FEATURED LEADERS
This is a series of profiles of people making Oakland Smarter and Stronger.
Kym Johnson, Executive Director of BANANAS
Whether a parent or caregiver is looking for help finding a child care provider, information on coping with their child’s age or stage, or assistance in paying for child care, there’s a good chance they’ll end up contacting BANANAS. This 40+ year-old resource and referral agency offers workshops, classes, and connections to child care to families throughout Northern Alameda County. And it serves as a source of support for people who are employed as child care providers, whether in licensed settings or in homes.
BANANAS recently produced a toolkit and a series of videos designed to help create stronger partnerships between parents and their family, friend & neighbor caregivers (FFN). We sat down to talk with Executive Director Kym Johnson about the toolkit and more.
Why do you do what you do, Kym?
I’m the daughter of an elementary school teacher. She understood the importance of early education, because she saw the difference between children who had a solid start and those who didn’t. When I had my daughter, she was on me: “when are you putting her in preschool?” I had other careers, but when this opening at BANANAS came up two years ago, I jumped on it.
I remember visiting BANANAS to check out the resources when my daughter was young. What breaks my heart is the people who don’t know about us still. Because all the services we provide are free. All the parent education, all the alternative payment programs, professional development we offer for providers -- all of it is provided at no cost to them.
Why did you produce this toolkit for family, friend & neighbor caregivers and for parents?
Something like 80% of babies ages birth to two years, and approximately 40% of children up to age 5, are cared for by family, friend, and neighbor caregivers. That’s a huge number of kids! So the question is what can we do as a system to support this relationship.
They’re family, friends, and neighbors. They’re grandma, or the neighbor down the street. They’re not necessarily going to become licensed. But they play a really important role, and they need resources.
The feedback we got when we talked to parents and caregivers in the FFN world was that problems would come up when expectations weren’t aligned. Because it’s not “formal care,” and often because it’s a family member or friend, people were afraid to have a conversation upfront about what’s expected. So we created a template for child care agreements, special care instructions, and daily and overnight routines (because a lot of parents using FFN care work the swing shift or night shift). We also created a series of short videos to promote playing as learning and to explain the whole concept of child care resource and referral services such as BANANAS.
The toolkit isn’t just for parents and FFN providers: we also put together information to help our counselors explain family, friend, and neighbor care to people who come in looking for child care. And we circulated these talking points and toolkits to other resource and referral agencies throughout the state to offer suggestions on how they can support families in accessing this important type of care.
You’re a member of the Lead Planning Team for Oakland Starting Smart and Strong. How is your work making Oakland smarter and stronger?
BANANAS’ philosophy has always been that if families are supported, the kids will be fine. That’s why our mission is “partnering with families and child care providers to raise happy, confident children.” And that’s why we are working to build stronger connections between families and their care providers.
BANANAS recently produced a toolkit and a series of videos designed to help create stronger partnerships between parents and their family, friend & neighbor caregivers (FFN). We sat down to talk with Executive Director Kym Johnson about the toolkit and more.
Why do you do what you do, Kym?
I’m the daughter of an elementary school teacher. She understood the importance of early education, because she saw the difference between children who had a solid start and those who didn’t. When I had my daughter, she was on me: “when are you putting her in preschool?” I had other careers, but when this opening at BANANAS came up two years ago, I jumped on it.
I remember visiting BANANAS to check out the resources when my daughter was young. What breaks my heart is the people who don’t know about us still. Because all the services we provide are free. All the parent education, all the alternative payment programs, professional development we offer for providers -- all of it is provided at no cost to them.
Why did you produce this toolkit for family, friend & neighbor caregivers and for parents?
Something like 80% of babies ages birth to two years, and approximately 40% of children up to age 5, are cared for by family, friend, and neighbor caregivers. That’s a huge number of kids! So the question is what can we do as a system to support this relationship.
They’re family, friends, and neighbors. They’re grandma, or the neighbor down the street. They’re not necessarily going to become licensed. But they play a really important role, and they need resources.
The feedback we got when we talked to parents and caregivers in the FFN world was that problems would come up when expectations weren’t aligned. Because it’s not “formal care,” and often because it’s a family member or friend, people were afraid to have a conversation upfront about what’s expected. So we created a template for child care agreements, special care instructions, and daily and overnight routines (because a lot of parents using FFN care work the swing shift or night shift). We also created a series of short videos to promote playing as learning and to explain the whole concept of child care resource and referral services such as BANANAS.
The toolkit isn’t just for parents and FFN providers: we also put together information to help our counselors explain family, friend, and neighbor care to people who come in looking for child care. And we circulated these talking points and toolkits to other resource and referral agencies throughout the state to offer suggestions on how they can support families in accessing this important type of care.
