USF Project Helps Bring After-School Support to Children in Their Community Churches
Summers and after-school hours can be difficult for working parents of school-aged children. Organizations like the National SAFE KIDS Campaign (NSKC) recommend that parents who can’t be home to supervise their school-aged children should strongly consider summer school, recreation programs or other local offerings. However, because these programs may not be easily affordable, parents often feel they have no choice but to leave their children home alone. This is especially troubling for parents of children with classroom behavioral problems.
In keeping with USF’s mission to be engaged in the local community, USF staff within the Department of Child and Family Studies (CFS) at the de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute have been working on a collaborative project to help Tampa youth with behavioral problems and developmental disabilities have access to educational summer camp and after school youth programs.
The project, Quality Use of In Church Known Resources (QUICKR), addresses a key finding of local studies conducted by USF staff on strengths and resiliency factors existing in African-American families and communities.
The African-American Family Support Analysis: Strengths of African-American Families found that one of the seven global strengths of the African-American family is the “power of the church”, which provides a wide array of services to support families.
“Our goal is to create a system of services within neighborhood and faith-based institutions and coordinate existing natural supports for children and families,” said CFS assistant professor Richard Briscoe, who is a recognized spokesperson for minority mental health concerns. Briscoe conducts research, training, and dissemination activities about mental health issues involving children from pre-kindergarten through adolescence.
With funding provided by the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County and the USF Collaborative for Children, Families and Communities, QUICKR involves several projects within African-American communities. CFS faculty, representatives from a number of faith-based community organizations, and the SED (serious emotional disturbances) Network for Hillsborough County Schools are working together to improve the academic achievement and healthy development of children with classroom behavioral problems.
“We found that while faith-based organizations offer a number of services to families,” said Clara Reynolds, from the SED Network for the Hillsborough County Schools, “they don’t really have the tools and resources necessary to work with children having behavioral problems and developmental disabilities. We are currently developing a standardized curriculum that can be used at any location offering services.”
As part of the curriculum, training for staff working with the children includes mental health and behavioral interventions, wraparound planning, and discussions regarding the importance of families and informal supports in supporting youth with emotional and behavioral problems.
Samantha McDonald of St. John Progressive Church coordinates children’s programs offered at their church, which serves about 70 kids in the summer and 40 during after-school hours.
“Although we offer programs,” said McDonald, “there could be a church next door also offering services, and we know nothing about it.”
In order to address this problem, and to better serve the needs of the community, QUICKR funding is also helping to develop a resource directory that will list services provided by churches and community faith-based organizations aimed at improving the academic achievement and healthy development of children with behavioral problems.
“Churches have sustainability, not just because of the church services, but because of all the other programs and resources offered,” McDonald added.
Several summer pilot programs were also conducted at local churches. The Summer Youth Initiative (SYIN) and the Safe Summer Program both provided daily activities for children in disadvantaged neighborhoods.
“ The strength of the project is the collaborative partnership between many organizations,” added Briscoe. They include St. John Progressive Missionary Baptist Church, the Department of Child and Family Studies (CFS), Beulah Baptist Institute Church, First Baptist Church of College Hill, Greater New Hope Anointed Ministries, Cloud of Glory Worship Center, Tampa-Hillsborough Urban League, Federation of Families, THINKids Project and SEDNET (Multi-Agency Network for Students with Severe Emotional Disturbance).
“ By developing this interactive partnership with USF, churches, the School District of Hillsborough County, and social services, the students and their families are provided with a framework to successfully prepare them for school in an informal, community based setting,” Briscoe added.
“Our long-term goal is to continue community partnerships that enhance the system of services within faith-based institutions and coordinate existing programs that support families,” added Briscoe. “As we work to develop better collaboration between churches, schools and communities, we hope to meet the needs of many children and families.” For additional information, contact Richard Briscoe at 813-974-6413.
The Department of Child and Family Studies (CFS) is a department of the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, University of South Florida. The faculty and staff of CFS are committed to enhancing the development, mental health and well-being of children and families through leadership in integrating research, theory & practice.