Kids and Families Together

Valentine's Day
2023-02-14

Parent Support Group
2023-02-13 15:30 - 17:00, 2023-02-06 15:30 - 17:00, 2023-01-30 15:30 - 17:00, 2023-01-23 15:30 - 17:00, 2023-01-16 15:30 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
What: Support and resource group led by para professionals with lived experience being involved with CFS and successfully reunifying with their children.
When: Mondays, 3:30-5pm
Where: Held virtually via Zoom
RSVP: Please contact Janel, (805) 978-2073

Abraham Lincoln's Birthday
2023-02-12

Nurturing Connections: Support and Training in Becoming a Therapeutic Parent
2023-02-08 17:00 - 18:30
Nurturing Connections: Support and Training in Becoming a Therapeutic Parent
Who Should Attend: Foster/kinship resource parents, adoptive parents, legal guardians
Description: Support and training, led by a therapist, in a safe and supportive environment where participants can share their experiences as a foster or adoptive caregiver. Participants have a chance to explore their own attachment histories and strengthen their therapeutic parenting skills. Learn about attachment, trauma, development, self-care, and more. Resource parents can earn training hours!
2023 Training Dates/Topics:

Jan. 11th: Staying Connected with
Birth Families
Feb. 8th: Making Sense of Your
Attachment History
March 8th: Ambiguous Loss
April 12th: Transracial Adoptive
Families
May 10th: Vicarious Trauma and
Self-Care
June 14th: Building Resilience in

When & Where: Every 2nd Wednesday of the month from 5-6:30pm, Currently offered via Zoom.
English/Spanish: Group is in English with live Spanish interpretation!
Cost: Free for foster/kinship resource, adoptive, and legal guardian caregivers within the Ventura County Child Welfare System.
Register: Click Here to Register
Contact: Please contact us at 805-643-1446 Ext. 180 or referrals@kidsandfamilies.org with questions.

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Tu BiShvat
2023-02-05 - 2023-02-06

Rosa Parks Day
2023-02-05
To learn more about Rosa Parks, please visit our JEDI page!

Black History Month
2023-02-01 - 2023-02-28

Donation Drive & Volunteer for Share the Love Event
2023-02-01 - 2023-02-22
Donation Drive for our Share the Love Event
February 25th in Ventura
Free event for foster/resource, kinship, adoptive, & birth families served by Kids & Families Together. Caregiver appreciation event providing a gift card, treats, donations, music, & more!
The donation deadline is Wednesday, February 22, 2023.
Donations Needed for 100:

Self-care items for treat bags:
shower steamers
lip balm
hand lotion
herbal tea

To Donate:

Click here to purchase from our Amazon wishlist
Drop items at our office by making an appointment

For more information on donation or volunteering, please contact:
Jeni Futvoye or Carrie McAuliffe Sandoval at (805) 643-1446 ext. 108/131. jfutvoye@kidsandfamilies.org/cmcauliffe@kidsandfamlies.org or visit www.kidsandfamilies.org/giftaway-events

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International Holocaust Remembrance Day
2023-01-27

Drug Exposed Infants- Review Part 1/Explore Part 2
2023-01-26 10:30 - 17:00
Maternal substance use may consist of any combination of drug, chemical, alcohol, and tobacco use during the pregnancy.
While in the womb, a fetus grows and develops due to nourishment from the mother via the placenta. However, along with nutrients, any toxins in the mother’s system may be delivered to the fetus. These toxins may cause damage to the developing fetal organs. A baby also may become dependent on substances used by the mother.

International Day of Education
2023-01-24
Click here to learn more about International Day of Education

Lunar New Year/Chinese New Year (Year of the Rabbit)
2023-01-22

Life After High School: The 2 Year System
2023-01-18 18:00
In this workshop, participants will learn all about the Community College System.
100’s of Associates Degrees, Associate Degrees for Transfer, Certificates, Licenses, courses that lead to Careers and most recently 15 Bachelor’s Degrees are now offered!