You’re a member of the Lead Planning Team for Oakland Starting Smart and Strong. How is your work making Oakland smarter and stronger?
BANANAS’ philosophy has always been that if families are supported, the kids will be fine. That’s why our mission is “partnering with families and child care providers to raise happy, confident children.” And that’s why we are working to build stronger connections between families and their care providers.
From February to June 2018, Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) piloted a weekly playgroup at the Central Family Resource Center (FRC) for families with children ages birth to 5. Children and parents played together, and parents have the opportunity to interact with each other, with the support of teacher leaders from Lotus Bloom and a mental health consultant from Jewish Family and Community Services. Families also attended workshops on early literacy and school and community resources in support of kindergarten readiness.
The Central FRC is a natural location for a playgroup, says Maria Sujo of OUSD, because families already come to this location when registering older children for school or accessing refugee and newcomer services.
Recently, OUSD Senior Program Coordinator Jackie Portillo and Lotus Bloom Parent Leader Autry Willis shared their thoughts on the pilot playgroup, which will renew in the fall.
The Central FRC is a natural location for a playgroup, says Maria Sujo of OUSD, because families already come to this location when registering older children for school or accessing refugee and newcomer services.
Recently, OUSD Senior Program Coordinator Jackie Portillo and Lotus Bloom Parent Leader Autry Willis shared their thoughts on the pilot playgroup, which will renew in the fall.
Jackie Portillo and Autry Willis, Central Family Resource Center Playgroup
Jackie, why did you decide to create this playgroup at the FRC?
This FRC is growing and growing. We’re serving 350 families a week through the food pantry on this site. Other families come to the FRC because they need help with Medi-Cal or other programs.
I started seeing that parents would come in with their kids and talk to each other, and play with the toys we did have. They wanted to be here. It put the idea of a playgroup in my head.
So, working with Maria Sujo at OUSD, we turned an empty classroom into the FRC playroom, where there’s lots of space to play and interact.
How have parents responded to the playgroup so far?
Jackie: parents love it. I’ve run other programs on kindergarten readiness, and I always say that we can have the best toys and the best practices, but if we don’t give parents the space and time to enjoy being parents, it doesn’t matter. They have that space here.
Autry: Parents are happy about having a place where they can interact. For example, we have two families who are Eritrean. The first day, when they came and saw each other and they were able to talk in their own language – they just lit up! I think the playgroup helps families get more familiar with OUSD too.
And for the children – let me give you one example. One of the little girls was quiet for the first two weeks. We put spinach and cucumber in the water and she thought it was “nasty.” This time she came in saying “teacher, teacher” and she was excited to drink the water. She’s feeling comfortable now, and that will help her later in preschool or kindergarten.
What’s your favorite part of the playgroup?
Autry: for me, it’s seeing parents get down on the floor with their kids, reading books, playing with play-dough or blocks. I love watching families get more comfortable taking the lead in playing with their own kids and others’ kids, and not just following the teacher.
Jackie: I love seeing parents understand the importance of play, and discover that they can change the lives of their children.
You don’t need to do much to run these playgroups. You just have to give space to parents and help them have confidence in their own skills.
I love to help parents see what is possible.
This FRC is growing and growing. We’re serving 350 families a week through the food pantry on this site. Other families come to the FRC because they need help with Medi-Cal or other programs.
I started seeing that parents would come in with their kids and talk to each other, and play with the toys we did have. They wanted to be here. It put the idea of a playgroup in my head.
So, working with Maria Sujo at OUSD, we turned an empty classroom into the FRC playroom, where there’s lots of space to play and interact.
How have parents responded to the playgroup so far?
Jackie: parents love it. I’ve run other programs on kindergarten readiness, and I always say that we can have the best toys and the best practices, but if we don’t give parents the space and time to enjoy being parents, it doesn’t matter. They have that space here.
Autry: Parents are happy about having a place where they can interact. For example, we have two families who are Eritrean. The first day, when they came and saw each other and they were able to talk in their own language – they just lit up! I think the playgroup helps families get more familiar with OUSD too.
And for the children – let me give you one example. One of the little girls was quiet for the first two weeks. We put spinach and cucumber in the water and she thought it was “nasty.” This time she came in saying “teacher, teacher” and she was excited to drink the water. She’s feeling comfortable now, and that will help her later in preschool or kindergarten.
What’s your favorite part of the playgroup?
Autry: for me, it’s seeing parents get down on the floor with their kids, reading books, playing with play-dough or blocks. I love watching families get more comfortable taking the lead in playing with their own kids and others’ kids, and not just following the teacher.
Jackie: I love seeing parents understand the importance of play, and discover that they can change the lives of their children.
