The L.A. Times Festival of Books is the largest book festival in the nation and this year, Children’s Institute will be an exhibitor! Held at the University of Southern California (USC) campus from April 20-21, we are honored and excited to have our own booth alongside hundreds of other exhibitors, including NASA, Harper Collins Publishing and Vroman’s Bookstore – just to name a few.
This is a free, family-friendly event with indoor and outdoor activities. We are excited to be a part of this event because we hope to inspire a love for reading in the hearts of our youth. Reading opens hearts and minds to other worlds and endless possibilities while stimulating creativity.
Make sure to mark your calendars for April 20-21, 2024 to meet us at Booth #732 for books, games and info on Children’s Institute!
“There are many little ways to enlarge your world. Love of books is the best of all.” – Jacqueline Kennedy
A recently published Ipsos research report on parenting, “What the Future: Parenting,” finds that mental health is now the top concern parents have as they’re raising children. Kate MacArthur, a research editor at Ipsos says, “Thinking about all the things that parents could worry about for their children, seeing that 40% of parents indicating that they are extremely or very worried their children will struggle with anxiety or depression is a key finding.”
At Children’s Institute (CII), the therapists that work with children are aware of the importance of addressing mental and behavioral health issues from an early age. Children are growing up in a time defined by one global crisis after another, on top of the everyday struggles of trying to be a kid navigating the world around them, which can magnify existing mental health issues.
Children’s Institute serves children that experience this in addition to having to cope with community violence and economic hardship. It may not be easy to talk about difficult emotions with children but there are books and resources that facilitate these conversations in safe, accessible ways.
The therapists, teachers and staff at Children’s Institute came up with a list of resources and books that facilitate these types of conversations between parent and child. Here are their recommendations.
The Invisible String is a great book as it helps children cope with separation anxiety, loss and grief. The book can help a child when they experience the death of a family member and even in class, when they need support while missing home.
This book helps children talk about their emotions and the issues they hold in their hearts. During the pandemic, I used this book to help kids verbalize their worries and anxieties, which helped facilitate those conversations.
The child in this book has a very bad day and his uncle, who is a sensei, teaches him about regulating his feelings. The book has important lessons to hold onto and it even includes a children’s activity to make a calming jar.
This book helps children develop empathy and kindness. My daughter’s school read this book and it became the basis for their school-wide program to help students empathize with their classmates.
This beginner’s book illustrates the wide range of emotions humans – including children, can experience through the use of simple vocabulary and eye-catching illustrations. Instead of children bottling up their emotions, this book creates opportunities for your child to open up.
This book uses the ABCs in a way that helps children with coping skills to help manage their fussy and frustrating feelings. The story has fun illustrations which helps promote positive behaviors and self-regulating skills for children 2-5.
This story focuses on investigating feelings and introduces a method to help children identify their emotions. Children learn to identify their emotions by associating them with colors, helping them share how they are feeling.
The Bad Seed introduces the concept of trauma and how it affects the way children think about themselves, behave and perceive others. Children can learn that positive changes are possible for each and every one of us.
This book is helpful when children deal with heavy emotions such as grief and anguish. It’s a touching story that discusses loss and how it is okay to not know how to feel in those times while establishing a feeling of safety and support.
This Dr. Seuss book utilizes colors and animals to describe different moods and emotions. Reading this book helps children validate their emotional experiences and get back to their baseline.
*Many thanks to Dr. Brandi Eichstedt, Dr. Diane Elias, Odalys DeLeon, Ingrid Mürrle and Riley Solorzano for contributing to this list of books & resources.
Project Fatherhood welcomed 35 families to CII’s Otis Booth campus on a rainy Saturday in February for the 7th annual Father-Daughter Tea. The princess-themed party included tea cup painting, manicures, frame decorating and tiaras.
The event celebrates the unique relationship between fathers and daughters, and is one of a dozen special programs that CII’s Project Fatherhood organizes each year.
The Junior League of Los Angeles has been a long-time sponsor of the Father-Daughter Tea. This year, the group sent 30 volunteers and donated the tea sets and picture frames.
Noemi Vasquez, Care Coordinator at Project Fatherhood and lead organizer of the event, said the Father-Daughter Tea is one of the most popular events each year.
“From the moment the girls get that tiara you see them feel special,” Vasquez said. “It’s amazing to watch the reactions of daughters being celebrated while also looking up to their fathers.”
