We’re participating in a new program that I’m really excited about, one that focuses on preventing kids from needing to enter foster care.
We know that a predominant factor leading to the placement of children into foster care is neglect. Neglect is a multifaceted issue, but we know poverty is often a prevalent factor. Families frequently encounter difficulties in accessing essential resources, ranging from healthy food to transportation for medical appointments.
But how do we address this need? Our new partner, Every Mother’s Advocate (EMA), is focused on helping mothers meet fundamental needs before they reach critical levels. EMA’s approach is different than that of other agencies and innate to their focus on mothers. Instead of perceiving mothers as contributors to the problem, mothers are afforded advocacy and support. This model positions them as beneficiaries of guidance to help them successfully parent their children.
The Cincinnati EMA program launched this month and is housed at CityLink. You can listen here to a conversation WVXU hosted this week about it. Stay tuned for an update on how this pilot project works.
