Seneca Arts & Learning Center Awarded Tribal Home Visiting Funds to Aid Local Families
Submitted by the Seneca Arts & Learning Center
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) announced $3 million in new awards to six tribal entities as part of the Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program, which develops and strengthens tribal capacity to support and promote the health and well-being of expectant families and families with young children aged birth to kindergarten entry in American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) communities. The Seneca Nation Seneca Arts and Learning Center has been awarded $320,268.
“We are very excited about this new round of grant recipients, who will develop their programs in collaboration with their communities reflecting their cultures and representing the vision, priorities and hopes they have for future generations,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Jeff Hild. “As Tribal home visiting continues to expand, we look forward to engaging with grant recipients and honoring tribal sovereignty as they continue in their journey to provide essential services for young American Indian and Alaska Native children and their families.”
The Tribal Home visiting program awarded to the Seneca Arts and Learning Center will fill the diverse needs of children and families in communities and provide an opportunity for significant collaboration and partnership at the federal, state, tribal, and community levels to improve health and development outcomes for at-risk children through evidence-based home visiting from pregnancy through school age. These funds are intended to effectively coordinate and deliver critical health, development, early learning, child abuse and neglect prevention, and family support services to children and families.
The Seneca Arts and Learning Center is excited about this opportunity to collaborate with community to create a tribal home visiting program that reflects our culture and the priorities of our future generations.
This program is the only one in this region as there is no other tribal home visiting programs in Western New York.
Tribal home visiting has always been a traditional concept- it brings our tribal community together to support our mothers and family during pregnancy, post-natal, and as child grows and develops.
The Seneca Arts and Learning Center is focused on early detection and early intervention for children with developmental delays. We see those early detections missed because they’re not talked about enough or caregivers lack education in developmental milestones. This home visiting program is going to bridge that gap and provide families and community support, which will include:
- Offering support overall- in the home and for the family.
- Support, advice, guidance, through regular planned visits.
- Provide developmental education- so caregivers know milestones, and aid with early detection or delays
- Provide opportunities for healthy family engagement
- Create a support system of parent-to- parent to encourage and strengthen relationships
- Provide committee opportunities to provide all families a platform where they feel heard.
- Provide parent education rights
A future goal to have this program roll into an early head start program to provide opportunities to all children.
Some families may feel disconnected to Seneca culture and are unable to teach traditional values to their children. This program can help connect them to their roots by strengthening cultural knowledge to carry on traditions to our future generations.
Caregivers struggle at times and need support. The long-term goal is to have home visitors provide a strong, consistent support system and be knowledgeable in proactive generational trauma.
One of the best parts of this award is the ability to connect with community members and other nations.
Benefits to the Allegany Community
Having an extended network, to be able to assist in the homes, along with knowledge and understanding is priceless in an Indigenous community. Our goal is to provide a universal approach to all Seneca Art and Learning students and community youths.
We were one of 8 tribes chosen for this grant. This process has helped us navigate expanding early childhood services within our community to create a solid foundation in providing quality services in our community.
Home visitors aim to assist families through all stages of pregnancy and beyond by providing support for caregivers who are learning to care for an infant. The home visitor will help parents understand child developmental milestones and promote positive parenting techniques.
Providing extra support to families is very beneficial not only for children but parents and extended family members as well.
Peer support- understands Seneca culture and values:
- Provide a culturally grounded framework that allows multiple implementation pathways for the program.
- Our goal is to have mentors that are culturally responsive through listening and understanding family background
Senecas are part of the Hodinösho:ni’ confederacy and Keepers of the Western Door. The Allegany community is rich in traditions and cultural practices. Incorporating what we know as professionals about these practices combined with family heritages is important to this program. We are coming into these homes with respect and guidance. The goal is to grow and learn together as one mind and one community.
What new improvements or benefits will be offered?
The first year is our implementation year. Our goals are to conduct a/an:
- Community Needs Readiness Assessment (CNRA), which will create a safe space to bring up concerns or to bring up ideas and can share those things.
- Collaboration effort with Families to discuss what worked for them or what didn’t work for them, which is really empowering to share experiences from not only our community but also from our program which brings a sense of unity in implementing a successful program and best practice outcomes.
- Interview for a Project Manager- must be educated in Social Services, Early Childhood, and a background in Native American communities. (Native Preference)
- Program that will increase the number of families that we are serving, and we get to be a part of their journey as they enter this opportunity.
- Opportunity to provide developmental education and referrals for early intervention and Committee on Preschool Education (CPSE)