Victor lost his dad at a young age while growing up in a gang-affiliated part of Los Angeles, and never thought he could have a close, supportive relationship with his own children. He said going to the event with his two daughters is like a dream come true.
“My 5-year-old daughter was so excited that she asked me to go out with her to buy a dress,” Victor said. “Just knowing that she will always remember special times like this makes me feel happy and blessed to be a dad.”
Jessie was also at the event with his five daughters. Taking a break from doing crafts, he said he appreciated Project Fatherhood and what the program has brought to his life. He said it was clear why this event, and Project Fatherhood as a whole, was so important to his own relationship with his kids.
“Project Fatherhood taught me to never give up on my children and to never let them down no matter how rough life gets,” he said. “I just love being a dad.”
Just knowing that she will always remember special times like this makes me feel happy and blessed to be a dad.
-Victor, Father enrolled in CII’s Project Fatherhood
Tracy Klein, Chair of the Done in a Day Committee for the Junior League of Los Angeles, said the group has been a long-time partner of CII and loves supporting the event.
“It is always one of the most anticipated Done in a Day events for our member volunteers, bringing us as much joy in participating as we hoped it brought the fathers and daughters who take part,” Klein said.
For Keith Parker, Director of Project Fatherhood, the event is an opportunity to advance the program’s goal of improving the connection between fathers and their daughters. Parker, who joined CII in November to oversee Project Fatherhood, strongly believes in the event.
“Father-Daughter Tea is an opportunity for fathers to spend time with their daughters and work on ways to communicate with each other better,” he said.
Volunteers from the Junior League of Los Angeles carry around trays of desserts to fathers and daughters as they enjoy the event.
While the Father-Daughter Tea is full of fun activities, the core purpose of the event is to educate and encourage dads to be involved in the lives of their children. This philosophy is central to the mission of the Project Fatherhood program at CII.
Started in 1996 by Dr. Hershel K. Swinger, Project Fatherhood ensures fathers who grow up facing adversity are given the tools, support and education to succeed when caring for their own children. Dr. Swinger believed fathers sometimes face barriers and challenges that can prevent them from fulfilling their parental duties. He wanted to create a space where fathers could openly share their love.
In the program, fathers gain access to a group support system, therapeutic activities, and discussions around healthier decision making in relationships.
At the time of the program’s creation, roughly 50 percent of children growing up in poverty lived with only their mother. Often, children who grow up in homes without fathers repeat the cycle with their own family.
A father poses with his daughter as they take a break from festivities at CII’s Father-Daughter Tea.
Edward Berumen, Senior Clinical Supervisor at Project Fatherhood, said Dr. Swinger saw the effects on children when a father is no longer present. With the right support, Dr. Swinger believed in Project Fatherhood’s ability to break the generational cycle of absent fathers. They could help them be present in their own child’s success.
“Fathers play an essential role in families and contribute to a child’s success in school and greater self-esteem,” said Edward Berumen, Program Supervisor, Project Fatherhood. “The focus of Project Fatherhood is to provide a space where fathers can openly share and affirm the love they have for their children.”
Over its 20-plus years, the program has worked with 15,000 fathers and 23,000 children across Los Angeles County.
Berumen said they also hold upwards of 12 events each year that give fathers time to bond with their kids. While the Father-Daughter Tea is all about the leading ladies in their lives, Project Fatherhood hosts softball games, group hikes and movie nights that aren’t gender specific.
“Each event is designed with activities that dads can replicate when they spend time with their kids at home,” Berumen said.
This month, we took a moment to pause and look back at a few highlights from Children’s Institute this past year. In 2018, we adopted an ambitious strategic plan that will double the number of children and families we serve over the next 10 years. As part of this strategic plan, we spent last year expanding services focused on supporting children and families facing adversity across Los Angeles. This included launching a new initiative in Watts supporting children and families exposed to gun violence. We also looked for ways to bring new experiences to kids in our programs like attending a theatre performance, camping or building their first bike.
Like previous years, our successes in 2018 were powered by the strong support of our greater LA community. Events were supported, attended and hosted by amazing volunteers and in-kind items were donated by local CII friends and businesses. The donors who fund crucial CII services continued to support our organization with a record number of gifts. We ended the year on a high note by raising almost $1 million at our inaugural Cape & Gown Gala on November 14 when we honored child advocates Beth & Bob Lowe along with Frank, Berta and Sam Gehry.
