public health

Program Overview:

Project Connect is a secondary child abuse prevention program designed specifically for mothers in stable recovery and their children. The program aims to cultivate safe, resilient families by fostering the development and maintenance of protective factors, thereby reducing the risk of child abuse.

Utilizing a comprehensive approach to parenting and child development, Project Connect integrates parent services and training based on the Common-Sense Parenting Girls and Boys Town Model. It also incorporates best practices from addiction treatment, including coping and life skills for children of alcoholics and addicts, as well as nationally recognized measurement tools such as Ages and Stages and Achenbach assessments. Individualized one-on-one instruction and coaching are provided to parents who are at high risk of child abuse or neglect.

Parents engage in skill-building exercises with their children within the supportive environment of an on-site child development center tailored to the needs of the target population. Trained behavioral instructors facilitate sessions, which include parent involvement, modeling, role-playing, and peer leadership review.

The program serves low-income, low-education, unemployed, homeless, or at-risk-of-homelessness women who are diagnosed with substance addiction, with over 75% also experiencing co-occurring disorders, aged 18 and older, and either pregnant or with minor children. These participants are enrolled in Rays of Sonshine long-term residential substance abuse treatment, with 25 families (comprising 45 children) accommodated in three-tier housing options. The program's ultimate aim is to restore families by providing support at various stages of recovery.

Funding is allocated to cover salaries for behavioral instructors, life skills group leaders, utilities, supplies, equipment, furnishings, transportation to appointments, and monitoring of peer leadership. By focusing on the development of parenting skills and support, Project Connect directly addresses the primary causes of child abuse and neglect in Region VIII, namely substance abuse and lack of parenting knowledge. Its overarching goals include eliminating substance dependency, enhancing parenting skills and knowledge, and fostering social support while addressing all protective factors.

Problem and Priority Population: 

PROBLEM: Project CONNECT addresses the two most common causes for child abuse and neglect in Region VIII with the most effective way to prevent it. The LCTF Prevention Plan 2009-2014 identifies substance abuse and lack of parenting skills and knowledge as the two most common causes of child abuse and neglect in the region. The regional planning process also identified parenting education and support as the most effective ways to prevent child abuse and neglect in the region. Project CONNECT addresses these findings which are recapped as the following recommendation priorities for Region VIII:

TARGET POPULATION: Project CONNECT serves low income families who are women diagnosed with severe DSM V qualified substance addiction with over 75% having extensive co-occurring disorders also, who are 18 or older AND who are pregnant or have minor children. Participants also have one or more additional risk factors for child abuse including low education or literacy, unemployed or low job skills, homeless or at risk of homelessness. Project CONNECT, the only residential community program for child abuse prevention in our region, addresses each of these needs with specific on-site interventions.

Geographic Location:

Considered part of the Mississippi Delta, northeast Louisiana is one of 40 HUD Rural Renewal Zones. The area has repeatedly received media attention for being among the poorest in the nation, with low educational levels, and high dreg related crime. Our offices and residential facilities are located in the city of Monroe, in the parish of Ouachita, which has been described as "an island in a sea of very rural, agricultural parishes" in the northeast quadrant of Louisiana, about five hours north of New Orleans. With a population of over 50,000 residents, Monroe is 37% Caucasian and 61% African-American. 26% of its families and 32.3% of individuals live below the poverty level.' High poverty rates correlate directly with high crime rates and high rates of drug related crime, thus high potential for child abuse. United States crime drug related rate is 49.5% drug related, Louisiana has a 54.2% rate, while Monroe has a 90-95% drug related rate, thus punctuating our area to be even more at risk for child abuse than most any other place in the state or nation. Rural areas also stand high risk of child abuse: Monroe is surrounded by very rural parishes with an even higher poverty rates with high school dropout rates.. These data sets mean that residents of the region often lack the resources for child prevention education, intervention, and treatment, thus become high risk of child abuse. Over 48% of women served at Rays identify themselves as being from rural parishes and say their lack of parenting skills either drove them to mistreat their children or leave them to use drugs and alcohol - they lack services, transportation.. therefore the opportunity to bring their children with them in to this treatment addresses the two-fold barrier to being a resilient family - drug addiction and lack of parenting skills - Many rural participants say project CONNECT is a "miracle". References follow page 6.

