C2Y: Discussions on Child and Youth Care

Isibindi is a Zulu word that means courage. It is also an innovative and life-changing model, developed in South Africa, for working with children, youth, families, and communities. While supporting young people, the Isibindi model simultaneously provides training for unemployed community members leading to accreditation and employment in child and youth care.

There is a tremendous amount for practitioners, policy makers, and politicians to learn from the Isibindi model. This interview, with Zeni Thumbadoo, is a short introduction to the program. I encourage you to look at the links below for more information about Isibindi. Zeni Thumbadoo is the Deputy Director of the National Association of Child Care Workers in South Africa, and an instrumental person in the creation of the Isibindi program. 

National Association of Child Care Workers: ISIBINDI – Creating circles of care: http://www.naccw.org.za/isibindi/

The Path of Courage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MriK1u_ij_w (12 Min.)

The Isibindi Project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1D2DUFbzhc (25 Min)

 NACCW Isibindi King Williams Town: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb7akwCXpNA (6 Min)

Sammy speaks with Sheldon who works at the Ontario Provincial Advocates office for Children and youth. Sheldon is a team member of Our Voice Our Turn. This project goal is to elevate the voices of young people within the child welfare system. Sheldon talks about a recent update about the project and the impact the project has had on the Ontario welfare system. Sheldon also talks about a new release from the Ontario Ministry of Child and Youth Services and the changes that have been made. 

My real life book report:http://www.provincialadvocate.on.ca/documents/en/ylc/YLC_REPORT_ENG.pdf

If you are a child/youth what would like to be on the show or if you have an idea of what you think we should talk about please email me atyourrighttospeak@gmail.com  

On this episode we talk with Dr. Kim Snow, a professor at Ryerson University in the Child and Youth Care program. Dr. Snow explains the sigma that children and youth in the care system face and the importance for young people to have a sense of belonging. She also brings up the importance of how language is used and the impacts it has in children and youth.

If you have any suggestions on what topics we should talk about on the show, if you would like to be on the show, or if you are a child/youth who would like to express their views please email Sammy at yourrighttospeak@gmail.com  

We are continuing to upload some of the presentations from the 20th biennial South African National Association of Child Care Workers conference that took place in June of 2015.

This episode is a presentation by Monika Sandvik-Nylund. Sandvik-Nylund is a senior advisor with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), her portfolio focuses on specifically children. In her presentation she gives a clear overview of what the UNHCR does, some of the challenges facing refugee children and then discusses the South African Isibinidi program as a possible model for working with children in refugee situations.

For those not familiar with Isibinidi I posted a video about the program on CYCpodcast.org in the July 2015 podcast (episode 57).

Ontario Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth Irwin Elman talks about child/youth rights and advocacy. He discusses how child rights can coexist with culture, how adults can elevate the voices of children up to age 11, the importance of using activate listening when advocating with children and youth, and what “advocacy” means to the Provincial Advocate.

This episode marks the inaugural Your Right To Speak podcast by Sammy D’Agostino. Know Your Rights will be posted the second Wednesday of each month.

I recently attended the South African National Association of Child Care Workers’ 20^th Biennial Conference, celebrating 40 years of NACCW. Over the coming months CYC Podcast will be posting different presentations from this conference. This month’s podcast will be a talk by Dr. Thom Garfat on the Characteristics of Child and Youth Care (CYC). It is an informative and succinct introduction to some key characteristics of CYC.

You can read more about these characteristics by going to:

http://cycnetpress.cyc-net.org/samples/CYCiP.pdf

 

I have historically posted videos during the July podcast. Below you can find some videos with a focus on South Africa. This country has a tremendous amount to teach the rest of the world about CYC practice. I encourage you to check out the NACCW website at http://www.naccw.org.za. In particular look at the Isibindi project, a paradigm changing approach to child and youth care.

Two videos on Isibindi

The Path of Courage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MriK1u_ij_w (12 Min.)

The Isibindi Project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1D2DUFbzhc (25 Min)

 

An animated video about the Code of Ethics in child care work in South Africa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hteI4StqlKY (10 Min.)

 

Finally, here is a panel discussion that was presented on the last day of the conference. There are 5 panelists (including Thom Garfat). There is about an hour of video before the presentation. Skip to 58:00 minutes, the panel starts then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i_BBUZ8qiY (90 Min.)