National Day of Racial Healing
2023-01-17
Click here to learn more about National Day of Racial Healing

Martin Luther King Jr. Day
2023-01-16
Martin Luther King Jr.,
Increase your own knowledge
When talking to kids about MLK, it is important to include that he is not just a historical figure; his legacy is kept alive by the many people continuing his fight for justice and equality today. Each year on Martin Luthor King Jr day we see lots of quotes and posts praising him. An important part of his legacy is recognizing that he was not universally accepted at the time and how hard he had to work to make a difference. As Ijeoma Oluo said; “This holiday has turned into talking about how peaceful he was, how loving he was, how kind he was in a way to encourage black Americans to be more passive in their activism,” Oluo said. “I think we need to remember who he actually was and what he actually said instead of just what suits the powers that be for us to talk about.” she sees parallels between criticisms of King in his day and criticism of the Black Lives Matter movement these days: that King “was too demanding, that he was inciting violence, that he was asking for too much.”

Please see our Jedi page to learn more!

World Religion Day
2023-01-15 13:00
World Religion Day was started in 1950 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’í of the United States. Its purpose was to promote unity through an understanding among all religions and faiths. Today, there are an estimated 4,200 religions worldwide. World Religion Day is often celebrated on the third Sunday of January, around the same time Martin Luther King Day is observed.
The Bahá’í faith had beginnings in 1819 in Persia (Iran) with the first of two divine messengers. In 1844 this faith was founded by Christian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian believers. Zoroastrians were followers of a pre-Islamic religion in Persia. “Bahāʾīs believe in the oneness of humanity and devote themselves to the abolition of racial, class, and religious prejudices.” This faith has three core beliefs: unity of god, religion, and people.

On the same day as World Religion Day, Makar Sankranti, a Hindu festival honoring the sun god, is celebrated. This religious festival falls on January 14 or 15 each year. It is also known as the kite-flying festival during which colorful kites are flown to be closer to the heavens. A now less practiced tradition is that of wearing black clothing to soak in the sun’s rays. This festival also highlights the harvest that follows winter. During this festival people take religious baths in the holy rivers including the Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari to wash away sins and make way for prosperity. People also perform charity and make donations during this religious event.
Would you like to learn more about different faiths from a personal perspective? Here’s an opportunity:
Portraits in Faith – Video Interviews About Faith from Around the World | Baha’i Blog (bahaiblog.net)
Content warnings: references to suicide, violence, genocide, sexual abuse.
Daniel Epstein created Portraits in Faith after interviewing 400 people in 25 countries over seven years. This is an absolutely moving video introduction (8 minutes) to Portraits in Faith showcasing people from around the world sharing vulnerable moments and their connection to God and their faith. Individuals from diverse experiences and backgrounds, including a historical connection to Harriet Tubman, death metal music, a holocaust survivor, and others who share their stories of finding faith.
Here’s a free online event celebrating World Religion Day:

World Religion Day 2023 – An Interfaith Peace-Making Initiative Registration, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite
This is a free 90minute inter-faith event focused on peace-making across all faiths. Speakers representing various religious will share their traditions. This event will include scared reading, prayer, music videos, interactive chat, and more.

Interested in learning about the mental health benefits of faith, religion, and spirituality? NAMI explores the research outlining the benefits of community and connections, structure and coping skills, and guidelines for compassion, forgiveness, and gratitude.
The Mental Health Benefits of Religion & Spirituality | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness

Sources:
What Is World Religion Day? | Baha’i Blog (bahaiblog.net)
Baha’i Faith | History, Practices, & Facts | Britannica
Makar Sankranti 2023 – Date, Tithi, Hindu Calendar, and More – Wego Travel Blog
WORLD RELIGION DAY – January 15, 2023 – National Today

Nurturing Connections: Support and Training in Becoming a Therapeutic Parent
2023-01-11 17:00 - 18:30
Nurturing Connections: Support and Training in Becoming a Therapeutic Parent
Who Should Attend: Foster/kinship resource parents, adoptive parents, legal guardians
Description: Support and training, led by a therapist, in a safe and supportive environment where participants can share their experiences as a foster or adoptive caregiver. Participants have a chance to explore their own attachment histories and strengthen their therapeutic parenting skills. Learn about attachment, trauma, development, self-care, and more. Resource parents can earn training hours!
2023 Training Dates/Topics:

Jan. 11th: Staying Connected with
Birth Families
Feb. 8th: Making Sense of Your
Attachment History
March 8th: Ambiguous Loss
April 12th: Transracial Adoptive
Families
May 10th: Vicarious Trauma and
Self-Care
June 14th: Building Resilience in

When & Where: Every 2nd Wednesday of the month from 5-6:30pm, Currently offered via Zoom.
English/Spanish: Group is in English with live Spanish interpretation!
Cost: Free for foster/kinship resource, adoptive, and legal guardian caregivers within the Ventura County Child Welfare System.
Register: Click Here to Register
Contact: Please contact us at 805-643-1446 Ext. 180 or referrals@kidsandfamilies.org with questions.