Problems to be Solved:

Since 1998, Rays Of Sonshine has been dedicated to addressing the most pressing needs within our community. Our primary focus has always been on restoring families, recognizing this as crucial to our mission. This commitment has led us to prioritize serving populations with the greatest need, particularly those affected by substance abuse.

The link between substance abuse treatment for women and the well-being of their children is a vital aspect of the care system in the communities we serve. Studies by CASA have revealed that between 8 to 20% of women receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families struggle with substance abuse, which significantly impacts their ability to fulfill maternal responsibilities and places their children at risk of abuse. Sadly, in environments characterized by poverty, crime, and substance abuse, the children of addicts often become unintended victims.

Statistics indicate that a staggering number of children in America—more than 8 million out of 75 million—have parents battling addiction to drugs or alcohol. This pervasive issue not only strains the foster care and juvenile justice systems but also affects welfare programs, educational outcomes, and children's overall health. It's a vicious cycle, with up to 70% of children with addicted parents eventually succumbing to substance abuse themselves.

Despite the immense societal costs of substance abuse, funding for prevention and treatment remains disproportionately low. Research by CASA has shown that out of every dollar spent dealing with drug abuse and its consequences, only four cents are allocated to prevention and treatment efforts, disregarding the needs of abused children. In our state alone, $5.3 billion is spent addressing child abuse and neglect, with a staggering 79% of cases linked to parental substance abuse.

Identifying substance abuse as a risk factor for child maltreatment is well-documented, yet barriers to accessing treatment exacerbate the risk. Low-income women, especially those experiencing homelessness, encounter additional hurdles such as lack of transportation, childcare, and financial resources. Over 75% of the women we serve fall into this category, facing social isolation, abuse, and a lack of support networks.

Project CONNECT stands as a beacon of hope in the fight against child abuse in northeast Louisiana. Our program aims to instill hope for personal and familial transformation, fostering healthier relationships within families through parenting education, addiction treatment, and life skills training. By providing comprehensive services—including housing assistance, education support, childcare, transportation, and financial planning—we empower families to transition to independent living safely and sustainably, thereby preventing child abuse and breaking the cycle of neglect and addiction.

Impact: 

Knowledge of Parenting -

In this way parents gain an understanding of how their children grow and develop and how to respond accordingly and appropriately.

Concrete Supports -

recovery support. Individualized, person centered intensive case management helps families connect to medical and mental health and social services including, particularly, to children's services. Through these resources, families participating in Project CONNECT can become safe, resilient families.

Resiliency -

recognize and deal with their own challenges creatively and with a positive attitude, and to seek help or guidance when needed.

Nurturing and Attachment -

Children experience nurturing and develop trust as their parents learn to care for them in the caring and supportive environment of the residential program and on-site child development center. Parents build confidence and family routines of established times spent each day with child focused on child interested activities.

Social Support -

to connect and by learning to manage relationships, participating families also begin the process of learning to give and receive help with extended family members without caretaking or enabling. Third, significantly, participants also make connection to their community by giving back through volunteer community service at The Zone (the Rays of Sonshine community warehouse and food pantry), through neighborhood clean-ups, and in community service positions based upon their abilities and interest throughout the Rays of Sonshine projects. This element of embedded community service is defining of the Rays of Sonshine projects and often kindles a renewed sense of self-worth, value and empowerment which strengthens stability in recovery, resulting ultimately in greater stability in parenting and family connectedness.

How will program aid in preventing child abuse/neglect:

Project CONNECT, a child abuse prevention program, is a direct application of the most effective way to prevent child abuse and neglect, which is development of parenting skills and support, to the two most common causes of child abuse and neglect in Region VIII (Monroe located) which are substance abuse and lack of parenting skills and knowledge. Then the most common outside barriers of women entering treatment are transportation, child care, lack of means to pay + inside barriers of lack of interpersonal skills and self-confidence and homelessness. IF these are not also addressed then there is still an extreme risk of child abuse or neglect. Project CONNECT ADDRESSES EACH ONE SPECIFICALLY. Founded in 1998, this has been being done at Rays of Sonshine (ROS) since 2007 when ROS began to also house participant's children.

