| Current
News |
 |
NEW 2006 FACT SHEET:
Shaken Baby Syndrome
Available as PDF in two languages
|
| |
Romanians
in California
 Katie
Smith, center, takes a break in front of the Child
Abuse Prevention Center with Eli Buscu and Livia
Trif of Holt Romania. |
In
October of 2004, Sacramento’s Child Abuse Prevention
Council (CAPC) President and CEO Sheila Anderson traveled
with LIFT THE CHILDREN Director Katie Smith to see LIFT THE CHILDREN's partner programs in Romania. “I
went with the notion that I could share some of our best
practices with them,” said Sheila, “and came
away with the certainty that they had done more to teach
and inspire me than I had done for them. Their commitment
was as great as their task was daunting.”
The trip resulted in a massive training and education
project coordinated by CAPC and Lift the Children that
brought 13 social workers and psychologists to the Sacramento
area last May. Many thanks to all the local agencies that
opened their doors and donated time, resources, and materials
to make this visit a huge success. Participating agencies
included River Oak Center for Children, Children’s
Receiving Home, Mutual Alliance Network, Parker Ave. Head
Start and Homeless Shelter, Stanford Home for Children,
the Sacramento Public Health Nursing Black Infant Health
program, UC Davis Med Center HIV /AIDS team, Folsom-Cordova
Schools Family Support Services, Goodwill Industries,
Virginia School in Wheatland for children with disabilities,
and Roseville Community Services.
The Romanians learned about the prevention of child abuse
and neglect, brain research and early development, foster
care, special programs to help babies through teens, and
emergency child placements. One small group discussed
juvenile HIV/AIDS at UC Davis Medical Center, while another
group saw the possibilities for children with special
needs at Virginia School in Wheatland. Social workers
who help older youth exiting orphanages were particularly
interested in the presentation at Goodwill Industries.
Others tagged along on home visits with Public Health
Nurses, an amazing experience that gave each participant
an inside view of the kinds of interactions that make
the Black Infant Health program successful.
We offered the Romanians cultural experiences, as well.
We toured the State Capitol, strolled through Old Sacramento,
and some made a quick side trip to San Francisco. The
most talked about visit of all was a tour of Superior
Court Judge Talmadge Jones’ court room and private
chambers.
Seated in the jury box listening to Judge Jones’
presentation was a unique experience. In Romania there
is a great distance imposed between the judiciary and
the common man, and few citizens trust the integrity of
the judicial system. Therefore, the judge’s willingness
to speak plainly and openly about the American judicial
process, particularly as it relates to children, was remarkable.
Judge Jones displayed humanity and warmth that is rarely
demonstrated by public officials in Romania. Political
change has been agonizingly slow in Romania, but our colleagues
are beginning to better appreciate the process and understand
the role they must take as citizens and advocates for
children.
Host families and drivers opened their homes and hearts
to the Romanians, who returned home with promises to stay
in touch. The participants left local agencies loaded
with email addresses, websites, CDs, program giveaways
and promises of continued professional development and
support from each Sacramento program.
We ended two weeks of training with one day of relaxation
and fun in Tahoe. Devoting the final day to a review of
everything we learned, we identified Romanian and American
strengths and took the first steps to combine the best
of both. The Romanians were proud of their own achievements
and inspired to make them even better.
|
|
|