We’ve already started working to make an even bigger impact in 2019, and we’ll keep you updated along the way.
Supplied for Success
We celebrated our four year-old Head Start graduates with a back-to-school event ensuring a successful transition to kindergarten. The children received backpacks filled with school supplies provided by Age of Learning.
“It has always been our goal to achieve school readiness for our children and their families. The backpack donation ensures our children starting kindergarten have all the essentials,” says Justine Lawrence, Vice President of Head Start, CII.
The Healing Power of the Arts
Youth from our Individualized Transitional Skills Program and Santee Education Complex were treated to a performance of Daniel Beaty’s “emergency” at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. The one-man show featured poetry, music and humor as Beaty played an array of characters coping with the effects of trauma. Read more about the event.
Supporting Children Exposed to Gun Violence
We launched a new initiative in partnership with the LA City Attorney’s Office and LAPD to support children in Watts who have been exposed to gun violence. The REACH TEAM ensures children and families in Watts receive appropriate and timely crisis intervention and support services through Children’s Institute and partner organizations. Read more about the partnership.
Gears for Kids
Our annual Gears for Kids event went off without a hitch thanks to our partners at Haworth. Partners from 24 major design firms built bikes with kids from our Power-Up after-school program. Each kid got to take their bike home at the end of the day. In-N-Out Burger sent a food truck keeping our kids and volunteers energized.
Happy Campers
We held our 8th annual Camp Booth retreat at Booth Ranches in Fresno where kids got to spend time in nature and build camaraderie. Youth got to see a movie under the stars, interact with horses and make s’mores. Camp Booth was hosted by former board member and longtime supporter Loren Booth.
UCLA Career Day Opens Horizons for Youth
Our Power Up after-school program youth joined us for our first College & Career Day. The event was hosted by the UCLA Latino Alumni Association. Kids created resumes and figured out the skills they will need to make their dream jobs a reality. UCLA students and alumni also spoke to the kids about their unique college and career paths.
Cape & Gown Gala Raises $1.3 million for Services
Children’s Institute welcomed 400 guests to the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica to honor Beth & Bob Lowe and Frank, Berta and Sam Gehry at the first ever Cape & Gown Gala. The event raised close to $1 million for Children’s Institute’s programs. Read more about this successful event.
Early Head Start Expands to Compton
CII opened its first Early Head Start Program in Compton. Serving 140 infants and toddlers, the program provides crucial services to set kids up for future success. To celebrate the grand opening, CII invited kids, families and community members to an event with food and music.
A New Home in Long Beach
The day after we celebrated the new Compton Early Head Start, CII headed further south to celebrate the grand opening of our Long Beach center. The award-winning 20,000 square foot hub was designed by DSH // architecture.
Winter Family Festival Spreads Holiday Cheer
In December, we hosted our annual Winter Family Festival. The event opened our Otis Booth Campus to more than 2,500 children and families. The day included special holiday moments for kids including storytelling, arts and crafts and cupcake decorating. There was also an obstacle course and lots of giveaways for children and families who take part in CII’s programs.
Working as a Team
More than 30 CII staff members finished up the year by completing in the rigorous LASpartan Race. With several stunning displays of teamwork, the group pushed the limits as they climbed over barriers and swung through rope courses to finish as a team. Those who compete in Spartan races demonstrate a camaraderie towards other participants, embrace the challenge of the unknown and set out to prove they can accomplish difficult things. Mission accomplished.
We’re pleased to announce that Todd Sosna, Ph.D. has been named Children’s Institute’s Chief Program Officer effective today.
In this new role, Dr. Sosna will lead all Early Education, Behavioral Health, Family Strengthening and Community Innovations programs for the agency, overseeing a budget of more than $70 million and a staff of 800.
Dr. Sosna has served as Interim Senior Vice President of Clinical Services at Children’s Institute since April 2018 and held the role of Senior VP for Program Evaluation and Improvement from 2012 to 2014.
“Over the past eight months, Dr. Sosna has demonstrated strong leadership, collaboration and accountability, and has fostered strong morale throughout the reorganization of our clinical and community programs. We currently have the unique opportunity to unify our broad array of services to achieve lasting impact for the children and families we serve, and I am confident Dr. Sosna is the best suited candidate for this crucial role,” said Martine Singer, President & CEO, Children’s Institute.
