Despite a threatening weather forecast on the morning of our annual Jim Young Memorial Golf Tournament, blue skies prevailed to provide another wonderful day of fun and fellowship on the greens. This year’s tournament raised an unprecedented $65,000 for Pennsylvania youth and programs!
This annual golf tournament was memorialized in honor of Jim Young in 2012. Jim grew up at the United Methodist Home for Children with his brothers, Don and Randy. In 1986, Jim and Don founded Universal Media. We are deeply grateful to our friends at Universal Media—especially Don Young and Jim Parsons—for providing their leadership to the tournament and helping to keep vital ties to the past, present, and future alive. Jim Young remains a true inspiration to us all, and he is dearly missed by those who knew him.
We wish to extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to all of of our sponsors, participants, and donors for making this year’s tournament an enormous success and for helping us to enrich communities, one family at a time. Stay tuned for an announcement regarding the date for the 2023 tournament. We can’t wait to see you on the greens again soon!
Fostering a healthy culture where everyone can engage in joy and purpose is not just my job at the Board of Child Care (BCC). It’s everyone’s job. That’s why in times of upheaval and uncertainty, we all need to support each other.
Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court voted to strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision. This ruling led to a range of feelings for people in our BCC community, ranging from ragged, raw and scared for the future to jubilant and relieved.
It’s hard to understand your own emotions, no less the emotions of others and the differences of opinions around the ruling. As the nation navigates this new environment, I’ve asked our team to use the core values of relationships and empathy to help support one another. Look for places of agreement and understanding. Focus on similarities rather than differences. Listen to colleagues and then share your own thoughts and feelings. Don’t make assumptions about others based on what your life is like. And most importantly, be respectful.
Along with peer support and empathy, BCC has a variety of services to help team members process this and other situations that cause stress, including a free Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
At BCC we know that it is our differences that make us a strong and inclusive workplace. Through these supports, we hope our entire team can continue to be their authentic and best selves.
When we launched the Board of Child Care’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee in 2020, we knew to achieve lasting, sustainable success, we couldn’t do everything at once. So, we added short-term, tangible goals to our bulletin board – goals we could build upon to enhance our long-term commitment to EDI.
Among those initial goals: incorporate more diverse voices on our Board of Directors.
At BCC, we are committed to honoring differences, acknowledging uniqueness and amplifying all voices. A culture of inclusivity empowers individuals at every level to enrich communities, one family at a time. A Board of Directors that only allows U.S. citizens as members is not inclusive.
I’m happy to share that we removed the citizen requirement from our by-laws at our June Board meeting earlier this month. That change allowed the Board at that same meeting to approve adding a new board member that is a Mexican citizen, attorney and a tremendous advocate for BCC and its programs. This individual is beginning their Board orientation next month and will attend their first official meeting later in 2022.
Another goal: Improve our celebration and understanding of Juneteenth.
In 2021, just days before the federal government approved Juneteenth as a federal holiday, BCC put together its first Juneteenth celebration. Staff members who worked that day received double pay, and we organized meals at several BCC campuses. But we quickly realized we didn’t include enough staff in the planning for the day.
This year, we reached out to more staff members and received more feedback on how to celebrate Juneteenth. We also added more educational opportunities about the holiday so staff throughout BCC could gain a deeper understanding about the day’s meaning.
As each month passes, we add more goals to our bulletin board. It has become an amazing platform for our committee, and as a result, our entire team.
This month, I challenge you and your families to start your own EDI bulletin boards with your own professional or personal goals.
As we continue our work to become a more equitable, diverse and inclusive organization, I have witnessed more growth and positivity than I could have ever imagined.
I’m especially proud of our efforts to amplify Hispanic and Latino voices.
One example is our recent employee recruitment efforts for the Caminos program, which provides safe, secure placement options for children who have recently migrated to the United States and are seeking opportunities for reunification with family. About 80 percent of the children in the Caminos program are from Central America and speak Spanish, so it makes sense to hire team members who also speak Spanish.
Yet despite our usual recruitment and hiring efforts, we just weren’t reaching enough potential applicants. Last year, we began translating our recruitment materials into Spanish and posting flyers in Spanish community centers to encourage more applicants.