LGBTQ+ Youth Part 2
2023-01-10 18:00
In this workshop, LGBTQ+ 101 will be reviewed participants will explore fundamental aspects
of LGBTQ+ communities and the ways they can be supported. The workshop will begin with an
exploration of key terms and concepts, such as gender expression and sexual identity.
Participants will then learn the challenges members of the LGBTQ+ face and discover strategies
for allyship and advocacy. The workshop will also examine the specific needs of diverse
LGBTQ+ individuals, such as those who are part of Latino/ Hispanic communities.
Part 2 will take the learners deeper into the subject and provide specific information for allyship.

Epiphany
2023-01-10
What is Epiphany? Epiphany – also known as Three Kings’ Day – is a Christian holiday which falls on 6 January. It is a special date for many Christians as it’s when people celebrate how a star led the Magi – also known as the Three kings or the Wise Men – to visit the baby Jesus after he had been born.
Source: Epiphany: What is Epiphany and how is it celebrated? – CBBC Newsround

Parent Support Group
2023-01-09 15:30 - 17:00
Who: Birth Parents involved with CFS
What: Support and resource group led by para professionals with lived experience being involved with CFS and successfully reunifying with their children.
When: Mondays, 3:30-5pm
Where: Held virtually via Zoom
RSVP: Please contact Janel, (805) 978-2073

Epiphany
2023-01-06

Promoting Social Emotional Learning via Home/School Partnerships
2023-01-05 18:00 - 19:30
Kids & Families Together in collaboration with Ventura County Children & Family Services, presents a new training- Promoting Social Emotional Learning via Home/School Partnerships
In this workshop, participants will learn the importance of promoting Social Emotional Learning (SEL) via Home/School Partnerships, leveraging caregiver, student, school and community connections to enhance social emotional supports for all learners.
Training Outcomes

SEL defined
Communication Strategies
Campus Capacity Community supports
Caregiver Opportunities

When: Thursday, January 5, 2023 from 6:00pm – 7:30pm
Where: Zoom
This training counts toward required training hours, and live Spanish interpretation will be available via Zoom.
Please see flyers below for more information.
Click Here to Register
The Zoom link will be sent to you after you register.

World Introvert Day
2023-01-02
What is the history behind World Introvert Day?
Felicitas Heyne created World Introvert Day. Heyne is a German psychologist and author. She brought it to life in 2011 to bring awareness to introverts’ distinctiveness and address the discrimination and lack of appreciation they often face.
Definitions from Merriam-Webster;

Introvert – a typically reserved or quiet person who tends to be introspective and enjoys spending time alone.
Extravert -a typically gregarious and unreserved person who enjoys and seeks out social interaction.

Introvert “I like getting my energy from dealing with the ideas, pictures, memories, and reactions that are inside my head, in my inner world. I often prefer doing things alone or with one or two people I feel comfortable with. I take time to reflect so that I have a clear idea of what I’ll be doing when I decide to act. Ideas are almost solid things for me. Sometimes I like the idea of something better than the real thing.”
Extravert “I like getting my energy from active involvement in events and having a lot of different activities. I’m excited when I’m around people and I like to energize other people. I like moving into action and making things happen. I generally feel at home in the world. I often understand a problem better when I can talk out loud about it and hear what others have to say. “
While introversion and extraversion are inborn parts of personality, how they are defined, perceived and treated changes. When the concepts of extraversion and introversion were first introduced, introversion was commonly seen as largely negative – being aloof, shy or even narcissistic. Over time introversion has become more about comfort with quiet, thoughtfulness, affinity for deeper conversation or deeper relationships. Another major change in how we see this spectrum is the addition of ambivert. An Ambivert is someone who falls in the middle of the spectrum or has traits of each.

Cultural Ramifications
The US is often considered to be one of the most outgoing countries and Finland is considered to be one of the most introverted. However even with these cultural differences, the overall rates of introversion are similar in all countries – generally around 50% of the population. So the levels of introversion or extraversion for individuals do not seem to change much with the country’s level of introversion or extraversion. However, whether a country is culturally introverted or extraverted does impact how comfortable people will feel expressing themselves or how supported they feel in their communities.

