Published: Monday, September 14, 2009
Grant helps agency serve imprisoned parents’ kids
EVERETT — Volunteers of America has been awarded a $500,000 federal grant to provide services to children and teens whose parents are imprisoned.
The four-year grant, from the federal Department of Justice, is one of only two such grants awarded in Washington and one of 24 nationally.
It will allow the nonprofit group to expand its current program to assist the children of incarcerated parents, which began in 2003.
“What we know is that a lot of families we serve are under significant stress as a result of the incarceration of a family member,” said Caterina Tassara-Vaubel, director of Family and Children’s Services at Volunteers of America.
The children may be living in poverty and may have suffered abuse, she said. The loss of a parent and the shame of having a family member who’s incarcerated cause many of these children to struggle, she said.
The federal money will be used in part to pay for another staff member to join the program to provide basic mental health services and support to families, Tassara-Vaubel said.
The program, Mentoring Children of Promise, now serves 175 children between the ages of 7 and 18 in King and Snohomish counties. Children can remain in the program as long as they need or until they turn 18.
The grant money will allow the program to serve an additional 70 children over the next four years.
The program is being expanded in another way. Previous grants only allowed children who had a parent in prison to participate, she said. Now, children with a parent in a county jail can participate, too.
The students spend six to eight hours each month with an adult volunteer. Their activities depend on the age of the child.
Older students may be introduced to volunteer opportunities or get help developing their resumes, Tassara-Vaubel said.
Younger children are matched with an adult to help them build trust with the goal of decreasing the risk of them becoming involved in gangs.
Staff also sponsor group activities for the kids, such as a “peace and pizza” celebration offered last December. Children were asked to create holiday cards to give to family members, she said.
There’s a lot of shame associated with having a parent incarcerated, Tassara-Vaubel said.
Children often feel a sense of loss. “As a result of that, there’s a real sense of mourning for wanting to have their parent with them.”
The program allows the child to have a relationship with a caring adult, to let them know “that they are important and valuable and have a lot to offer.”
Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486, salyer@heraldnet.com.
How you can help
For more information on the Mentoring Children of Promise program or on the program’s adult volunteering opportunities, call Volunteers of America at 425-259-2973, ext. 2486.
The four-year grant, from the federal Department of Justice, is one of only two such grants awarded in Washington and one of 24 nationally.
It will allow the nonprofit group to expand its current program to assist the children of incarcerated parents, which began in 2003.
“What we know is that a lot of families we serve are under significant stress as a result of the incarceration of a family member,” said Caterina Tassara-Vaubel, director of Family and Children’s Services at Volunteers of America.
The children may be living in poverty and may have suffered abuse, she said. The loss of a parent and the shame of having a family member who’s incarcerated cause many of these children to struggle, she said.
The federal money will be used in part to pay for another staff member to join the program to provide basic mental health services and support to families, Tassara-Vaubel said.
The program, Mentoring Children of Promise, now serves 175 children between the ages of 7 and 18 in King and Snohomish counties. Children can remain in the program as long as they need or until they turn 18.
The grant money will allow the program to serve an additional 70 children over the next four years.
The program is being expanded in another way. Previous grants only allowed children who had a parent in prison to participate, she said. Now, children with a parent in a county jail can participate, too.
The students spend six to eight hours each month with an adult volunteer. Their activities depend on the age of the child.
Older students may be introduced to volunteer opportunities or get help developing their resumes, Tassara-Vaubel said.
Younger children are matched with an adult to help them build trust with the goal of decreasing the risk of them becoming involved in gangs.
Staff also sponsor group activities for the kids, such as a “peace and pizza” celebration offered last December. Children were asked to create holiday cards to give to family members, she said.
There’s a lot of shame associated with having a parent incarcerated, Tassara-Vaubel said.
Children often feel a sense of loss. “As a result of that, there’s a real sense of mourning for wanting to have their parent with them.”
The program allows the child to have a relationship with a caring adult, to let them know “that they are important and valuable and have a lot to offer.”
Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486, salyer@heraldnet.com.
How you can help
For more information on the Mentoring Children of Promise program or on the program’s adult volunteering opportunities, call Volunteers of America at 425-259-2973, ext. 2486.
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