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For additional information about broader children’s issues visit the Children’s Alliance.

 

 

Liv, Vivian, Felix, and Roger

Putting Kids & Families First

 

Investing in prevention

Washington State Representative and 2012 Congressional Candidate, Roger Goodman is a true champion for Washington children. He and his wife, Liv Grohn, are deeply committed to the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Despite budget shortages threatening to cut basic services, Rep. Goodman maintains his focus on the future of Washington children and families.“The life-long benefits of investments in early learning and family support cannot be underestimated, says Goodman, “there is no better investment of tax dollars than to focus on our children.”

Today, according to Foundation for Early Learning, half of all Washington children enter kindergarten unprepared. Families face crisis upon crisis as economic uncertainties continue in the face of the deepest budget cuts facing state history. With this in mind, Roger is committed to strengthening Washington’s early learning programs. These programs help build the social and emotional, communicative, cognitive, and physical skills that prepare children for success in school and adult life. These programs provide vital family support that helps provide children with safe homes, avoiding costly long-term negative impacts on children, their families, and society at large.

Roger and Liv are proud parents of two children, Vivian, age seven and Felix, age four. Liv speaks passionately about the fact that all parents need support. She says, “the more resources you have, the better you’ll do. You need people to help you cope as a parent.”Roger and Liv were thrilled to see their son listening better at home after just three weeks of preschool. Liv recalled a recent incident when family support averted a crisis of her own. Liv awoke in the middle of the night to two sick children, one of whom needed to be taken to the hospital. But Roger was in Olympia and Liv was on crutches, unable to lift her children into the car. She called her parents and asked for help. Grateful for her family’s system of support, Liv does not know what she would have done if she did not have anybody to call at that moment. “I am not afraid to ask for help, because I know perfection is not possible as a parent,” says Liv, encouraging others to reach out to the services available in their communities.

Roger and Liv strongly believe that support services for families must be a major policy priority. Today’s society requires more and more families to work outside the home, increasing daily stresses and decreasing interactions with other parents and community members.

For this reason, Roger supports programs that assist vulnerable caregivers throughout the difficult process of raising children, including childcare resource services and family support centers to empower caregivers and help them establish a social support system – because he knows that caregivers must have stable support available to ensure that children grow up in safe, healthy homes.

“When you’re a parent and stressed out, it’s extremely helpful to have other resources that can give you new perspectives and can help you to be more patient with your child and keep your home safe,” says Liv. Early learning and family support programs provide those resources. They help children grow in safe, healthy homes and parents understand how they can best enhance their child’s educational experience. They also help parents strengthen their protective factors, which shield against child abuse and neglect, because parents understand their children's needs better and the home environment becomes more supportive. By addressing children’s needs, strengths, and weaknesses early on, early learning and family interventions help prevent larger problems that can affect a child’s long-term school and life success.

Click here for more information about the current Washington State Legislative session and Rep. Roger Goodman.

 

Policy Maker IN the Spotlight

State Representative Ruth Kagi sat down with Francesca Kubo to talk about her history as a Children’s Trust Foundation board member, volunteer, and supporter.

Why did you join the Children’s Trust Foundation board?

At the time, I was involved with the Seattle Commission for Children & Youth. The need for much greater focus on children education was present and very obvious to me.

How did your work with Children’s Trust Foundation inform your work as a legislator?

Much of what I learned at Children’s Trust Foundation I carried into my future legislative work. A lot of my legislative career has supported families and children, sponsoring an early learning bill and a home visiting program, to name two achievements.

What are some highlights from your time on the Children's Trust Foundation's team?

Exciting initiatives for me included establishing the Hilltop Parent Support Center in Tacoma with Janet Miller. This was a poor area with tremendous turnover with kids in schools. At the time it was a cutting-edge effort for school-based Family Support programs. Janet Miller was truly a leader on these issues. My time volunteer at the Courage Classic Bicycle Tour was also a highlight!

How do you see Children's Trust Foundation as an advocate for child abuse prevention?
I have a high regard for the work that the Children’s Trust Foundation has done over the years, helping families on the grassroots level. Looking forward, I hope Children’s Trust Foundation will find ways to work with the public sector. We all need to find ways to leverage each other’s strengths.