Peggy Callantine: Montana State Representative to GrAND

Transcription

1 April 2018 Volume 15 Issue 1 Montana Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Project Peggy Callantine: Montana State Representative to GrAND Peggy Callantine s resume is extensive; legal secretary, respiratory therapist, nurse, home health care director, hospice administrator, staff/patient advocate, CIA employee in the Nixon/Agnew White House. Her latest post was not as highly anticipated however, as were her retirement plans with her husband. She was three years into her retirement and on her way to Arizona, when she got a call from her estranged daughter requesting her to come and pick up her two grandchildren in a nearby state. At the time, Peggy says that she didn t know her young grandchildren well. Her proposed visits had been previously ignored or refused altogether by her daughter. Six months following the rescue of their grandchildren, Peggy and her husband were granted full guardianship. A report of neglect was filed and signed willingly by her daughter (who had again moved to a new location), so that the children would have no further contact with their mom. Having successfully weathered the challenging court process, Peggy was then faced with yet another challenging situation parenting two small children. I needed support so badly! Once I was connected to the Grandparents raising Grandchildren group in Bozeman, the group and it s participants became very important to me! It was so beneficial to hear what other people were going through and be able to share my own experiences as well. Peggy is now a co-leader of the Bozeman GRG. Last September, Peggy attended a Helena hosted GRG (local contacts/ facilitator s, and state partner s meeting) featuring Ana Beltran, the Washington D.C. based special advisor for Generations United. It was at this meeting that Peggy became especially interested in the Grandfamilies Advocacy Network Demonstration known as GrAND. GrAND is made up of a select group of grandparents and kinship caregivers from across the U.S. who serve as advocates and provide feedback to state senators and other government agencies. Due in part to the encouragement of six or more supporters, Peggy applied as the Montana representative. She is already excited to see some big changes such as the Families First Services Act which was signed into law February 9, Families First Services Act redirects funds to provide services to keep children safely with their families and out of foster care and when foster care is needed, it allows federal reimbursement for care in family based settings and certain residential treatment programs for children with emotional and behavioral disturbance, requiring special treatment. ( A portion of the twenty million dollars allocated to this program, will be used to address the opioid/ substance abuse crisis having a profound impact on GRG, kinship, and foster families. Peggy believes that this will provide great opportunities for Montana families to benefit from the available grant dollars. Montana is already among the top ten states credited with providing the best support for grandfamilies. As long as committed and involved grandfamilies, like Peggy Callantine s, have a part, that will continue. Her words of advice for new grandparents raising grandchildren: Ask, call, seek advice, and find out about all available resources. Too many times we deal with fallout during crisis when prevention is really the best way to keep families together. By Kelly Moore MSU/Missoula County Family and Consumer Sciences

2 Montana GRG Project PARENTING IN A DIGITAL AGE By Tracey Robecker (Bozeman Support Group Leader) I recently attended a lecture by Dr. Mitchell Vaterlaus, Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Science at Montana State University, on the subject of digital parenting. According to Pew Research Journal, 88% of U.S. teens, between the ages of 13 and 17, have a cell phone. Ninety-two percent of the teens report being on-line every day and 24% say that they are on-line continuously. Common concerns related to children and teens use of technology, includes exposure to harmful or inappropriate content, risk of online predators, and increased negative impacts on communication and social skills. Technology also provides benefits, such as connecting long distance family members, increasing child safety through improved tracking devices, and providing educational tools. Dr. Vaterlaus stated, If parents know how to use the technology and understand why teens are using it, they can talk to them in a more adult way about it which will help them to monitor their use much more effectively. However, parents often underestimate their ability to do this which undermines their efforts to monitor and effectively parent in this area. When teens were asked what they wanted from their parents, they overwhelmingly said they wanted their parents to be the parents and set up rules and boundaries for their technology use. The first step is establish open communication within the family about technology. Starting a discussion with your child about why and how they are using technology is essential. Parents should also assess their own digital habits in order to make sure that they are setting a healthy example. One habit parents can model is to enforce the no cellphones, tablets, or computers during dinner rule. Parents should involve kids in the process of developing strategies and setting up rules for technology use. If they have something new they would like to try out, parents should suggest learning about it together and try to choose strategies that will actually work. Trusted friends and professionals can be called on to help create an action plan. There are also many helpful online resources. Finally, it is crucial to follow up so that the effectiveness of action plans can be determined. All families are unique and what works well for one child may not work well for another. Understanding how and why teens are using technology, creating strategies through open communication, modeling behaviors, and monitoring effectiveness can allow families to enjoy the benefits of technology while minimizing the risks. For more information: Vaterlaus, J.M.,Beckert, T.E., Tulane, S.& Bird, C.V. (2014). They Always ask What I m Doing and Who I m Talking To :Parental mediation of adolescent interactive technology use. Marriage and Family Review, 50:8, Pew Research Center 2015 Teens Social Media and Technology Overview Page 3 -

3 Montana GRG Project Food & Nutrition AFTER SCHOOL HUMUS Ingredients: 1 3/4 c. cooked garbanzo beans or 1 (15 oz. can) rinsed & drained. 2 med. garlic cloves minced 1 1/2 T. lemon juice 1 tsp. ground cumin 1 T. olive or veg. oil 1/2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper 1/2 c. plain yogurt Directions: 1. Use blender or food processor. Combine garbanzo beans, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, oil, salt, and pepper. Blend on low speed until beans are mashed or smooth (depending on preference). 2. Stir in yogurt with spoon. 3. Refrigerate for several hrs. or overnight so that flavors blend. 4. Serve with whole wheat pita chips, whole grain crackers, or fresh veggies. This material is provided by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. For more tips like this, visit the Spend Smart. Eat Smart. Website. -Find more food-related fun at Page 4

