CT-AIMH 2020 Virtual Fall Conference

Thursday, November 19, 2020

9:00am-12:30pm

Title:

The Impact of Homelessness on Infants, Young Children and their Families: Programs that promote infant/caregiver relationships

Keynote Presenters:

Roslyn Edwards is the Director of Early Childhood Education Programs (including project management for the Building Early Links to Learning Project) at People’s Emergency Center, an agency specializing in program services to the most vulnerable Philadelphians. Roslyn leads four early childhood programming teams.  Much of her career has been spent providing development, monitoring, training, technical assistance and management of federal Head Start and state early childhood programs, particularly focused in low-income communities with particular focus on the Philadelphia area. A competent grant writer, Roslyn’s applications have resulted in both federal and private funding towards innovative, cutting edge programming. One multi-year grant she conceived of and wrote, for PNC’s Grow Up Great program was funded and implemented in her Head Start Program and has since manifested into an exhibit at the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia. Roslyn will be presenting with her colleagues at the BELL Project, Joe Willard and JJ Cutuli.

Joe Willard has been PEC's Vice President of Policy and Advocacy since 2007. Using a community organizing model, Willard leads several coalitions and networks addressing issues of family, child and youth homelessness at the local, state, and national levels. Prior to coming to PEC, Willard was the Policy Manager for the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, and Associate Director of the Regional Workforce Partnership of the Reinvestment Fund. 

 JJ Cutuli is a senior research scientist at Nemours Children’s Health System. His research considers the varied processes of resilience in development, with an emphasis on how to promote good outcomes for children and families who experience very high levels of adversity. 

We will also have a panel, highlighting a CT community that has also successfully worked with families with young children who are experiencing homelessness. Listen to their experiences and think together about how these services for vulnerable families can be accessed or replicated in your town. The panel will feature:

• Anne Giordano, Early Childhood Specialist, @ EdAdvance & Training Coordinator, CT-AIMH
• Michelle Anderson, Director of Early Childhood & Family Programs, and McKinney-Vento Liaison @ EdAdvance
• Rebecca Litz, Family Services Manager, Head Start: Prenatal to Five @ EdAdvance
• Deirdre Houlihan DiCara, Executive Director, @ FISH (Friends in Service to Humanity of NW CT)

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