Thread: Family Network helps Latino immigrants right from the start

CHICAGO TRIBUNE HOLIDAY GIVING: CHARITIES THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE

For 25 years the Family Network has been helping low-income families in Highwood and Highland Park have and raise healthy children. The basement space, donated by the church, was originally a play group. Then it became a "drop-in" center -- as opposed to a "drop-off" day care -- where parents could bring their children and stay to play with them or socialize with other parents.

The network is one of the organizations supported by Chicago Tribune Holiday Giving, a campaign of the Chicago Tribune Charities, a McCormick Tribune Foundation fund.

In 1994 the network expanded to create Right From the Start, the program that helped Carballido and hundreds of other low-income Spanish-speaking immigrants. Aside from the doula and the home visits, the program offers prenatal support, provides English-as-a-second-language classes, recommends pediatricians and gives tips on nursing a newborn. A separate program offers after-school care for children in Grades K-5.

"They'll guide us if we have a question," said Maria Lara, who brings her daughters, Natalie, 3 months, and Crystal, 3, to the network. "It's kind of relaxing. We can interact [with other parents] and exchange information. And for the kids it's like a school setting. They learn, they play, they eat."

Latino population skyrockets

The network turned its attention to the Latino community in response to changing demographics in Lake County, said Jordan Friedman, the network's director. From 1990 to 2000, the Latino population in Lake County exploded, growing some 130 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. About one in four Latinos in the county lives in Highwood, adjacent to Highland Park, he said.

The program targets families considered "at-risk" because they have lower incomes, inadequate housing and less than 12 years of education, Friedman said. They also typically are culturally isolated and have no access to prenatal care, he said.

"There's a whole variety of risk factors," Friedman said. "The goal is to reach out to this community and to these families that are often quite isolated and to help build community, help connect families with resources and to strengthen and support young families."

The program partners with several area organizations such as the Jewish Council for Youth Services to provide activities such as swimming lessons and fitness classes. It began a family literacy program with the Highland Park Public Library. And it offers nutrition classes through the University of Illinois Extension, Friedman said.

The focus on prenatal care is key for the Latino demographic, said Nora Barquin, program coordinator for Right From the Start. The number of Latino women who receive no prenatal care is four times as high as white women, Barquin said.

Thursdays are "dual language day" -- when Spanish-speaking and English-speaking parents join together to share cultural experiences. This year, the theme was sharing talents and traditions, and the subject was the Day of the Dead, a Mexican holiday that honors deceased relatives.

"It was nice -- we had an altar up, and people brought traditional Mexican food," Friedman said. "A lot of our non-Spanish-speaking families participated and brought in photos of loved ones who had passed away. It gave people a chance to meet other people and discover that, as always, we tend to have more in common than we know."

Meeting other parents

Adrian Cruz, a cook from Highwood, brings his daughter, Chelsea, 8 months, to the network while his wife is at work, he said.

"It helps us to feel comfortable with other people, to socialize and meet other parents and babies," Cruz said.

Lara agreed that meeting other parents was key. Her husband works in construction while she stays home to raise their three children.

"When only one parent is working, it's hard to have access to resources without worrying about where the money is going to come from," Lara said. "This place is a big help."

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dhoran@tribune.com

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... &cset=true

The Chicago Tribune can be counted on to run at least one illegal alien sob story 6 out of 7 days a week. It is too much. I got hit with this pile of garbage while sitting down with a cup of coffee early this morning, there are days I seriously think I should just stop reading the paper because it makes me SOOOOOOO angry. And there is something very wrong about that- shouldn't I be able to read the local paper without having my morning ruined by this illegal loving crap?
I think it may have been William who observed that Chicago is the next LA. He is right. This city literally rolls out the red carpet for these miscreants. As more states start to let them know that the party is over, I fear more and more of them are going to head for IL. I 100% support OK and AZ in 'encouraging' them to leave. Maybe if it gets too bad here, we can move to OK or AZ. We also have Sen. Durbin, Rep. Luis Guttierez and our illegal loving governor here. IL is truly in a bad way.

Are we talking of immigrants or illegal aliens here please? Something tells me they are aiding and abetting illegals


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My local paper, the Dallas Morning News, may be in DANGER of GOING OUT of business because READERSHIP has DROPPED ALARMINGLY over the past two years, and SUBSCRIPTIONS are DOWN as well. When readers were surveyed as to WHY this was happening, the VAST majority of them said because the News SUPPORTS ILLEGAL immigration!

Originally Posted by joazinha

My local paper, the Dallas Morning News, may be in DANGER of GOING OUT of business because READERSHIP has DROPPED ALARMINGLY over the past two years, and SUBSCRIPTIONS are DOWN as well. When readers were surveyed as to WHY this was happening, the VAST majority of them said because the News SUPPORTS ILLEGAL immigration!

This is good news and could be a lesson to other papers....if they pay attention!