

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• Separate and inflexible funding streams

• Organizations that serve children or adults but rarely both

• Hard to get distinctive and separate child and adult programs to work together

Workforce Early Childhood

Education

Our Two-Generation Approach

Goal: To strengthen families through a two-generation approach that gives low-income parents and their children the opportunity to succeed together.

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1) We want to connect parents with the tools they need to get a stable job and increase economic opportunities for themselves and their families.

2) We know that children thrive when their parents can set a good example and be involved in their lives.

3) While parents gain new professional and parenting skills, children receive high-quality early care and education in elementary school.

The Approach: Strengthening the Whole Family

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Financial Stability

• Education and job training

• Essential skill building

• Access to income and work support benefits

• Financial coaching; access to affordable financial products

Parent Involvement

• Treating parents as assets and experts on their kids

• Essential skill building

•Culturally competent staff

•Addressing family stress

• Enhancing social networks

Quality Early Care and Elementary Education

• Access to high-quality early education programs

• Successful transition to elementary school

• Quality elementary school experiences

• Effective teaching

More Opportunity for Family

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HARD-EARNED LESSONS FROM THE FIELD

Two-Generation Work Underway

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CASEY INITIATIVESAtlanta Civic SiteFamily-Centered

Community ChangeFamily Economic

Success-Early Childhood

CASEY PARTNERSHIPSMOMS Partnership

Crittenton Women’s UnionHOPE SF/Center for

Youth WellnessJeremiah Program

IN DEVELOPMENTSiemer Institute

(housing/education mobility)

Baltimore Civic Site (young families and

children)

Advice From Expert Practitioners

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Beth Babcock Crittenton Women’s Union (Boston)

Donna Pavetti Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (D.C.)

Tassy Warren Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child (Boston)

Lynn Applebaum Educational Alliance (New York)

Gloria Perez Jeremiah Program (Minneapolis)

Megan SmithMOMS Partnership (New Haven)

COMPETENCE: Parents’ sense of competence to set goals and make decisions

Advice From the Field: Three Important C’s

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CONNECTIONS: Parents’ sense of connectedness to family, other parents and the community

CONFIDENCE: Parents’ sense of confidence in their role as parent and worker

Two Imperatives for Parents:

1) Develop good decision-making and

problem-solving skills. Focus on

setting goals to help their family.

2) Optimize their time and resources:

Maximize their money, space and

social networks.

Essential Parenting Skills: Tip #1

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Beth Babcock President and CEO

• Protecting children from the impacts of toxic stress requires

selective skill building — not simply the provision of

information and support — for the adults who care for them.

• Interventions that improve the family environment by

strengthening the executive function and self-regulation skills will also enhance their employability,

providing an opportunity to improve child outcomes by

strengthening the economic and social stability of the family.

Research for Essential Skill Building

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Executive Function Frameworks

PLANNING

MONITORING

SELF-CONTROL

Examples From Experts in the FieldSilvia Bunge, Neuroscientist,

University of California at Berkley

Source: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Executive-Function-Informed Approach:

1) Goal-setting

2) Coaching

3) Practice

4) Reflection on progress

Key Elements of an Executive-Function-Informed Approach

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Donna Pavetti Vice President for Family Income Support Policy

Start the Work from the Inside Out

Parents will do for their children what

they will not for themselves.

This opens up the opportunity for parents

to start on their new course of direction.

Parents often lack the self-confidence and

need the boost of energy and motivation.

Essential Parenting Skills: Tip #2

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Gloria Perez President and CEO

Empowerment fundamentals

Tools and Skills

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Personal Empowerment TrainingJeremiah Program

Emotional regulation

Positive identity Decision-making skills

Communication

Healthy relationships

The importance of strengthening parent connections: parent and child, parent to other parents, and parent to larger community.

• New Haven mothers reported feeling alone in raising their children and lacking significant sources of support in their lives: “Lots of challenges [as a mom] because I am doing it on my own most of the time.”

Essential Parenting Skills: Tip # 3

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Megan SmithPrinciple Investigator

Tools and Skills

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M-POWER Workshops

• Mothers come together to share, learn and discuss topics important to them.

Stress Management Classes

• An eight-week course that meets once per week and teaches mothers techniques for managing and coping with chronic and severe stress.

Community Mental Health Ambassadors

• Mothers trained in mental health intervention, key principles to promote health and development and achievement across generations.

…Neighborhood House in Seattle (Nathan Buck)

… in Atlanta

Expertise is in This Audience

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… in the Bay Area

… in your hometown?

Examples

What’s Next

National and Local Funders

Federal and State

Policymakers

Innovation and Practice Networks

Researchers and Academics

Casey Initiatives and

Neighborhood-Based Partners

Intermediaries

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In Closing: A Family With Every Opportunity to Succeed