These services are not otherwise available in this direct application bestowed ROS is the only long term residential recovery community for women with their children in Region VIlI and only one in six in Louisiana, but is the only one with such a multi-faceted depth of services.

Theory of Change:

Adults: Rays of Sonshine is a long-term ad diction recovery residence community where moms can bring their children into treatment with them, or work to get reunited with them. It is a holistic, blended model approach to recovery and long-term sustainability, including, but not limited to the use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (for the clinical treatment of addiction): Boys Town Model called Common Sense Parenting for parenting and child behavior modeling: Seeking Safety for PTSD (of which all suffer levels of); 12 Step model; incorporation of wrap around services (added to or subtracted from based in client centered approach - what is greatest need) such as time management, social skills, problem solving, goal planning, budgeting, meal and grocery planning, art and music therapy, physical education, yoga, Adult Education, job training and placement, savings accounts, transportation. Each client has a weekly or bi-weekly counseling session, weekly case management. Every family unit has a hands on modeling in the presence of staff every evening and then at least one full day with counseling regularly. Weekly off-site socials, AA, and Celebrate Recovery meetings that children attend also.

Children: Boys Town Model of development including 30 rotating social skills training (7 days per week); Abeka Education for under school age (adapted related to those present in home); Children of Alcoholic group (TANF required for children 5 and up) two times week. Child Development Center held inside the Mom's with Children Home is from 7:30am - 6pm Monday through Friday.

Project CONNECT will aid in prevention of child abuse/neglect by eliminating two most common causes:

1. Substance dependency: on-site Department of Health and Hospital licensed addiction clinic, accredited by CARF (international accreditation), smoke, tobacco, and drug free community.

Mandatory drug and nicotine screens regularly, On-site big book studies, AA & support meetings on-site and in community weekly, best practice, holistic approach to recovery including daily elimination of sugar and caffeine, the lowering of processed food which causes recovery to bump from 30% to over 80%, the installing of three water filtering systems where participants have goal of drinking 64 ounces minimum daily, thus offsets a major health issue almost all have when enter - dehydration; incorporate daily walking and Physical Ed three times week, with 3 onsite workout locations to promote self-worth and health; weekly yoga to incorporate mindfulness/wellness qxperience; use blended model of treatment with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - best practice cr this brain disease. Have life and home management groups, budgeting.. all works together to insure the highest quality of treatment available.

81+% sustained productive life in 2018.

2. Lack of parenting skills and knowledge: participants have daily participating in learning. modeling, observing, mirroring, parenting skills with the presence of experienced moms (been on-site longer), with trained Behavioral instructors, trained residential staff; have weekly counseling with a doctorate level staff; weekly (minimum) parenting group with video examples and roll play, weekly special session with local university specialists who field greatest need amongst them and bring lessons and hands on activities to strengthen skills in parenting or any life skill putting them at risk of success; weekly peer mom reflection group to practice problem solving, nightly peer "countdown" group to discuss problems or bring ideas; presence of a suggestion box if want feedback from specific staff; process of immediate communication if in a crisis; access to a ROS emergency phone number or a parenting hotline at Boys Town.

Project CONNECT will aid in prevention of child abuse/neglect by the development of two critical factors:

1. Development of parenting skills: Through rolls play, modeling, through having to tend to child daily with monitoring; spending set time every evening reading to child; learning about cooking, home maintenance and participating in both; all above #2 added

2. Development of social support: having weekly Sunday afternoon social activities; going to weekly support meetings, having planned weekly activities with children, participating in peer counsel - developing leadership and social connectivity; going on at least 8 special event outings yearly; involvement in group exercise and sports; living in a group home; a ROS apartment complex support environment; participating in weekly teambuilding community service of packing 10,000+ pounds of groceries in 500 bags for a public food pantry the next day, involved with daily social skills group practicing 30 social skills on a rotation; interact at children's school; get a job; go to school

Project CONNECT will aid in prevention of child abuse/neglect by eliminating outside barrier to treatment entrance and continuance through providing transportation, child care services, and treatment and all services based in income (99% of our over 1000 participants have not had means to pay for services since 1998), connect them to all services necessary to stabilize their physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being; provide clothes, hygiene products, shoes... whatever needed to eliminate stigma of lack. for them and their children through the , daily donations at the ROS Community Warehouse called The Zone.