We also partnered with board member Gabriela “Gaby” Romo, who hosts a weekly radio show in Spanish about mental health. Board of Child Care team members are guests on the show, discussing our valuable resources with the Hispanic community.
And this spring, we added a “translate” option on the Board of Child Care website. Users can now view the site in English or Spanish.
As a result of these efforts and more, we’ve seen an increase in Spanish-speaking applicants.
We also continue to advocate for change in states like Pennsylvania, where child welfare staff must pass a medication administration test to give medicine to children. Currently, the test is only offered in English. Offering the test in Spanish or allowing a translator would help us be more inclusive and effective for those in need.
In closing, I’d like to give a special thanks to our Hispanic and Latino board members, who lend their voices and expertise to our organization every day. Roberto Allen and Gaby, none of this would be possible without your help. Thank you for your dedication to the Board of Child Care community! I look forward to welcoming even more Hispanic and Latino board members in the future.
The Board of Child Care would like to recognize Evelin Merchant as the May 2022 Core Value Award winner for Impact!
The Board of Child Care would like to recognize Evelin Merchant as the May 2022 Core Value Award winner for Impact!
Evelin's nomination reads:
"Evelin is an amazing social worker! She has taken the lead in planning our quarterly awards ceremonies for students at The Strawbridge School. Evelin also took the lead on creating superlative certificates and honor roll certificates for students, and they look amazing. She is very creative and talented, and she's also taken the lead on decorating for these events. Evelin has shown that seeing our student’s smiles and confidence-boosting is important to her. Her presence, creativity, and sincerity have created a lasting impact on our students!"
Congratulations, Evelin, and thank you!
Impact Drives Lasting Change
We seek to make lasting change in the lives of those we work with by providing services that are inclusive, measurable, and durable. We maximize our impact by investing in staff and board development. Feedback presents opportunity for action, which enhances and strengthens our programs and their outcomes.
The Board of Child Care would like to recognize Paola St. Juste as the May 2022 Core Value Award winner for Empathy!
The Board of Child Care would like to recognize Paola St. Juste as the May 2022 Core Value Award winner for Empathy!
Paola's nomination reads:
"A 10-year-old minor in Caminos had recently arrived and was very tearful. He had always slept with his grandmother and was scared to sleep by himself. Paola showed empathy and concern for the minor. She assured him that even though she couldn't come into the room, she would sit outside his room so that he would know that she was there. The minor reported that he felt much safer when she did this and asked her to do this the following night, which she did. Because of Paola's empathy for this minor, she made the transition period much more comfortable for him while he was waiting to be reunited with his father. This is just one example of how she makes a difference every day!"
Congratulations, Paola, and thank you!
Listen and Respond with Empathy
Empathy will guide our programming and culture at all levels. A supportive work and program environment means valuing the voices of all people, ensuring equitable representation, and growing a desire to know and understand others. We recognize that with empathy we will better understand what type of care and encouragement to provide.
The Board of Child Care would like to recognize Samantha Beyzaie as the May 2022 Core Value Award winner for Relationships!
The Board of Child Care would like to recognize Samantha Beyzaie as the May 2022 Core Value Award winner for Relationships!
Samantha's nomination reads:
"Samantha, one of the UMHC caseworkers goes above and beyond for all her caseload. However, one instance really sticks out. She has a 19-year-old male in the independent living program and went above and beyond to get him involved in a rugby team. Her goal was for him to have peers he could fit in with, gain social skills, and also work on his health at the same time! Even though the youth was not typically open to the idea and had a lot of negative behaviors toward Sam, she kept trying! The youth now enjoys the guys and the team aspect!"
Congratulations, Samantha, and thank you!
Foster Relationships within our Community
Openness and honesty with all stakeholders make for both the best program outcomes and team culture. Inclusive practices are the building blocks for trust. We create space for conversations that grow transparency about our decisions, promises, and understanding of one another.
The Board of Child Care would like to recognize Erica Gray as the May 2022 Core Value Award winner for Safety!
The Board of Child Care would like to recognize Erica Gray as the May 2022 Core Value Award winner for Safety!
Erica's nomination reads:
"Erica has recently taken over the oversight and facilitation of the RCYCP process. This is a certification for direct care professionals necessary to be able to do this special work. She has been a great partner and has deployed her special skills in organization and system development to ensure that the BCC care team understood the process and provides the necessary support to ensure that all are able to complete the certification. Without an active certification BCC's residential program would be missing a critical part of our care force and unable to meet our contractual obligations."
