CHILD AND FAMILY ADVOCACY: A VISION AND A VOICE

Printed in the Family Post: Fall Issue 2002

by Julie Carrara

    "Should you really open your eyes and see, you would behold your image in all images. And should you open your ears and listen, you would hear your voice in all voices"

     Children need us to create a world that is safe, just, and cherishing. It is not enough to be nice to each other; we need to create the conditions that allow children, all children, to flourish. We all know so much, and we need to make what we know visible to the rest of the world. Visibility creates reality; reality creates change. Author Paul Hawken said, "You can blame people who knock things over in the dark, or you can begin to light candles. You're only at fault if you know about the problem and choose to do nothing".

    In our community I am blessed to know a number of people who are true "candle lighters" in the child and family advocacy arena: people like Ann Johnson, Susan Hopkins, Rafaela Frausto, Lee Blakemore, Bill Locker, Bob Choate, Tami Ghasvarian, and many, many others who give their time, energy and vision to groups like Child Advocates of Nevada County, Family Peace Camp, the Child Abuse Prevention Council, and The Community Network for Children and Families, just to name a few. I would have to say that my one desire in life is to be able to count myself among them.

     Why? Because I want to teach my children (and other children, too) that, however wrong things are, the world can be made a good place for everyone; that justice is possible; that people working together can reshape history, move mountains, and build a world in which we can all flourish. I want them to know that creating these changes is valuable work, hard work, and slow work and that there are many paths to getting it done. In short, I want everyone (including you, too,) to go out and create a world that is good for children, all children. I want people to understand the power of their own voices to create change. It is our responsibility to each other as human beings, and more specifically as parents, to set an example as our children's first teacher in the way we choose to lead our lives.

    One of the best ways I know of to get involved in child and family advocacy is to participate in the grassroots collaborative known as the "Community Network for Children and Families"; (CNCF). You might not be aware that this group is part of a larger 20 million dollar statewide initiative funded through Sierra Health Foundation called, "Community Partnerships for Healthy Children" (CPHC). This initiative focuses on improving the health and well-being of children and families and it encompasses 14 northern California counties, including 21 community groups similar to ours here in Western Nevada County. At the heart of the initiative is the idea that mobilized communities are capable of resolving most of their own problems. A "mobilized" community is one that has identified the needs of young children and families through a collaborative process and has worked to assess strengths, build on existing resources and, where necessary, develop new resources. The long-term goal of this community-building strategy is to achieve a lasting, positive impact on the ability of communities to respond to children's needs.

    Our local collaborative, CNCF, is in its 10th year of implementing strategies to improve the health and well-being of children in Western Nevada County. The group continues to address issues such as affordable youth-driven recreation, conflict management in local schools, and advocacy in the community. While CNCF is not a service-oriented organization, some of the projects that the group has been involved with include: Nevada County Children's Peace Camp, the "Heroes" book, the Community Building Project, "Family Night", "Friday Night Jam", The Gold Country Community Center and United Way's "Success By Six" program. On October 12th CNCF will hold the 2nd annual Children's Policy Summit at Grass Valley United Methodist Church.

    There are two factors that compelled me to become a volunteer with CNCF almost eight years ago. First of all, the preventative scope of the CPHC initiative and its early childhood focus on 0-8 year olds was all-important. So many services seemed to be offered to families in our community after the children had come into "the system". Using my energy to work with others to help strengthen families in the first place was clearly a better use of both time and resources. Plus, I liked the fact that CNCF had a broad vision of our community based on positive assets and not "needs", consistently working toward service integration with other groups with a focus on long-term solutions. Secondly, and this is really the best, CNCF is us, all of us. It includes moms, dads, teachers, business-owners; people from all walks of life. Not agency heads making sweeping decisions or politicians handing down policy, but rather, regular folks like you and me with the opportunity for our voices to be heard. Because who better than we ourselves should decide how best to raise our families and create a place that encourages our children to grow into responsible, productive and contributing members of the community? Sierra Health Foundation was so impressed with the initiative that they bet 20 million dollars on it!

    The CPHC initiative at its very core is about building leadership at the community level and at the individual level. Perhaps most inspiring are the stories of Collaborative members who through their involvement with CPHC have made incredible strides. Take for example, Tami Ghasvarian. Tami struggled with physical disabilities, sexual abuse as a young child and drug addiction in her twenties. A single mom at age 31 with three children, Tami became involved as a volunteer with CNCF and began a process that would change her life. Today, Tami owns her own home. She is on the Board of the Child Abuse Prevention Council, is a member of Family Preservation and Support and in April she was selected for a state-wide parent leadership team through Parents Anonymous. She also facilitates a parent advocacy workshop entitled, "The Right Question Project". Tami says, "I enjoy knowing that the louder I speak, the more likely I am to be able to help child abuse disappear".

    Cathy LeBlanc has a similar story. In the mid 1990's Cathy found herself a single mom on welfare at age 38 with three children. Her husband had been murdered. Home was a cabin in the woods in Camptonville. The generator that supplied electricity barely ran. She had no running vehicle. There was no transportation and she was 30 miles from the nearest big town. Inspired by wanting what was best for her children, she volunteered with the Yuba Community Collaborative. It was the start of a new path and a life as a community advocate. Recently, she was invited with three others from Camptonville to go to Washington, D.C. to visit legislators and testify before congress. Cathy says, "My advice to you is to follow your passion and do what you feel good about. Do what excites you. These are your strengths. Above all, believe in yourself." Are you inspired to speak up for the children and families of Nevada County? Here's some advice from community activist Julie Olsen Edwards:

    Don't wait until you know enough to start (we never know enough), and don't be afraid of making mistakes (you will). Don't wait until you are sure you can win (there are lots of steps backwards while moving forwards). Have the courage to envision what the world would look like if it were truly good for all our children. Then get going (and light some candles!).

Julie Carrara is a volunteer with the Community Network for Children and Families, a Nevada County community collaborative whose goal is to find creative and effective solutions to the needs of children and families by identifying and addressing the issues that most affect them. CNCF is dedicated to creating an environment full of opportunities for children and families. If you would like to become involved with this organization, please contact Bill Locker at 272-8866