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Rio Hondo College News

MEDIA ALERT
3600 Workman Mill Road / Whittier, CA 90601 / 562-692-0921
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
Merle Enriquez   Secretary
Department: Planning and Development
Phone:  (562) 692-0921  Ext. 3412
Rio E-Mail: MEnriquez@riohondo.edu

PRESS RELEASE
3600 Workman Mill Road / Whittier, CA 90601 / 562-692-0921
RELEASE DATE: February 24, 2006


Rio Hondo College’s Office of Foster and Kinship Care Education  Presents “Baby City”
 

The Office of Foster and Kinship Care Education at Rio Hondo College presents “Baby City:” an event for pregnant and parenting youth who are or have been placed in foster care. These youth, who have grown up without their natural parents, sometimes in group settings, often find that they do not possess the skills to properly parent their own children. The idea for “Baby City” originated from the Pregnancy and Parenting Teen sub committee of the Inter Agency Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect of Los Angeles to address this issue. This free event will focus on the specific needs of foster or former foster youth as they begin parenting, while offering access to resources and information.

“Baby City” will take place on Saturday, March 18, 2006. The event will run from 8:00 am to 3:00pm at Rio Hondo College, 3600 Workman Mill Road, Whittier, CA. For more information on this event please contact the Office of Foster and Kinship Care Education at 562-692-0921 ext. 3221.

“I am pleased that, once again, Rio Hondo College is breaking new ground by facilitating collaboration between non-profits, government agencies, and the college,” said Gary Mendez President of the Rio Hondo College Board of Trustees. “This college continues to offer unique and cutting edge programs that reflect our commitment to both collaboration and lifelong learning.”

The curriculum for this event was developed by a committee consisting of representatives from the following agencies: Los Angeles Department of Children & Family Services, The Alliance for Children’s Rights, Forman Consulting, Inter-Agency Council on Child Abuse and Neglect, Public Counsel, Los Angeles County Probation Department and the Community College Foundation. “Baby City” is funded by a grant from The Kaiser Foundation, which is distributed by The Community College Foundation.

“Rio Hondo College is unwavering in our dedication to providing needed services,” said Dr. Rose Marie Joyce, President of Rio Hondo College. “I am pleased that we can be an educational resource for all members of our community.”

The event includes breakfast, four workshops, lunch, an afternoon presentation, and raffle. Upon registering, participants will receive a bag containing baby goods. A few of the topics covered will be: Domestic Violence, Legal Aid and Family Law, and Parenting.

“’Baby City’ is a very important program for parenting foster youth.” said Lydia Slawson of the Office of Foster and Kinship Care Education at Rio Hondo College. “These workshops empower participants to navigate the very difficult task of being a parent and providing a good home for their children.”

Several agencies will have resource tables including: WIC, Project Cuddle, First 5 Boxes, The Children’s Bureau, Project Sister, Wings Crisis Center, Transitional Resources Center, and Teen Line. There will additional resource tables providing information about housing, legal issues, child care, fathering, and health.

Located in Whittier, California, Rio Hondo College is a collaborative center of lifelong learning which provides innovative, challenging, and quality educational offering - including programs and courses leading to transfer and vocational degrees and certificates - for its diverse students and community. For information on the College or its programs, please call 562-692-0921 or visit www.riohondo.edu.

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