Congratulations, Erica, and thank you!
Safety as A Mindset
We value life, spirit, and health above all else and take action to maintain the safety of our workplaces, programs, and services through a trauma responsive lens. We are personally accountable for our own safety and collectively responsible for the mental, emotional, and physical safety of our community.
Board of Child Care is committed to a healthy culture where everyone can engage with joy and purpose. In order to achieve this kind of brave space, the agency relies on feedback from you. From Open Forums to anonymous comments provided in our online system and lots of things in between, I hear you and learn from you. This week, we kick off our semiannual, online employee survey – an important tool in measuring employees’ commitment, motivation and sense of purpose in their jobs and their views and attitudes toward our organization.
The survey is incredibly valuable, as it provides insight into what our employees need and want. It also helps me and other Board of Child Care leaders shape future policies and practices that remove barriers and build momentum so we can do our special work from an improving foundation. Some of the things we changed because of staff feedback include: more vacation time, more health insurance options and improved lighting in our communities to enhance safety. Asking staff for their ideas helps make BCC better in lots of different ways!
This year, in keeping with our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategic Plan, the employee survey will give us additional insights into how people identify and where the agency needs to focus to continue our journey with honoring differences, acknowledging uniqueness and amplifying all voices. Our EDI committee helped us add several new questions to the survey, including:
Do you identify as transgender?
What is your family status?
What is your sexual orientation?
Are you a person with a disability?
We also added new statements where employees can share if they strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree or strongly disagree, including:
People are treated fairly regardless of their gender identity.
I believe I work in an inclusive workplace regarding class, gender, identity, race, religion, age and sexual orientation.
I believe staff members are treated fairly at the Board of Child Care.
When I speak up, my opinion is valued.
To protect employees’ identity, survey responses are anonymous. Employees can also select “prefer not to specify” on certain questions.
While I may not have the opportunity to personally meet every BCC employee, I spend hours reviewing each survey response to understand how we can make our employees’ lives and organization great. Thank you for providing feedback. I am hearing you.
Earlier this month, we also hosted our first ever Clinician Appreciation Day. It was tons of fun with more than 50 talented clinicians and interns gathering for a day of team-building, gratitude-sharing, restoration, crafts and food. Each participant also received two hours of paid time off for self-care. Self-care helps build our resilience so we can do our special work, enriching communities one family at a time.
The event was just one of the many ways we intentionally foster belongingness that feeds a deep sense of purpose and joy at BCC. Thank you, clinicians, for being part of our team!
One year ago in West Virginia, we launched our Open Forums initiative – an opportunity for members of our BCC family to share ideas and maintain a culture where we can learn and grow together.
After an engaging discussion, forum participants were motivated to continue these crucial conversations and foster genuine relationships with one another.
That’s why I am incredibly excited that this year, we are implementing bi-annual Open Forums at each of BCC’s six campuses. It’s yet another way our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan 2022–2025 is helping our organization enhance a culture of assessment and accountability for inclusivity at every level.
The idea for these forums was born out of our racism town halls, which were held at our Early Learning Program in Washington D.C.
Here’s how the Open Forums work.
Before each event, leaders of individual campuses meet with EDI Committee members to learn about potential discussion topics and how to constructively receive feedback from staff.
Recognizing some topics may be hard to discuss or trigger emotional reactions, staff members start each forum by reviewing the “safety commitments.” These commitments help participants provide support to each other and give and receive feedback in a healthy and respectful manner.
Then, the discussions begin. After each forum, leaders take what was discussed and come up with solutions to address concerns and improve inclusivity.
For example, during a recent forum at BCC’s Mechanicsburg, PA campus, staff members said they wanted more education to better support LGBTQ+ youth who are transitioning. We are now incorporating intensive training based around the LGBTQ+ community and affirming care for leadership and staff.
To make it easy for all staff to attend the forums, we will offer both in-person and online options.
It’s amazing to see our staff courageously express what they want and need to feel connected to the people we serve and each other.
Our commitment is to amplify all voices. With these forums, we hope to create a safe space where people can open their minds and hearts to endless possibilities.
To learn when your next Open Forum takes place, please reach out to your senior campus leader.
