Spanish-language parenting course recognized

First row from left: Ciclali and Sergio Mendes; second row, from left, Auda Whitney-Jackson, Gabriel Mendes, Maria Valentin and Alberto Cervantes.

The South Omaha Neighborhood Association (SONA) has named the “For the Love of Family” Spanish-language parenting course as the winner of the SONA 2005 Project of Merit Award. The announcement was made in June and is a crowning achievement for the nine-year old program.

The program was designed to assist Latino families who face unique challenges when raising their children in two cultures. Latino families who have immigrated to the United States face a multitude of psychosocial stressors. They have to confront the language barrier, cultural differences and discrimination. These obstacles lead to isolation and tension in the family, and it is common for Latino families to become alienated due to their lack of identification with the mainstream culture. These conditions translate into spousal and child abuse and neglect. The program’s goal is to provide information and support to Latino families who are raising their children in a foreign culture and who are going through the stress of acculturation.

In addition, in cases where parents may lose custody of their children to government authority, it is always mandated that parents attend a court-ordered parenting program.
But until the creation of the “For the Love of the Family,” there was no way many Latino parents could regain custody of their children. They couldn’t complete a parenting course where only English was spoken. Although there were some Spanish-language parenting classes, many of those classes did not meet the requirements of parents who needed more one-to-one personal services.

This challenge was answered through the cooperation of members of the South Omaha Community Care Council, including Aura Whitney-Jackson, South Omaha Community Liaison for UNMC; Alberto Cervantes, community outreach specialist for the Nebraska AIDS Project; Maria Valentin, Community Affairs Consultant for ConAgra Foods, along with the staff at the Chicano Awareness Center (original location for the classes), and Patricia Valadez, supervisor for NAF, now the location for the 8-week course.

The program is currently funded by The Nebraska Children and Families Foundation. Food and childcare is provided at each class. Community partners have included Field Club Elementary School, Liberty Elementary and NAF Multicultural Human Development Corporation. There have been 319 parent graduates – parents who ranged from age 13 to a grandmother raising her grandchildren at age 72. More than 2,780 children have benefited from the program. All of the parents in the course who had lost custody of their children to the state regained custody after completing the course.

One of the most visible parents involved with “For the Love of the Family” is Gabriel Mendes, a member of the 1996 charter class. He has remained a volunteer since his graduation and gives a talk at every new graduation ceremony.

Gabriel Mendes and his daughter, Ciclali.

Mendes is one example of just how deeply the program has touched the lives of Latino families. He and his wife took the original course together. Although they eventually would separate and divorce, their experience with the program enabled the court to grant them joint custody of their children, Ciclali, 6, and Sergio, 4. The training from the program influenced both parents to resist fighting over their children. Sergio and Ciclali are growing up with two loving parents and stability in both parental homes.

Ciclali goes to Holy Ghost Elementary School and Mendes leaves his business every day to visit her school and help serve lunch.

“I really do it for the smiles of my children,” said Mendes, who doesn’t read or write in English or Spanish but developed his own successful dry wall business. “I am so happy to be a part of this program. In each session I became more aware of my need to be a better person and a better father. I am really happy with myself because the more I participate, the more I learn.

“I always wanted to be a good parent and have a good family. When I see how pleased my children are with the way that I care for them and their mother cares for them and how we can still work together for our children’s best interests, I am a very pleased, too.”
Alberto Cervantes said that Mendes is just one of many great stories connected with “For the Love of the Family.”

NAF supervisor Patricia Valadez

“We are just extremely thankful that the community is recognizing this wonderful resource,” Cervantes said. “We’re just trying to make the community a better place to live and nurture our most precious resource – our children.

“This program was made possible through sponsorships from Wells Fargo Bank, UNMC, Health and Human Services, the Children’s Foundation and many community volunteers. NAF stepped up when the program became too big to continue classes at the Chicano Awareness Center. NAF never says ‘no’ to our needs,” Cervantes said.

“We look forward to many more years of serving Latino families and children.”

The parenting classes will be offered every Tuesday at NAF, 4826 South 24th Street, from 6 to 8 p.m. For more information about “For the Love of the Family,” contact Cervantes at 552-9260.