You don’t need to do much to run these playgroups. You just have to give space to parents and help them have confidence in their own skills.
I love to help parents see what is possible.
Lola RockwellBrown and Sauda Burch, African American Parent Advisory Council
Since 2016, OUSD’s Early Childhood Education Department has partnered with High Expectations Parental Services, through the Smart and Strong Kids project, to offer a series of kindergarten readiness workshops to families of African-American students. Families who graduate from the series create African-American Parent Advisory Councils at their own schools.
We sat down to talk to Family Engagement Facilitator Lola RockwellBrown and Sauda Burch, an aunt to two preschoolers, who recently completed the workshop series.
Lola, tell us about the importance of these workshops.
The data reflects that the higher the parent involvement, the more success the child will have in school. It is the major factor that makes a difference. You can have a child at a poor-performing school and if the parents are involved, they will do fine. So, through these workshops we help parents get involved and we help the whole family get ready for the first day of kindergarten.
Lola, after the parents go through the workshops, they share their knowledge and leadership through the AAPAC. Why do you structure the program in this way?
Creating a platform for parents to participate draws out natural parent leaders that are already there, but just haven’t been identified. When parents are together in the workshops, they create a bond and know they’re not alone. Having a collaborative of parents that have built community in a school system and taken on leadership creates better opportunity for success for all the children.
Sauda, why is it important to you to be involved in the early years of the twins’ schooling?
The children are away from home 7 to 8 hours a day. What happens during those hours is important to who they become. All of the routes are being laid down now. The foundation for who they’ll be socially, what they’ll be excited about is being created now.
I want school to be a place where they are seen and where they thrive, and a partnership between the parents or caregivers and the teacher is important for that. I know also that kindergarten readiness is important to their academic success and I will do my part to ensure their readiness.
Sauda, what do you hope to share with other parents as a member of the AAPAC?
How important it is for parents to be in partnership with teachers; how it impacts your child’s education and their experience of schooling. Also, how to develop a plan for what you want to talk to the teacher about. I’d like for parents to see themselves as leaders of change in their children’s school.
My conversation with the twins’ teachers at this age is really “do we see them?” The character these children are building and how they’re able to navigate conflict and use their voice – that’s what I’m concerned about right now.
Lola, what do you love most about this work?
My joy is bringing some ECE on the scene that parents weren’t aware of. Often, parents get validated or they get excited that they were doing the right thing all along. Do you know what that does for a parent? It gives them the confidence to keep putting in the effort, which can make all the difference for their kids.
For more information on how you can support AAPACs, contact Teneh Weller at teneh@highexpectationsonline.com.
We sat down to talk to Family Engagement Facilitator Lola RockwellBrown and Sauda Burch, an aunt to two preschoolers, who recently completed the workshop series.
Lola, tell us about the importance of these workshops.
The data reflects that the higher the parent involvement, the more success the child will have in school. It is the major factor that makes a difference. You can have a child at a poor-performing school and if the parents are involved, they will do fine. So, through these workshops we help parents get involved and we help the whole family get ready for the first day of kindergarten.
Lola, after the parents go through the workshops, they share their knowledge and leadership through the AAPAC. Why do you structure the program in this way?
Creating a platform for parents to participate draws out natural parent leaders that are already there, but just haven’t been identified. When parents are together in the workshops, they create a bond and know they’re not alone. Having a collaborative of parents that have built community in a school system and taken on leadership creates better opportunity for success for all the children.
Sauda, why is it important to you to be involved in the early years of the twins’ schooling?
The children are away from home 7 to 8 hours a day. What happens during those hours is important to who they become. All of the routes are being laid down now. The foundation for who they’ll be socially, what they’ll be excited about is being created now.
I want school to be a place where they are seen and where they thrive, and a partnership between the parents or caregivers and the teacher is important for that. I know also that kindergarten readiness is important to their academic success and I will do my part to ensure their readiness.
Sauda, what do you hope to share with other parents as a member of the AAPAC?
How important it is for parents to be in partnership with teachers; how it impacts your child’s education and their experience of schooling. Also, how to develop a plan for what you want to talk to the teacher about. I’d like for parents to see themselves as leaders of change in their children’s school.
My conversation with the twins’ teachers at this age is really “do we see them?” The character these children are building and how they’re able to navigate conflict and use their voice – that’s what I’m concerned about right now.
Lola, what do you love most about this work?
My joy is bringing some ECE on the scene that parents weren’t aware of. Often, parents get validated or they get excited that they were doing the right thing all along. Do you know what that does for a parent? It gives them the confidence to keep putting in the effort, which can make all the difference for their kids.
For more information on how you can support AAPACs, contact Teneh Weller at teneh@highexpectationsonline.com.