“As Chief Program Officer, I look forward to strengthening CII’s position as a leader in child trauma, behavioral health and early education, and deepening partnerships with other community-based organizations, funders and policymakers,” said Dr. Sosna, Chief Program Officer, Children’s Institute.
Dr. Sosna’s prior positions have included Senior VP of Operations for Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles, Deputy Director for the California Institute for Mental Health and Assistant Director for Santa Barbara County Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Services. He is known for developing Santa Barbara County’s nationally recognized multi-agency Integrated Children’s System of Care, advancing California’s large scale dissemination of evidence-based practices, leading child welfare and juvenile justice reforms, and establishing early childhood mental health programs in partnership with Head Start agencies.
Dr. Sosna earned his doctorate in clinical psychology from Washington State University in 1991, and is a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
With orange balloons flanking the stage at our Watts campus, Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer, Children’s Institute and the Los Angeles Police Department announced the REACH TEAM, a new program to support children exposed to gun violence in the Watts community.
In 2017, there were approximately 110 calls made to LAPD in Watts reporting shots fired, with over 40% of the calls coming from local housing developments.
When gun violence occurs in a community, children are often witnesses to the event and its aftermath. The impact of gun violence exposure is associated with learning, health, emotional and behavioral issues, as well as substance abuse later in life. Early intervention and emotional and social support are key in preventing and healing the symptoms of trauma.
Setting the tone for the announcement, actor/poet/activist and Watts native Kyland Turner performed one of his original pieces of poetry.
Following his performance, Turner commented, “I’m 23 and I’ve lost more friends than I can count on both of my hands to violence and I don’t think that’s normal. I don’t think it’s normal to experience this thing of literally living in a war zone, and I had to find a way out. For me it was poetry, it was art, it was spoken word, it was writing.”
L to R: Kyland Turner, Actor/Poet/Activist; Yvette Martinez, Children’s Institute Administrative Assistant; Dennis Kato, Deputy Chief Operations-South Bureau, LAPD
“Children deserve safe and secure childhoods, and when violence erupts into their lives, we have to step in and act, and that’s just what we are going to do,” said Feuer. “I have put Deputy City Attorney Lara Drino, who has years of experience working with abused children, in charge of our efforts to work with our partners to intervene quickly and effectively to reduce the long-term trauma children exposed to violence suffer.”
The REACH TEAM aims to ensure children and families exposed to gun violence receive appropriate and timely crisis intervention and support services through Children’s Institute and partner organizations.
“Children’s Institute is so pleased to be partnering with the City Attorney’s office and LAPD on this important initiative that is a natural extension of our work offering trauma-informed services and support to children and families in the Watts community and throughout Los Angeles. In addition to providing early intervention and follow up care through our REACH TEAM, we also hope to increase community awareness around the possible long-term effects of gun violence exposure and encourage outreach for support,” said Martine Singer, President & CEO, Children’s Institute.
“Shots fired in our community tear at the very fabric of our emotional security, especially for our children,” said Michel Moore, LAPD Chief of Police. “There is no excuse for a child in our city to be exposed to gun violence, and the Los Angeles Police Department will work diligently to ensure our most vulnerable residents are safe and supported.”
When a gunshot is reported in the Watts community, LAPD will assess the scene and notify the REACH TEAM, comprised of Children’s Institute staff, who will provide an initial crisis response to the families involved as soon as possible. From there, children identified for follow-up support will be referred to Children’s Institute to receive trauma-informed health services, as well as other family services and support.
Children’s Institute staff member Yvette Martinez closed the event with her personal account of growing up in South Los Angeles in the midst of gun violence. “Once you are connected to the effects of one bullet whether by sight, sound or because you knew the individual’s family, you are never the same. The support of my family has always kept me going. But once again I ask, ‘should we have to cope without professional help?'”
As a part of the program, the LA City Attorney’s office and Children’s Institute will regularly conduct community outreach within Watts schools, housing developments, community organizations and nonprofits. Children and families in Watts who have been exposed to gun violence in the past can also reach out for support.
This initiative has received guidance and support from the Watts Gang Task Force and The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles.
Volunteers from the Junior League of Los Angeles carry around trays of desserts to fathers and daughters as they enjoy the event.
A father poses with his daughter as they take a break from festivities at CII’s Father-Daughter Tea.
We’re pleased to announce that Todd Sosna, Ph.D. has been named Children’s Institute’s Chief Program Officer effective today.