4 Montana GRG Project Spotlight Resource: Strengthening Families Month 2018 April is Strengthening Families Month, also known as Resources Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention Month. Join us to & Services promote the safety and well-being of Montana's kids and the value of child abuse prevention. Programs throughout Montana are hosting activities to help strengthen families during the month of April. To learn about what is going on in your community, check out statewide events at preventionmonth/preventionmonth-calendar Go Blue Every Monday! -Show your support of Montana Families and prevention work by wearing blue throughout April! -You can also follow Montana Children s Trust fund and share your selfies on our Facebook page at using #GOBLUE! Have fun coloring a pinwheel! -Here is the link to the Pinwheel Coloring Sheet childrenstrustfund/documents/april%202017/ PINWHEELColoringSheet.pdf Attend the Child Abuse & Neglect Conference For more information go to: Participate in Blue Sunday, April 29, Include Blue Sunday in your service with a theme of strengthening families to honor victims of child abuse and neglect and those who protect them. -Take up a collection for the CTF to help strengthen families across Montana. -Make and display blue pinwheels, the symbol of a happy childhood, at your church or throughout your community. Here is a link to a Sunday School craft project childrenstrustfund/documents/april%202017/ FINALSundaySchoolPinwheels.pdf -Post a calendar of family-friendly activities available in your community. -Host a get-together or game night for local families. -Train staff and volunteers about the signs of child abuse and neglect. Visit the National Child Abuse Prevention Month website: preventing/preventionmonth -Learn how to strengthen families using Protective Factors topics/preventing/preventionmonth/resources/ resource-guide -Give tip sheets found, at the following link, to parents and caregivers: preventionmonth/resources/tip-sheets -Post to your website to Child Abuse Prevention Month widgets to help promote the campaign month2017prevention/spread-the-word/widget/ -View the prevention video gallery preventionmonth/spread-the-word/video-gallery, which features the Building Community, Building Hope series. Share the videos via and social media to raise awareness among your networks. -Help raise public awareness about child abuse prevention and child well-being in your community. Spread the word, create interest, and urge those in your network to get involved! These outreach tools can support your outreach and social media activities: preventionmonth/spread-the-word/outreachmaterials Page 5

5 Montana GRG Project Resources & Services Spotlight Resource: Upcoming Events Grand Cares: Caring for Grandfamilies A new series of Grand Cares workshops is coming to an area near you! Call for more information. Page 6

6 Family Activity in Honor of Earth Day, April 22, 2018 For more family fun, create your own word searches from books you ve read together. Thank You, Grandparents

7 Grandfamily Support Contacts Across Montana By County Blaine County Harlem & Fort Belknap Indian Reservation Barbara Skoyen, RN (406) (406) Big Horn County Hardin Holly Jay (406) Cascade County Great Falls Katrin Finch (406) Tammy Phelps Family Connections (406) Chouteau County Ft. Benton Janell Barber (406) Dawson County Glendive Family Life Institute (406) Fergus County Lewistown Denise Seilstad (406) Flathead County Kalispell Kalie Andoretti The Nurturing Center, Inc. (406) Gallatin County Bozeman Family & Human Development (406) You can find many more parenting resources and Montguides on the MSU Extension Family & Human Development website: Glacier County Browning & Blackfeet Indian Reservation Carrie Bear Chief-Evans Eagle Shield Center (406) Hill County Havre Jasmine Carbajal (406) Hill County Rocky Boys Indian Reservation Mary St. Pierre Stone Child College & (406) Lake County Ronan & Flathead Indian Reservation Nori Pearce (406) Lincoln County Troy Jennifer Higgins WF Morrison Elementary (406) Missoula County Missoula Kelly Moore (406) Pondera County Conrad Wendy Wedum (406) Ravalli County Hamilton & Bitterroot Valley Jo Ann Wilson (406) (406) Richland County Sidney Carrie Krug (406) Roosevelt County Culbertson Ardis Oelkers (406) Roosevelt County Fort Peck Indian Reservation Carol Bemer (406) Rosebud County Forsyth Jennifer Anderson (406) Rosebud County Lame Deer & Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation Kay Medicine Bull Boys & Girls Club of the Northern Cheyenne Nation (406) Sanders County Thompson Falls Juli Thurston (406) Silver Bow County Butte Brenda Hergott Butte 4-C s (406) Stillwater County Columbus Lisa Terry (406) Teton County Choteau Jane Wolery (406) Valley County Glasgow Roubie Younkin (406) Yellowstone County Billings Jackie Rumph (406) Page 7

8 , Family & Human Development 316 Herrick Hall PO Box Bozeman, MT Non-Profit Organization US Postage Paid Permit #69 Bozeman, MT Contact Us 316 Herrick Hall PO Box Bozeman, MT (406) Montana State University Extension is an ADA/ EO/AA Veteran s Preference Employer and provider of educational outreach. Montana Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Project Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you are, whoever you are, you need one. ~Jane Howard