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Assisting Families in Need
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In tough financial times, how can we as a community better assist families in need, before they find themselves in crisis? Recognizing that poverty is a risk factor for child abuse and neglect—and that children who grow up in poverty face adverse lifelong consequences to their health and education—we asked mandated reporters where they refer struggling families and their children for helpful resources.
“Kids can’t learn if they have issues they’re trying to navigate without support,” said Sue Hollister-Cronberger, Rochester City School District art teacher at the School Without Walls. Students at this non-traditional high school have individual academic teacher-advisors and are involved in school governance. In order to graduate, students must complete portfolios and senior projects, as compared to taking standardized tests. It’s the type of nurturing environment where kids want to come to school and learn. And yet, attendance is still an issue.
“I had a student who was not coming to school—for months,” accentuated Hollister-Cronberger. “And this was months after we came back to school after COVID, when online learning was not happening anymore.” She detailed her copious efforts to engage the family, which included calling the parents, making a home visit, and following up with the school’s attendance office and social worker.
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Poverty Linked to Poor School Attendance
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In a recent NPR article (“3 years since the pandemic wrecked attendance, kids still aren’t showing up to school”), widespread attendance issues were uncovered in schools across the U.S. It was reported that students who struggle with attendance are also more likely to live in poverty, be children of color or have disabilities. A source for the article said, “Showing up to school makes sure that you have access to resources, whether that’s food and nutrition, after school and engaging learning experiences, or access to health care.”
“There are families on food stamps, kids who are working, coming in late, missing classes,” said Hollister-Cronberger. She explained that city school social workers are overwhelmed. In her building, there is one social worker to 260 students. “Social workers are dealing with multiple kids on a daily basis, kids coming out, kids with mental health issues, kids with identity crises, kids working to support their families,” she said. “There are so many things happening.”
One way we can all make a difference is to refer struggling families to available resources, before a tough situation escalates, putting children at risk for abuse or neglect.
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“Finding a specific resource for a family can be challenging,” said Nate Dougherty, Communication Coordinator at Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative (RMAPI). RMAPI works cross-sector to bring organizations together in an effort to decrease poverty and increase upward mobility, to provoke long-term change in Rochester.
“It’s not easy to navigate,” said Dougherty, in reference to finding the right help for a family. He recommended referring families to the 211 Lifeline. “Their telecounselors are experts in directing people to the right resources.”
“There are so many situations—poverty, unemployment, drugs, a death in the family—that we don’t know the half of it,” said Hollister-Cronberger. “Beyond teaching content, my role as an educator is to keep kids in school, in a safe space where they feel wanted.”
One of her working students had come to her to ask about affordable housing, so she could distance herself from a toxic home situation. “Mentorship ends up going back to the teachers,” said Hollister-Cronberger, understanding that social workers have more cases than they can handle on a daily basis. She referred the student to the Center for Youth, which offers temporary and transitional housing, among other services such as school-based counseling.
“It’s important to build relationships,” she said. Hollister-Cronberger goes above and beyond for her students, taking on projects like prom planning, yearbook design and day-old food pick-up and delivery, in addition to her classroom duties. “When you know what these kids are going through, you start to look at them in a different light.”
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Rochester’s Staggering Statistics
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- 48% of the city’s children live in poverty
Compared with cities its size, Rochester ranks as the number one worst city in the United States for child poverty, with 48% of our city’s children living in poverty.
(The Children’s Agenda)
- 15%of the city’s population lives in deep poverty
Rochester is first in the nation in the rate of extreme poverty, with 15% of the city’s population living in deep poverty.
(2020 U.S. Census data, 2015-2019)
- 68% of Monroe County children live in poverty, with growth in suburban child poverty
Children living in poverty in Rochester accounted for 68% of Monroe County’s poor children in 2016-20, down from 78% in 2000; indicating growth in child poverty in suburban Monroe County.
(ACT Rochester, 2022 Community Report Card)
- COVID’s 10K impact on poverty in Monroe County
10,000 more Monroe County children plunged into poverty under COVID from May-July 2020.
(United Hospital Fund study, Oct. 2020)
Sources:
The Children’s Agenda
https://thechildrensagenda.org/the-agenda/poverty/
The Children’s Agenda was created in 2004 as an initiative of the Rochester Area Community Foundation with United Way and leading children’s service providers to improve the lives of children of all ages by engaging leaders in systemic change through research, collaboration and advocacy.
ACT Rochester
https://www.actrochester.org/tinymce/source/2022ReportCards/2022RegionalReportCard.pdf
ACT Rochester’s purpose is to change the culture of community problem-solving and associated decision making through the use of credible, independent and timely data. ACT Rochester provides an objective assessment of the nine-county region’s performance on key indicators of well-being. The website creates a “one stop shop” for data and analysis, over 100 indicators, as well as links to more than 300 community initiatives and resources.
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Resources:
211 Lifeline
To reach a telecounselor for assistance in finding a family resource, dial 211, text your ZIP code to 898-211, or use their online chat feature.
https://211lifeline.org/search.php
Center for Youth
The Center for Youth was started by youth to partner with youth to realize their full potential, by creating opportunities, removing barriers and promoting social justice.
https://www.centerforyouth.net/
Starbridge
Starbridge partners with individuals with disabilities and their families to achieve success in education, employment, and healthy living.
https://www.starbridgeinc.org/
Community Food Cupboard of Rochester
The Community Food Cupboard of Rochester helps 450 families in Rochester every month by providing food, toiletries, blankets, diapers, and more.
https://rochesterfoodcupboard.org/
Brighton Your Wardrobe
Brighton Your Wardrobe (a partnership of Jewish Family Services and Brighton Central School District) offers free clothing to the children, individuals, and families of the BCSD and to other JFS clients who are unable to afford appropriate clothing for daily living as a result of the impact of suburban poverty.
https://jfsrochester.org/brighton-your-wardrobe/
Brighton Food Cupboard
The Brighton Food Cupboard (a program of Jewish Family Services) is committed to the prevention and reduction of hunger and food insecurity for individuals and families living in Brighton and surrounding communities.
https://jfsrochester.org/brighton-food-cupboard/
Pencils and Paper
Pencils & Paper (a program of Jewish Family Services) serves the educational and creative needs of children in the greater Rochester area by providing free school supplies to teachers in high poverty schools. Teachers can shop twice a year and receive an estimated $1,400 worth of school supplies at each shopping trip.
https://jfsrochester.org/pencils-and-paper/
East Vision Care for RCSD Students
This program is Run by a NYS certified optician and a NYS certified teacher in CTE and Science. It provides eye care for RCSD students with or without a prescription or eyeglasses who otherwise might struggle to learn because of uncorrected vision problems. It also serves as career training for students who aid in vision pre-screenings, taking measurements and mounting lenses in frames.
Email for a referral: [email protected]
Help Finder
Search and connect to support for financial assistance, food pantries, medical care, and other free or reduced-cost help.
https://helpfinder.auntbertha.com/
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