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Our weekly e-newsletter to providers combines provider resources, stories of interest, exclusive educational opportunities, and grant information. In this issue:
 DFPS is rolling out financial support to foster youth and young adults during the COVD-19 pandemic in to following areas:
- Funds for youth and young adults age 14-21 currently in foster care or in extended foster care. These funds can meet pandemic-related needs, but also educational, vocational, and a variety of auxiliary personal and transitional needs for youth and young adults. To learn more, visit: DFPS COVID Pandemic Aid Funding
- DFPS is partnering with TACFS and Monarch Family Services to provide PanAid assistance funds to young adults ages 18-27 who have aged out of foster care with:
- Funds for young adults age 18-21 who have aged out and left foster care. These funds are able to meet not only pandemic related needs, but also educational, vocational, and a variety of auxiliary personal and transitional needs for youth and young adults.
- Emergency funding for young adults age 21-27 who have aged out and left foster caree
- To learn more, visit: TACFS Young Adult Pandemic Aid.
With the Delta variant on the rise and children headed back to school, there may be mounting questions about the COVID-19 vaccine. Cook Children's launched a vaccine information video series developed by The Center for Children’s Health at Cook Children’s, Early Learning Alliance, Tarrant County Public Health, and UNTHSC. This series offers 7 English-language videos and 1 comprehensive Spanish-language video at:
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 NICHQ National Breastfeeding Month Resources
NICHQ joins the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee in recognizing August as National Breastfeeding Month, a month dedicated to advancing advocacy, protection, and promotion of breastfeeding to ensure that all mothers and birthing people have the opportunity to breastfeed. They've developed a site with breastfeeding awareness, support, equity, and more resources at:
 National Breastfeeding Month Social Media Toolkit
While breastfeeding awareness is important year-round, for the month of August, we encourage you to promote breastfeeding education with your networks. In collaboration with Texas Health and Human Services Commission and the Texas Department of State Health Services, we put together this toolkit with social media posts, resources, and graphics to help raise awareness about the importance and benefits of breast milk, while empowering and supporting all mothers in their breastfeeding.
Prairie View A&M University is conducting focus groups and surveys to collect community ideas and opinions about the needs of teenagers across the state.
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There are a number of ways to help:
- Call Angela Broadus at 936-261-5258 to sign up for a focus group:
- Community Stakeholders & Key Members
- Parents of teenagers (age 12-17)
- Complete an online survey asking for thoughts and opinions about adolescents in your community AND how to reduce teenage risk behavior and crime.
- If you would prefer they mail you a paper survey, send your address to Angela Broadus at: adbroadus@pvamu.edu
The Veteran Spouse Resiliency Group will be offering several different opportunities for veteran spouses and partners to connect with the V-SRG curriculum through national online groups, in-person groups in select Texas cities, and mini-series sessions, where participants can attend the sessions that interest them most.
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To learn more about the V-SRG program, and view details as they are solidified, visit their website.
Contact Program Manager, Hannah O'Brien at hannahkob@austin.utexas.edu with any questions.
 Join us every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month as we explore current, relevant topics based on state trends, featuring PEI speakers and guest experts.
Quality Incentive Project: Phase II
Date: September 21st
Time: 2:00 P.M. - 3:00 P.M. CST
Register
Join us to learn about the next phase for PEI’s Quality Incentive Project. This session is particularly relevant for Texas Home Visiting, HOPES, and FAYS programs.
In Case You Missed It:
Farewell to FY 21: Preparing for the new fiscal year in PEIRS Webinar Recording
Below is the link to PEIRS webinar held on Aug 10th. Note: Registration is required to view the recording.
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/7041844627251193355
 To take these courses: Type or paste the course names below into the search bar on the PEI Learning Hub:
- Click on the course and select “request”
- On your transcript select “launch” to begin
- When the video is complete, go to "completed" courses in your transcript
- Select "evaluate" to provide feedback
For questions, contact PEITraining@dfps.state.tx.us.
Supervising Home Visitors (Self-Paced Course)
Supervision plays a vital role in keeping home visits centered on parent-child relationships and the content focused on the achievement of outcomes. Supervisors know, however, that home visitors routinely work with families whose complex needs go beyond what home visits alone can address. This course offers practical strategies new and experienced supervisors can use to make the most of their interactions and time with home visitors to meet these challenges. Explore best practices to ensure your team achieves success with families with your critical support as their supervisor. Note: This Achieve OnDemand learning experience qualifies for .3 IACET Continuing Education Units (CEUs).
Diversity Dynamics
Diversity is a key element in any successful workplace. To be successful, a diverse workforce must figure out how to work together.
 Grantees can now download a complete list of upcoming trainings on the PEI Learning Hub.
Access the Essentials of Home Visiting Portal free of cost. Use this link to register.
Observing the Parent-Child Relationship: What You See, Feel and Think
Date: August 24th
Time: 10:00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M. CDT
Register by: August 23rd at 10:00 A.M. CDT
This webinar will describe a process for observing the interactions between the parent and the child that provides clues into the type and quality of dyadic relationship that exists. By using a process that allows for more awareness of perception, the home visitor can strategize how to best approach the work of enhancing and supporting the parent-child relationship and the quality of attachment which is vital for healthy child development.
Maintaining Boundaries in Home Visiting for Supervisors
Date: August 31st
Time: 10:00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M. CDT
Register by: August 30th at 10:00 AM CDT
As a supervisor, how can you help home visitors set and maintain boundaries with the families they serve? The discussion will cover self-awareness, challenges home visitors face, and how to support staff. This webinar complements the Supervising Home Visitors self-paced course.
Exploring Values and Beliefs Around Parenting
Date: September 1st
Time: 12:00 P.M. - 1:00 P.M. CDT
Register by: August 31st at 12:00 P.M. CDT
We all come to the table with our own beliefs about parenting. This webinar covers how to acknowledge and monitor those beliefs and address how they may impact the work we do with families. Note: This webinar complements the Foundations of Infant Mental Health in Home Visiting self-paced course.
Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health® Approved Training Opportunity
Are you interested in or currently pursuing an Infant Mental Health Endorsement?
Endorsement is an internationally recognized credential that supports and recognizes the development and proficiency of professionals who work with or on behalf of infants, toddlers, and their families.
Gaining Endorsement allows you to enhance your professional profile as a specialist in the infant and family field; distinguish yourself among your colleagues by meeting competency standards that reflect best practice and by earning the IMH-E® mark; affirm the specialized knowledge and skills you have acquired through formal education and work experiences; and to better support the infants, toddlers, families, students, agencies, and institutions that are served by the promotion of infant mental health.
The Essentials of Home Visiting self-paced online courses and live webinars for family professionals count towards training requirements to earn and renew a Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Endorsement® from the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health.
Upon completion of these learning experiences, participants earn in-service training credits from First3Years Texas. Review this crosswalk, which details The Essentials of Home Visiting trainings that support each Endorsement Knowledge & Skill Area, as well as credit hours a professional may earn upon completion.
Institute of the Advancement of Family Support Professionals
The Institute offers family support professionals everywhere the opportunity to learn new skills and grow their careers. Through engaging, online modules and a personalized learning map feature, professionals take charge of their growth and advancement.
All Institute modules and the career compass are based on the National Core Competency Framework. Supervisor modules are based on the National Supervisor Competency Framework .
Access the Institute of the Advancement of Family Support Professionals Home Visiting Modules through the Learning Institute Portal free of cost.
If you have any events or news that you would like to share in the next e-newsletter please email PEINews@dfps.texas.gov
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