Starting in August 2015 CYC Podcast will be starting a new segment on the second Wednesday of each month. The show, called “Your Right To Speak”, will focus on child and youth rights and will be hosted by Sammy D’Agostino. Today’s podcast is a short introduction to Sammy. In the interview Sammy talks about his work on youth rights and why he thinks this is an important topic to discuss. To see a little of his work check out this short public service announcement he made about the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child: 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbvIpIeO4fU

Jaymie Mitchell talks about her thesis “Breaking the Silence: Child and youth care practitioners’ reflections on the organizational silence that surrounds deficit-based language being used in the residential milieu”. Drawing on her own 15 years of experience as a practitioner and her research findings she talks about the impact of language, trauma in organizations, and some thoughts on how to shift the way we talk.

You can now subscribe to CYC Podcast from iTunes. Receive every episode directly to your iTunes library.

This podcast is a conversation with Erika van der Grinten about her research into restraints in residential care. She discusses the rationale for restraints, the impact of restraints on young people and caregivers, and offers some suggestions for how to minimize negative impacts.

A reminder that we have become CYC podcast. Currently both CYC Podcast and C2Y podcast are functioning, but they will not be indefinitely. I encourage you to start following us through www.cycpodcast.org, or subscribe on iTunes.

In this broad reaching conversation Dr. Kiaras Gharabaghi discusses theories and practices in child and youth care. He touches on relational practice, caring, education of CYCs, engagement, and self, among other topics. This conversation comes out of the recently published book With Children and Youth: Emerging Theories and Practices in Child and Youth Care.

Dr. Gharabaghi is co-editor of Journal of Child and Youth Services, has a monthly column in CYC-Online, regularly contributes to Relational Child and Youth Care Practice, has written or edited five books, and is an Associate Professor in the school of Child and Youth Care at Ryerson University in Toronto.

 

In this conversation, Phil Coady discusses relationships with young people & their families, boundaries, working in residential care, and maintaining contact long after people have “emancipated”. It is a wonderful and enlightening exploration of what relational practice is, in contemporary residential care.

Phil Coady works in residential care. He has recently completed a practitioner research study regarding boundaries in residential care with children and youth. He lives and works in Musselburgh, Scotland (just outside of Edinburgh).

This podcast is a do-over. In April of 2014 I had a wonderful conversation with Dr. Mary Stone Hanley. Unfortunately, the sound quality made it difficult to hear. Mary contacted me several months ago and asked about re-doing the interview, which I thought was a great idea, this podcast is a new conversation based upon the same topics as the first one. In the podcast Dr. Hanley discusses arts as a social justice practice, culturally relevant arts education, and the value of arts to children and youth.

Dr. Hanley is a performer, poet, educator, playwright and artivist. She is the author of numerous articles and co-editor of a new book. For more information about Dr. Hanley please visit Hanley Arts at MaryStoneHanley.com

Author and illustrator Kevin Pyle talks about his book (co-authored with Scott Cunningham) Bad For You: Exposing The War On Fun! A very brief introduction explains the book. “This is the history of stuff that is supposed to be bad for you. To find out why most of it isn’t, keep reading.” During this interview Kevin discusses the long history of trying to stop young people from doing things they enjoy. Dangerous things like reading, playing, and thinking, among others. To learn more about Kevin Pyle and the book go to BadForYouBook.com/.

This interview with Heather Sago and Aurrora De Monte explores being an advocate for, being an advocate against, and being an advocate with. What is the role of adults in advocating? How does one advocate when to do so puts one’s own career at risk? What are the consequences of not advocating? How does one advocate? Heather and Aurrora are the founders of the CYC Advocacy Project and both teach in the Child and Youth Work program at sir Sandford Fleming College in Peterborough, Ontario.

This podcast is posted at the end of a year with a great deal of discussion about violence: violence against women, violence from police, violence towards police, torture, and war. A common factor in all these cases is that men have been responsible for most of this violence. We’ve long been aware that males are the most frequent perpetuators of violence. We also know that violence is not inevitable. Today we are discussing how to support young male children grow into emotionally healthy men.

This podcast is with a return guest, Dr. Siegi Schuler (you can listen to his last interview, on adolescents who sexual offend, from November 2013). Dr. Schuler is a Ph.D and registered clinical Social Worker. He has a particular focus and interest in men’s emotional health and well-being (from adolescence to adulthood), addressing such areas as childhood trauma, sexual violence, mental health, chemical dependency and pornography addictions, relationship and intimacy concerns, father-son/daughter –dynamics, and fathering. You can learn more about Dr Schuler at http://www.drschulercounselling.com/