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Council Member Stevens expresses support for expanded parenting programs
2:33:48
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159 sec
Council Member Althea V. Stevens expresses her strong support for the fatherhood program and emphasizes the importance of comprehensive parenting support services. She shares her personal experience as a teen mother and discusses the need for expanded services.
- Stevens highlights the often-overlooked role of fathers and the importance of supporting teen parents.
- She emphasizes the need for a holistic approach to family support, including legal guardians.
- The Council Member offers her support in further developing and potentially securing additional funding for these initiatives.
Althea V. Stevens
2:33:48
So I wanted to say I'm really just happy to hear that the fatherhood program is thriving.
2:33:53
I know we had a hearing about this I think probably was like a year or so ago when we talked about this.
2:33:58
Too often fathers are overlooked in this process and there's not a lot of services and supports for them and so I think that this is a great initiative.
2:34:06
I think also looking at teen parents is also important.
2:34:12
I'm I was a teen mom and understanding that there was not a lot of services that was provided, not a lot of places to go, it's a lot of just figuring the things out and so I do think as this is building out, think the co parent strategy is important.
2:34:26
One of the things that I've been trying to take on since I got an office in my district specifically is doing more parent groups and parent sharing.
2:34:33
Parents are struggling right now, especially when they don't know how to reach their young person and they're working and all these things.
2:34:41
So there is a need for this and so whatever supports that you guys need from me around like building things out, you guys know I'm a thought partner, but I do think that this is an important issue and topic and even we're thinking about like lack of supports around you know, not even lack of supports but the lack of things that we have offered when we are talking about young people.
2:35:06
If we're not helping and supporting the parents, sometimes it's all in void.
2:35:09
So I'm really happy that this father's initiative is building out.
2:35:13
Now we're talking about mothers and honestly just having a whole system around parenting I think is necessary and a key piece that has been missing.
2:35:22
So as this is building out I would love to be a part of it and
Keith Howard
2:35:25
continue to And in addition to that the family dynamic right because we know if we're dealing with a young person who is 18 and under or I just recently was part of a teen group over at Marcy Projects in Brooklyn and we met with a few young people, 16 year olds, 15 year olds who have one and two children.
2:35:47
That family dynamics also extends to the legal guardians as well.
2:35:52
Right?
2:35:53
Because the legal guardians are also struggling with resources and help.
2:35:58
Yep.
Althea V. Stevens
2:36:00
So whatever I can do to be supportive and if if we need to get more money, because that's what I do best, let me know because honestly I think this is a big a big missing piece because even when I'm going to community meetings and talking about public safety, I have parents who are like, my kid is out of control.
2:36:17
I don't know what to do and sometimes they just need a support network and a place to go to have these conversations.
2:36:23
So I think this is a necessary and an important piece.
2:36:26
I'm just gonna have a couple more questions about train and earn and then we're be done.