Today I had the honor and pleasure of delivering the keynote address to the @SAFY recruitment and licensing specialist team at their 2022 summit. Thank you William, Tiffany and Sarah for creating space and opportunity for me to share my story and insights with your staff.
During my speech I explained to the team that we are approaching a tipping point across family serving systems. And a tipping point is a point at which a series of small changes become significant enough to cause a larger more important change. We are approaching a tipping point within #family #serving #systems like foster care and child welfare. Once you hit the tipping point you loose a lot of ability to control the future direction or trajectory.
Now is the time to develop your vision of the future for serving vulnerable families and children. Now is the time to speak with your foster parents, birth parents and community partners about their visions because the collective vision will ultimately influence the future direction.
My advise to the team was
1. Ask the hard questions but also listen (often), understand by checking back, and collaborate to co-design new ideas and approaches.
2. Your time is limited when approaching a tipping point so don’t waste it.
3. Don’t let others opinion drown out your own inner voice.
4. Have the courage to follow your heart, somehow your heart has the answer.
5. Finally - This work is hard so remember to take care of you own health and wellness.
I’m excited to continue to build with the team and develop new and innovative ways to serve children, youth and families in the foster care system and those at risk of entering.
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Kidcation
Today’s Agenda
The Tipping Point For Family Serving Systems
My Vision For Work Together To Serve
The Needs Of Vulnerable Families?
03
Why Vision Is So Important?
02
What is a tipping point?
Why does it matter to us?
01
QUESTIONS ?
3. 3 Congratulations
Over 500 youth to permanency this year
135 Adoptions
87 Discharges to kinship
288 reunifications
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The point at which a series of small changes or incidents becomes
significant enough to cause a larger, more important change.
Definition + Features
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Kidcation WWW.WEBSITE.COM
What would it take to create a system that vulnerable
families wanted to be part of ?
• Listen – Pulse Surveys
• Collaborate – Co-design new ideas and solutions with
your foster and birth parents
• Understand – Analyze + Share It Back
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1. Your time is limited so don’t waste it
2. Don’t let other’s opinions drown out your
own inner voice
3. Have the courage to follow your heart, somehow
it know what you truly want to become
Things to remember as you move forward
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1. We are approaching a tipping point
2. Things will begin to move fast in a new
direction
3. You have the ability to influence the new
direction right now
In Closing
4. You have limited time, listen to your inner
voice and have courage.
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Demetrius Napolitano
Fostering Meditation (FM) was founded by Demetrius Napolitano after he spent
20 years inside NYC’s foster care system, where he struggled with complex
trauma, depression, and post traumatic stress disorder. A friend introduced him
to Meditation, and in 2019 Demetrius started a GoFund me and traveled alone to
India to witness how Mindfulness and Yoga could help him manage his trauma
and anxiety. Once Demetrius returned from his sojourn in June 2020, he began
teaching both contemplative practices at his former elementary school, P.S. 108,
in East Harlem. There he witnessed how the children gravitated towards his
teachings with an inspiring dedication to learn and experience more. Soon after,
FM was incorporated and granted its 501(c)3 status and a fiscal sponsor to help
with its expansion. Beginning in 2022, FM has partnered with three schools,
three nonprofits, and with New York City Administration for Children’s Services.
Demetrius envisions bringing Fostering Meditation and its “Five Steps 2
Wellness” to youth in foster care nationally, cultivating many communities of
people who are meditating, breathing, and healing together!