Transcript Support Groups and Training Seminars for Latino Kinship

Support Groups and Training
Seminars for Latino Kinship
Caregivers:
A Grant Writing Project
By: Daisy Mejia, B.S.W.
School of Social Work
California State University, Long Beach
May 2012
Introduction
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In 1999, 2.3 million children were being raised by a relative¹
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Kinship caregivers often do not receive the services they need and have limited or no
access to quality support services²
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Underutilization of services by kinship caregivers due to issues such as limited availability,
access, and knowledge; lack of funds to pay for services; and poor health³
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One of the most significant problems kinship caregivers struggle with is the lack of social
support 4
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Many Latino kinship caregivers are faced with additional challenges due to cultural issues
such as adapting to the language and culture, living in poverty, and being discriminated
against 5
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Within Los Angeles County, there are few kinship care services and even fewer
programs designed to meet the needs of Latino, Spanish speaking kinship caregivers
Goal of Project:
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Secure funding for a program that provides Latino kinship caregivers and family a
combination of support groups and training seminars
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Improve the well-being of kinship caregivers and children
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Maintain safety & permanency for children
Provide: Support, access to resources, & information
Social Work Relevance
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Caregivers and children who cannot live with their birth parents continue to be a vulnerable
population within our society
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Kinship Caregivers’ adversities = Children also suffer by these challenges in addition to other
difficult challenges the child is experiencing
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They face many challenges that are current SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES
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We are responsible to advocate for and encourage empowerment for all vulnerable and atrisk children and caregivers
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We need to provide culturally appropriate services and aim towards cultural competence
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Purpose of project is to help enhance and restore kinship children and caregiver capacity for
social functioning by:
Empowerment, Support, Advocacy, & Education
Cross-Cultural Relevance
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Increase in custodial grandparents and other relative caregivers among ethnically diverse
subgroups 6
% of children who lived with their grandparents who had primary caregiver responsibility in
2003 6
17% of African American children
12% of Latino or Hispanic children
14.5% of Native American children
6% of European American children
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Understanding the cultural context of being a caregiver is essential to a successful, collaborative
relationship when working with ethnically diverse families 7
Some differences in Kinship Care that vary in according to ethnicity are:
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household composition
social support
coping mechanisms
language
financial stress
the family’s perceptions regarding seeking help 7
Traditions in many cultures form every aspect of family functioning, including kinship
care
 Important to consider the varying subgroups among Latinos and heterogeneity
among kinship caregivers in order to apply understanding and sensitivity in other
multicultural contexts.
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Methods
Target Population:
Spanish speaking Latino kinship caregivers who are caring for a child who cannot live
with their birth parents (i.e. grandparents, aunt/uncle, sibling, neighbor, etc.)
Strategies used to identify & select funding source:
◦ Consulted with colleagues
◦ Examined Local, state, and federal funding sources
◦ Used two main search engines to identify potential financial sources:
the internet & CD-ROM grant database at the Long Beach Non-Profit Partnership
Library
◦ Used key terms such as: “grants,” “kinship care,” “Latino,” “training,” “relative caregivers,”
“family,” “children at risk,” and “support group”
Funding source selected:
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture
(NIFA)
NIFA was selected for this grant based on the funding criteria and
mission and the proposed program goals
Methods cont…

Sources used for the needs assessment:
◦ Child welfare websites
◦ Scholarly journals
◦ Textbooks
◦ Interviews
◦ Consulted with potential partner agencies who work directly with Kinship
Caregivers:
Family Services of Long Beach & Grandparents as Parents (GAP)
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Projected budget range and categories
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Personnel Costs
Direct Program Costs
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In-Kind Resources
Total being requested: $165,031
Grant Proposal
Program Summary & Description
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Project will be offered by Grandparents as Parents (GAP) in Los Angeles County
16-week program that includes:
◦ Training seminar that includes parenting skill training and other important
topics
◦ Psycho-educational support group
◦ Kinship Peer Mentor
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Trainings/Groups are conducted in Spanish
Expected Outcomes:
◦ Gain Support, A access to resources, & Information
◦ Empower individuals and families by educating them on their rights and resources
◦ Connecting Kinship Families to on-going support
◦ Increase their support system in order to cope successfully with the challenges of
becoming a kinship caregiver
Population Served
Spanish speaking Latino kinship caregivers who are caring for a child who cannot live with their
birth parents (i.e. grandparents, aunt/uncle, sibling, neighbor, etc.)
