A Safe Space for Parents to Get the Support They Need

March 2021

East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation

45 Stories for 45 Years

Contributors: Katrina Marsh, Tana Roseboro, Bilquis Alawi, Oakland Parents Together

For over 20 years, Oakland Parents Together (OPT) has run our parent cafés to give parents in our communities a safe place where they can connect with each other and express what they need to be stronger and better parents. When EBALDC and United Way Bay Area reached out on behalf of the Healthy Havenscourt Collaborative and offered us an opportunity to expand the work of our cafés, we jumped at the opportunity to work with even more parents. The Healthy Havenscourt Collaborative is a partnership of diverse organizations working with residents in the East Oakland community to improve long-term health outcomes for residents.

The hope for the Parent University program is to provide parents in the community with the tools that they need to make sure their children are kindergarten ready and successful in school. It was a little shaky at the beginning to coordinate all of our existing programs, but we were quickly able to come together around our shared priority of making sure the parents’ needs were centered. 

We first launched the program in 2017 and have been so proud to see it grow ever since. Even when we moved the program online because of COVID, our program filled up mainly by word of mouth; parents told each other what a difference the program made in their lives and the lives of their kids and encouraged each other to sign up. Thanks to our partnership with EBALDC, United Way Bay Area and other Healthy Havenscourt Collaborative partners, we have had record attendance and more parents than ever before despite our shift to virtual sessions. 

When we are able to hold the Parent University in person, our partners provide workshops around strengthening their finances, literacy, restorative justice workshops and even yoga. At the same time as the workshops, we run the parent cafés in multiple languages and provide childcare, making sure that parents and their children are nourished and safe. Through all these opportunities, we feel like we can meet the parents as whole people and address a wider range of their needs. 

One of the biggest highlights of the Parent University program has been the level of trust we have been able to build with parents by providing that safe space where they can talk about whatever they need to and seek help where they normally wouldn’t. 

Along with EBALDC, United Way Bay Area and our other partners, we were able to increase our impact in working with Havenscourt parents to improve their families’ lives for the better. We can’t wait to get back into classrooms to continue to support these parents in tackling the challenges that are most pressing to them. 

As EBALDC marks our 45th anniversary, we will be gathering more stories like this one from our friends, family, community members, partners and more stakeholders that have made our impact possible. We would be honored for you to join us:

  • Follow us on social media: @EBALDC

 

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