Project CONNECT will aid in prevention of child abuse/neglect by eliminating inside barriers of lack of interpersonal skills, self-confidence, and housing, through the whole community housing is set in actual home settings with client centered treatment goals and groups based in present needs of skill development by qualified counselors well-seasoned with over 130 years combined experience. There gre social skills groups, communication groups, time management groups, adult education group neal planning and grocery shopping events, budgeting... on and on, building confidence and strong self- esteem, ending weekly with a life application group where all share positive thoughts about their week. Families call ROS home, staying for years - till they finish school and connect to a job, till they get their high school equivalent (average score at intake is about 7* grade) Project CONNECT HAS BEEN A MIRALCE FOR 1005 OF FAMILIESI A NATIVE AMERICAN entered broken, hopeless and afraid of never ever having her child. She stayed, got her child, got skills, a "family", a place to call home, stayed four years.

That a total of 9 years ago. She has been promoted to a state level position in the HUD HMIS system of computer tracking, travels nationally; her son is well rounded and in a university in Texas excelling in music systems.

Proposed Activities:

Adult activities identified on attached schedule.

Children activities also on attached schedule, but guidelines below:

The MWC Child Development Center Program is designed to break the cycle of addictive disorders in the children of addicts and alcoholics by promoting the re-establishment of a healthy mother-child bond and providing quality family centered child development and socialization skills. The primary target recipients are children, birth to age 11, whose mother is in long-term residential treatment with Rays of Sonshine (ROS), but added to those living on-site, ROS works to re-unite and serve all children of ROS clients through case management, special appointments, on-site visits, COA groups, children groups, socials, and overnights.

The MWC Child Development Center is house in the Residential DHH Licensed home. It has house rules (posted) that are followed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Violations are treated with time-outs according to age.

All day skills, discipline and privileges are modeled after the Boys Town Model of Common Sense Parenting.

All day staff, moms and residential staff are trained and coached in this t.echnique. The ROS

Child Development Center has a set schedule, curriculum, and expectation:

..

The curriculum has a 12 week rotation

Every week has a theme curriculum followed specifically by staff in all training, education, groups, art projects, videos

· Every day has activity charting by staff

· Every day each child has documentation page of activities, concerns, etc written by staff Every day meals, snacks, and drinks are followed according to set plan Every day a new theme group social skills is put on the wall. There are 30 in rotation.

· These are placed in each residential location and at the clinic, rotating the same; keeping the theme the same everywhere - able to be modeled, discussed and critiqued for the full day- both children & adults

· The day begins at 7:30, with all children dressed, fed and ready for "school"- with mothers having fixed bottles, etc getting their child ready for the day. The Development Center schedule ends at 5:00 pm. But the full day schedule (based in age) is carried on until lights out at 11 pm.

· Mother prepares school age children readiness to "catch the school ride" at set time

· Homework assistance begins after afternoon snack

· All children participate in home chores age appropriate, following a "chore chart" rotation

In total, 35 children, 35 adults, 35 families, and 35 parents will be served.

The organization has requested $50,000 for this program. I have included budget items below (in no particular order):

Lead Behavioral Instructor- $15,000 total but only allocating at 25%

Three (3) Behavioral Instructors: $16,250 total

Marriage and Family Therapist: ?

Supplies total expense is $5,659.00

Fire monitoring: $60/month

Flood Insurance: $621/year

Other charges: Total Expense $6,000

Equipment: Total Expense $2,000

Financial Assistant: $1,000

Bookkeeper: $613.00

Executive Director: $3,387

Please aid the organization in placing the following in the correct category (i.e., Salary, Operating Expenses, Supplies, Other Charges, Equipment, and Indirect):

· Playground equipment

· Baby beds

· Diaper

· Wipes

· School uniforms

· House repairs

· Shampoo

· Cleaning supplies

· Car seats

· Mattresses

· sheets