Wayfinder Family Services New Heights Newsletter Fall 2020

Fall 2020

NEW HEIGHTS Stories about life-changing journeys made possible by you!

“Can the Tooth Fairy find me here?”

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ames, age 6, was worried. He was going to lose his first tooth while staying at The Cottage, Wayfinder’s temporary shelter for children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect. James had come to The Cottage because his mother, who was struggling with drug addiction, neglected him. Concerned neighbors saw the little boy’s health and appearance deteriorate. His condition worsened during the state’s pandemic stay-home order. They called the police to report their concerns.

NEW HEIGHTS Take a look inside Wayfinder’s latest newsletter:

James came to Wayfinder hungry, confused, exhausted and wearing dirty clothes. He had been through so much.

The Cottage immediately became his safe haven. Social workers began searching for a relative or foster family to care for him. Our Cottage staff made James feel loved. After taking a shower, he received three new outfits plus his own laundered clothes. His eyes lit up when he saw his room with a comfortable bed and fresh sheets. He smiled when a Cottage counselor handed him books and toys to play with. But he wondered if the Tooth Fairy would know where he was when his loose tooth came out.

Our mental health therapist assessed the level of trauma James had experienced. She listened as James talked about his mother and his fear of what would come next.

During dinner with other children and counselors, James exclaimed with excitement, “My tooth!” His tooth had come out. The boy proudly displayed the gap in his smile.

But his joy quickly turned to worry. James stopped smiling. Wayfinder counselor Greg Nicholson Jr. noticed right away and asked how James was feeling. With apprehension, (continued on back cover)

Wayfinder Moments from virtual camp to porch drops during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis (page 4)

Junior Blind has a new name! WAYFINDER FAMILY SERVICES

Q&A with Miki Jordan Wayfinder Family Services President & CEO

How is Wayfinder responding to calls for greater equity?

We believe Black lives matter. Wayfinder is committed to real and lasting societal change and to being a part of the solution. The health and economic impact of the pandemic is disproportionately ravaging communities of color that suffer from generations of prejudice, poverty and racism. This is a call to action for every one of us to stand up in support of equity and justice and against injustice and racism.

Wayfinder has taken important steps: • In all our work, we strive to improve our clients’ access to health and well-being, economic opportunity, educational success, and safety and resilience.

• One of the four pillars of our strategic plan is Advancing Equity.

We are committed to continuing to diversify our leadership, ensuring staff from underrepresented groups have opportunities to become leaders, and engaging our clients in service design and goal setting.

• In 2019, Wayfinder formed an Inclusion Council of employees who are championing equity and fostering open discussions in our organization.

• Last year, we began offering implicit bias training to our workforce and leadership.

We recognize we can and must do more. We will listen and learn. We will continue to stand together for diversity, inclusion, justice and equity.

What can the curb-cut effect teach us about equity?

We recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which ensured that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. Norm Kaplan recognized the need for equity more than 65 years ago when he founded Junior Blind.

The ADA established accessibility standards for public spaces, like cutouts in curbs so that people in wheelchairs could be more independent.

It turned out that curb cuts benefitted many people—travelers pulling wheeled suitcases, parents pushing strollers, bicyclists, delivery people and more. The curb-cut effect shows us that meeting the needs of the most vulnerable benefits us all.

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2 • Fall 2020

Wayfinder continues to help children and families during the COVID-19 crisis.

Please consider a gift today and help us stand in the gap for families in need. Your gift can provide: Diapers and formula for two weeks for an infant ($50) 20 meals for children in our programs ($100) One day of 1-to-1 individual care for a child with a disability ($250) 30 hours of extra cleaning of our facilities ($500) 30 hours of additional nursing staff time ($1,000) Increased inventory of protective equipment and supplies for our staff ($2,500) A fully equiped isolation facility for Wayfinder clients in the event of infection ($5,000) Visit www.wayfinderfamily.org/cares to make a gift or use the enclosed envelope. Thank you!

A Trusted Connection

Legally blind and in foster care, Yanci has found support

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ven in a world that has become virtual, Yanci, age 19, found the personal connection she needed in Wayfinder’s Transition Services. Yanci is legally blind and unable to read printed material. Also, she is in the process of leaving foster care without being adopted or reuniting with her biological family.

With traumatic, unstable childhoods and no family guidance, life outcomes for many foster youth like Yanci can be grim: only a tiny percentage go on to college and many struggle to gain stable employment and housing.

A referral sent Yanci to Transition Services, Wayfinder’s program for youth and young adults with vision impairment. They explore careers and educational options, gain independent-living skills and increase workforce readiness. Being offered online during the pandemic, the program’s TeleTransition Virtual Trainings provide pre-employment training, small group sessions and individualized 1:1 follow-ups with instructors to ensure youth achieve their objectives.