Sustainability
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Funding sources will be sought throughout the year by Project Coordinator
Based on evaluation data, necessary changes and improvements will be made in order to
improve the quality of services that are offered to enhance the likelihood of further funding
Grant Proposal cont…
Program Objectives
1.
Within a year after the program begins, to enable approximately 30 Latino kinship
caregivers to participate in a supportive and educational environment lasting a minimum of
16 weeks.
2. Within the 16-week cycle, to enhance the effective parenting techniques of kinship
caregivers through modeling, coaching, and guidance.
3. Within the 16-week cycle, to enhance the support systems of caregivers through meetings
and interacting with other Latino caregivers with similar experiences.
4. Within the 16-week cycle, to increase in caregiver knowledge and access to resources
through providing information regarding resources in their community
5. Within the 16-week cycle, to decrease the levels of stress for kinship caregivers through fun
activities in group, peer support, and linking them with supportive services to meet their
needs.
Program Evaluation
2 forms of evaluations.:
1. Pre- and Post-test◦
Administered prior to the first group session & after their last session
◦ Utilize self-efficacy & Zarits Caregiver Burden Index instruments
2. Satisfaction Surveys◦ Administered after each group session
◦ Series of Qualitative & Likert-scale questions
◦ Example: “What component of today’s session was most helpful to you?” “What is something
you learned today that you did not know prior to group?”
Lessons Learned &
Implications for Social Work
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Learned
Complexity of the issues kinship caregivers and children face
Lack of culturally sensitive, quality services & resources that meet the
needs of Latino Families
Grant writing process & the challenges grant writers may face
Skills & knowledge that will be used to help clients and other service
providers on multiple levels such as writing grants & research.
Implications for Social Work
As people live longer and children continue to be at risk, formal and informal kinship care will
continue to be a growing trend that will need supportive services and professionals who are
sensitive to their particular needs
Continue to advocate for and empower kinship caregivers to fight for adequate
resources, services, and legislation that protect them and the children in their care
 Understand & respond to the needs of children and kinship caregivers; It is critical in
addressing the overall health & well-being of these individuals and their communities
 Figure out how to collaborate and build partnerships with kinship caregivers to achieve
their mutual goal of a child’s safety and well-being
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Provide culturally appropriate services and practice competency by engaging in
evidence-based practices
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References
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7.
Billing, A., Ehrle, J., & Kortenkamp, K. (2002). Children living with relatives:What do we know
about their well-being? (Brief No. B-46).Washington, D.C.: The Urban Institute.
Retrieved from http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/310486.pdf
Scarcella, C.A., Ehrle, J., & Geen, R. (2003). Identifying and addressing the needs of children in
grandparent care. (New Federalism: Nationalism Survey of America’s Families, Series No.
B-55).Washington, DC: Urban Institute. Retrieved from
http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/310842_B-55.pdf
Hairston, C.F. (2007). Focus on children with incarcerated parents: An overview of the
research literature. A report prepared for the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Retrieved from
http://www.fcnetwork.org/AECFOverview%20of%20the%
20Research%20Literature.pdf
Wohl, E., Lahner, J., & Jooste, J. (2003). Group processes among grandparents raising
grandchildren. In B. Hayslip & J. Patrick (Eds.), Working with custodial grandparents (pp. 195212). New York, NY: Springer.
Organista, P.B., Organista, K.C., & Kurasaki, K. (2003).The relationship between
acculturation and ethnic minority mental health. In K. M. Chun, P. B. Organista,
& G. Martin (Eds.), Acculturation: Advances in theory, measurement, and
applied
research (pp. 139-161).Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2003). Summary file 3 (SF 3). Retrieved September 11, 2011, from
http://www.census.gov/Press-release/www/2002/sumfile3.html
Kopera-Frye, K. (2009). Needs and issues of Latino and Native American nonparental
relative caregivers: Strengths and challenges within a cultural context. Family and
Consumer Sciences Research Journal, 37(3), 394-410. doi: 10.1177/10 77727X0
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