One likely reason for seeing more people identify with introversion than in the past is that it is becoming more accepted in general, and less likely to be seen as a sign of a mental disorder. A great resource for seeing the value in introversion is Susan Cain’s book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. Her book is a response to how introversion has typically been perceived in the US in the past. “The problem is that even though science tells us otherwise, society has come to view positive, healthy personality traits linked to extroverts and negative, pathological traits linked to introverts. Since almost half of the U.S population are considered introverts (Cain, 2012), this view of introversion is clearly problematic as it stigmatizes those that possess introverted characteristics as ”less desirable”, “not normal” or even “pathological”, and suggest they must be changed or fixed somehow.”
Liliana Nakamura is an introvert who was raised in a multicultural setting and has worked in different countries. Attached is an article sharing her personal perspective of living and working in different settings and some things that she learned. One that we can apply in a work environment is…”Organizations could focus their efforts on building psychologically safe environments. Introverts should feel accepted and comfortable to express themselves through various means, and extroverts should give room for all opinions. When designing performance management systems, collaboration tools, and reward strategies, companies need to consider all personality types.”
Check out her article “Introverts, Extroverts, and Cultural Context: A Framework for Life and Work”
Resources/Action items…

World Introvert Day 2023 Facts: World Introvert Day 2023: When, why and interesting facts – The Economic Times (indiatimes.com)
Introvert Definition & Meaning – Merriam-Webster
Extravert Definition & Meaning – Merriam-Webster
The Myers & Briggs Foundation – Extraversion or Introversion (myersbriggs.org)
Susan Cain: ‘Society has a cultural bias towards extroverts’ | Psychology | The Guardian
Introverts, Extroverts, and Cultural Context: A Framework for Life and Work | by Liliana Nakamura | Curated Careers | Medium

Check out the Landgeist website for maps with percentages.

Extraversion and Introversion in Asia – Landgeist
Extraversion and Introversion in Europe – Landgeist
Extraversion and Introversion in the US – Landgeist
Introverts, Extroverts, and Cultural Context: A Framework for Life and Work | by Liliana Nakamura | Curated Careers | Medium
Amidst a culture of noise silence is still golden : a sociocultural historical analysis of the pathologization of introversion (smith.edu)

New Year's Day- Office Closed
2023-01-02

National Human Trafficking Awareness Month
2023-01-01 08:00 - 2023-01-31 17:00
January is National Human Trafficking Awareness/Prevention Month.  Human trafficking is also known as modern day slavery. It involves the exploitation of children and adults for forced labor or commercial sex.  When anyone under 18 is involved in commercial sex it is a crime even if there is no force, fraud, or coercion.
Human trafficking is a $150 billion global industry annually .
(International Labour Organization, 2017).
The following video animation I Am Jasmine Strong – YouTube shows how risk factors increase a child’s vulnerability to exploitation, the grooming process, the power and control a trafficker has over a child, the resulting trauma bonds, and eventually the child’s awareness that she is a survivor of CSEC who learns there is support to heal.
Here’s a link to 13 videos of survivors sharing their stories at different points along the journey “in the life” The Life Story  (each approximately 5 minutes)
How is K&FT involved in this work against human trafficking?
In December 2022, Rachel Pletcher, Caregiver Clinical Programs Manager, trained our clinical team on using the CSE-IT tool to universal screen all kids over age 10. This tool will help identify whether a child shows a certain level of concern about possible exploitation so we can help with prevention and early intervention.  We can make internal referrals to our CSEC Family Empowerment Program.
On January 7, 2023, three K&FT team members attended the 16th Annual STOP Human Trafficking Walk and Speaker Panel put on by Soroptimist International of Camarillo, Oxnard, and Ventura. K&FT had a table with information on our CSEC Family Empowerment Program. Other providers were represented, including Ventura County Human Trafficking Task Force.
Here are some links you can check out to learn more about human trafficking, including CSEC:

A World Free | 3Strands Global Foundation | United States
The CNN Freedom Project — ending modern-day slavery – CNN.com
Child Trafficking in the U.S. | UNICEF USA
National Human Trafficking Prevention Month – United States Department of State

National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888

Kwanzaa
2022-12-26 - 2023-01-01