Yanci was assigned to Wayfinder’s Diana Cortez for follow-up trainings. “She was very reserved,” Diana says. “At the beginning she wouldn’t ask me anything.” Diana wanted to help Yanci achieve her goal of employment, but Yanci wouldn’t discuss her situation. To break down the barriers, Diana had a heart-to-heart conversation with Yanci. “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me the areas you need help in,” Diana said to Yanci.

That talk made all the difference. Yanci realized someone cared.

She started opening up to Diana. The young woman began to trust and to show her cheerful nature. “Yanci is very hardworking,” Diana says. “She is very considerate and thanks me for everything I do.”

Now, Yanci reaches out to Diana to solve problems. “She found a connection,” says Diana. “She found something positive.” With Diana’s help, Yanci continues to seek permanent housing and employment. But now she’s not doing it alone.

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A Lasting Legacy

W

e all have dreams and purpose. Things we want to achieve in our lifetime. A legacy we want to leave behind.

Since 1953, the purpose of Wayfinder Family Services has been to strive for a world in which every child and family can overcome the obstacles they face—a world in which everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Leave your lasting legacy to future generations of children, youth, adults and families facing some of the greatest challenges by remembering Wayfinder Family Services in your estate plans.

Planned gifts offer Wayfinder sustained, long-term financial support, so that we can continue our critical programs for decades to come. In fact, much of our success is due to the generous support of donors who provided for Wayfinder in their estates.

You can depend on Wayfinder Family Services to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow!

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To learn more about planned gifts, contact Randy Sprabary at: (323) 295-4555 Ext 220 or rsprabary@wayfinderfamily.org NEW HEIGHTS • 3

WAYFINDER MOMENTS Junior Blind has a new name!

WAYFINDER FAMILY SERVICES PORCH DROPS

When California instituted a stay-at-home order in response to the pandemic, Wayfinder staff knew that many of our families would struggle to secure the necessities. Our early intervention specialists and foster care workers contacted families to learn their needs. Staff prepared customized packages using items donated by our in-kind partners. We called the deliveries “porch drops.” Among the items staff delivered were diapers, formula, masks, cleaning supplies, and arts and crafts materials appropriate for the ages of the children in each family. Early intervention families also received light boxes and adaptive toys to use in teletherapy sessions with their specialists. Though weekly at first, porch drops are continuing as families need them.

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VIRTUAL CAMP

Sisters Milagros, age 12, and Metzli, age 14, love Camp Bloomfield—whether it’s in person or virtual! Milagros has Down syndrome and vision impairment. For two years, Metzli attended camp as her sister’s sighted buddy before becoming a counselor-in-training. “They look forward to Camp Bloomfield,” mom Rosie says. “Metzli asks me, ‘Mom, is the application up yet? Make sure you get it in.’”

Due to the pandemic in 2020, Camp Bloomfield provided live-streamed activities with audio description for campers who are blind or visually impaired. Milagros was eager to attend camp in its new form. She received Camp in a Box, containing activity supplies to do with her counselors from home. Milagros was happy to have a little piece of Camp Bloomfield this summer, even at home.

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Photos courtesy of Lucky Brand, one of our generous supporters. Thank you to #LuckyTogether for donating 1,000 masks to Wayfinder staff and families!

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

The educators in Wayfinder’s Special Education School are going beyond the classroom to ensure our children continue to learn during the pandemic. Our school offers an enriching learning environment for children and youth, ages 5 to 21, who are visually impaired or have moderate-to-severe disabilities. When the stay-home order closed the physical school, our staff customized each child’s lesson plan for online delivery. Many students are non-verbal and need a 1:1 or 1:2 staff-to-student ratio for effective learning. Students participated daily in individual lessons with a teacher via Zoom, plus large- and small-group activities. If families lacked technology, they received iPads and a means to connect to the Internet. In addition to dropping off learning materials at families’ homes, staff are providing items such as meals, diapers, masks and cleaning supplies. Our teachers are doing everything they can to ensure that families can support their students’ learning until we can welcome them back to the school.

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NEW HEIGHTS • 5

Junior Blind has a new name! WAYFINDER FAMILY SERVICES

David Has a Bright Future Meet an inspiring Wayfinder resident

D

avid* suffered severe abuse, but with Wayfinder’s help and his personal strength, he is beating the odds. David’s father, Joe, hit his son with brass knuckles, pointed a gun at him and threatened to kill him. When David was 13 years old, a teacher gained his trust. She reported the abuse, and David was placed with a foster family.

behavioral therapy from his child and family specialist.

With nurturing care, he blossomed in our program.

