workshops
Innovative Strategies for Working with Mothers
10:30-11:45AM
TBC
“There's no way to be a perfect mother but a million ways to be a good one.” Jill Churchill, Herald-Review May 6, 2022
Historically, welfare and family policy primarily focused on widows and orphans. This 'maternal' welfare system would become the critical mid-20th Century social program, Aid to Dependent Children, later Aid to Families and Dependent Children, now called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). At its beginnings, the maternal system featured private charity workers who worked with poor mothers, bringing them food, clothing, and shelter. They were also a moral police force to monitor how these women raised their children and conducted themselves privately. Bad mothers had their support eliminated. Black mothers received little help, and children born out of out-wedlock were locked out.
Historically and at present, public assistance and other services to custodial low-income mothers and children ((food, housing, job assistance, childcare, health, etc.) typically do not include custodial responsible parent education. In contrast, publicly funded fatherhood programs include responsible fatherhood education as their primary emphasis. The omission of parental education for mothers has created a gap in understanding the value and importance of both mothers and fathers in the lives of children. When parents do not share the same knowledge and understanding of parenting when romantic relationships end, this can lead to challenges in creating healthy and cooperative co-parenting relationships.
This workshop will focus on the experiences and results of motherhood-focused projects in two U.S. cities that provided parenting education to custodial and incarcerated mothers to help them become the best parents possible.
Speakers
Ms. Alexandra James-Okochi
Be Strong Families
Alexandra James-Okochi has been with Be Strong Families after nine years as CEO of Trinity Family Life Center in Richmond, Virginia—a nationally-recognized social enterprise model with four economic engines: a childcare center, restaurant / catering, facility rental, and a fitness center. In addition, Trinity Family Life Center’s “Strengthening Families Uplifting Communities Initiative” has served as a national model for the Casey Family Programs’ Faith-based Initiative. James-Okochi brings to Be Strong Families a wealth of knowledge and experience in developing and implementing innovative programs for children, youth, and families, including child welfare-involved families; experience and expertise with nonprofit resource development and fiscal stewardship; and a deep commitment to empowered engagement, equity, diversity, inclusion, as well as Be Strong Families mission, vision, and values. Her portfolio as Chief Program Officer includes leading training and consulting services and organizational advancement activities.
James-Okochi’ s background and experience as an artist and Hip-Hop emcee allows her to bring her creative skills and vision to the art and activism components of Be Strong Families work. Previously, James-Okochi served for five years on the Be Strong Families Board of Directors, including two of those years as its Board Chair (2016–2018). Alexandra is a product of the City of Richmond Public Schools and Howard University. She holds a Masters of Divinity from Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology of Virginia Union University. Alexandra holds several professional certifications, including: High-Performance Organizations, Certified Public Participation Practitioner, Events Planning 101, Permanency Roundtables Train the Trainer, Master Trainer Responsible Motherhood Curriculum, Volunteer Management, Urban Gardening and Food Justice, and Grantsmanship Center Grant-writing. “Family is the foundation of society. In order to affect real and lasting community change, programs and services should start with families. When families are strengthened, communities are transformed.
Ms. Julie Bell
Pastor
Pastor Julie Bell is the wife of 38 years to Dr. Benjamin Bell Jr., the mother of 5 children, and grandmother of 11. After hearing the call of God on their lives in 1996, she and her husband embarked on a new journey of pastoral ministry. They pastored a multicultural ministry together for 25 years. She facilitated a Young Mothers curriculum after seeing the need for mentorship of women in their church. After her father's passing in 2018, they closed the ministry and joined Mission Temple Church as support staff to continue in ministry.
In August 2018, she began teaching the Motherhood & Co-Parenting Curriculum authored by the NPCL at the Evelyn K Davis Center for Working Families and subsequently at the John R. Grubb YMCA in Des Moines, IA. She teaches bible studies seminars, coaches, and counsels young women, teaches a prophetic class, plays the keyboard/organ, and ministers with the praise team. Overflow works on the broadcast team at Mission Temple Church (COGIC and operates a child development early learning center from her home.
Among her many artistic talents, she loves to write plays, perform at the Des Moines Playhouse, and authored her first book, (Thought for Food) published in 2012. She is currently working on two more books. She says, “My life is dedicated to helping people realize the great potential that lies within each person and empower them to reach for a better life."