“My staff quickly realized that David was one of the brightest kids we’ve ever worked with,” says Kristal Audoma, director of STRTP. During his six months in our program, David maintained a 4.0 grade point average and graduated from high school.

After a time, Joe asked the court to send David home.

Joe claimed he would not hurt David again. The judge believed Joe and announced that David was to return home. All of David’s traumatic memories came flooding back. He was terrified and didn’t want to live with his father. David became suicidal and was hospitalized.

With the help of a social worker, David reconnected with his maternal grandmother and uncle. These family bonds will be extremely important supports for David as he progresses through young adulthood. When David and his specialist decided he was ready, he moved from STRTP into a temporary foster home while his grandmother completes the legal steps to become his guardian.

When David’s condition improved, child welfare workers sent him to live in Wayfinder’s Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Program, or STRTP. Our STRTP is a highly structured, residential program on our Los Angeles campus for traumatized foster youth with acute mental health and behavioral issues.

David was age 16 when he arrived at Wayfinder.

In STRTP, he received intensive mental health and

David is looking forward to sharing a home with someone who loves him. He has recently enrolled in community college. Not many children who experience the kind of physical and emotional abuse that David endured can put their lives back together. With resilience, intelligence and support from Wayfinder, David is moving forward.

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Did you know? Lilliput Families is now a part of Wayfinder Family Services. Lilliput is known for

being a champion for children in the child welfare system. Together, we form one of the largest nonprofit providers of foster and adoption services in the state. Wayfinder is continuing to deliver all its programs for children and adults with vision loss or other disabilities.

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*Some details and David’s name have been changed, and stock photography was used to protect his privacy.

GREGORY NICHOLSON JR. is a Wayfinder Meet the assistant director of our Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Program. Greg was recently promoted from a shift supervisor in our Cottage.

How do you bring Wayfinder Family Services’ mission to life?

I bring the mission to life by: number one, having integrity and humility and, number two, coming to work with the understanding that no matter what behavior the kids display, they are still victims. Most have experienced traumatic events in their life. My job is to plant that seed in each child, to give them the opportunity to grow to become the best version of themselves.

What does being a Wayfinder mean to you?

To be open and honest, transparent and vulnerable. To come to work with the expectation of changing the lives of everyone I come in contact with—clients, peers and colleagues. Going above and beyond to meet expectations. And to always operate with the best interests of the youth at heart.

Read more about the programs Greg has worked in: Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Program (page 6) and The Cottage (cover).

Can you share one of your favorite Wayfinder moments?

My favorite was working at The Cottage on Christmas for two years in a row. I had the opportunity to help the residents who were unfortunately not at home with their families at Christmas. We gave them a beautiful Christmas morning with gifts and a very special breakfast.

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DID YOU KNOW? Infants and toddler

represent more than half of the annual entries into foster care.

Wayfinder’s Temporary Shelter Care program, known as The Cottage, is one of only three residential programs of its kind in Los Angeles County. The Cottage houses and cares for children from infancy through age 17 who have been recently removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect and are awaiting placement with a relative or foster family. Of the three facilities, The Cottage is the only one licensed to care for infants and toddlers—the age group that represents more than half of annual entries into foster care. This means that The Cottage is receiving every child in the county under age 5 who is removed from home and cannot be immediately placed with a foster family or a relative.

NEW HEIGHTS • 7

We are changing the future.

At Wayfinder Family Services, we understand the unique challenges facing some of our community’s most vulnerable youth and adults.

Those with vision loss or multiple disabilities, those in foster care, those with nowhere else to turn.

We believe in the amazing potential in, and for, each and every one of them.

Join an alliance of donors to make a collective impact and together, we will turn that potential into reality. Together, we will change the future.

You can change the future of over 20,000 children and families every year by joining our Change the Future Fund.

Contact Vanessa Botshekan at (323) 295-4555 Ext 205 or vbotshekan@wayfinderfamily.org for more information.

Tooth Fairy... (continued from page 1) James asked Greg, “Can the Tooth Fairy find me here?”

Greg knew, without a doubt, that the Tooth Fairy would visit The Cottage that night. When James woke up the next morning, the hopeful boy looked under his pillow. The Tooth Fairy had left him money! He smiled a broad, gaptoothed grin. “She knew it was safe to come here, so she found me,” James said.

Like everyone at Wayfinder, Greg is committed to making life safer and kinder for children who have been abused and neglected. “I believe that even though these kids are in a shelter, we still have to celebrate holidays or milestones like this,” Greg says. “It’s really important.”

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Some details and James’ name have been changed, and stock photography was used to protect his privacy.

Give with trust.

Main Campus 5300 Angeles Vista Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90043 (323) 295-4555 www.wayfinderfamily.org