EJ Mission Statement
Empower Justice: Resources for Youth Awareness aims to foster engagement, resilience, and support for justice-impacted youth and their families. We provide comprehensive mentoring, case management, counseling, youth coaching, and academic support, while facilitating communication between incarcerated parents, their children, and caregivers. Through education, resources, and advocacy, we strive to empower these young individuals and their families to overcome challenges and achieve their full potential.
EJ Vision Statement
Our vision is Empower Justice: Resources for Youth Awareness being a supportive and informed community where justice-impacted youth and their families are equipped with the tools, knowledge, and resources they need to thrive. We envision a future where these young individuals, despite their circumstances, can build strong, positive relationships, excel academically, and lead fulfilling lives. This program aspires to create lasting change by promoting family unity, reducing recidivism, and advocating for policies that support the well-being of justice-impacted families.
Overview
The “Empower Justice: Resources for Youth Awareness” program is a comprehensive initiative designed to raise awareness and educate the community about the resources available for justice-impacted youth. This program aims to support young individuals who have been affected by the criminal justice system, providing them with the tools and knowledge they need to thrive despite their circumstances.
Objectives
- Raise Awareness: Increase public understanding of the challenges faced by justice-impacted youth and their families, and the resources available to support them, particularly incarcerated parents and their children.
- Educate the Community: Provide educational materials and workshops to inform the community about the needs and rights of justice-impacted youth and their families, emphasizing the impact of parental incarceration.
- Support Youth and Families: Offer direct support and resources to justice-impacted youth and their families, helping them navigate their unique challenges and improve family stability.
- Advocate for Change: Promote policy changes that benefit justice-impacted youth and their families, focusing on supporting incarcerated parents and enhancing family reunification efforts.
Key Components
Educational Workshops and Seminars
- Community Workshops: Interactive sessions for community members to learn about the experiences of justice-impacted youth and their families, and how they can offer support.
- Youth and Family Seminars: Tailored seminars for justice-impacted youth and their families, focusing on empowerment, resilience, family support, and available resources.
Resource Distribution
- Guides and Toolkits: Comprehensive guides detailing available resources, including educational opportunities, mental health services, legal aid, and family support services.
- Online Resource Hub: A dedicated section on MyFairyGodParents.org where youth, their families, and incarcerated parents can access information and support services.
Mentorship and Support
- Mentorship Network: Connecting justice-impacted youth with mentors who can provide guidance, support, and positive role models, and offering mentorship programs for incarcerated parents to help them maintain and strengthen family relationships.
- Support Groups: Facilitated groups where youth and their families can share their experiences and receive peer support.
Advocacy and Policy Initiatives
- Policy Advocacy: Working with policymakers to create and implement policies that support justice-impacted youth and their families, focusing on the needs of incarcerated parents and family reunification.
- Community Engagement: Encouraging community members to advocate for justice-impacted youth and their families, and participate in local initiatives that support incarcerated parents and their children.
Impact
The Empower Justice: Resources for Youth Awareness program aims to create a supportive and informed community that understands the unique challenges faced by justice-impacted youth and their families. By providing education, resources, and advocacy, the program seeks to empower these young individuals and their families to overcome obstacles and achieve their full potential.
Program Services
- Mentoring:
- Mentorship Network: Connecting justice-impacted youth with mentors who can provide guidance, support, and positive role models. This network will also extend to incarcerated parents, offering mentorship to help them maintain and strengthen family relationships.
- Family Mentorship: Pairing families with experienced mentors who can offer advice and support on navigating the challenges of having an incarcerated parent.
- Case Management:
- Comprehensive Case Management: Providing personalized case management services to justice-impacted youth and their families, ensuring they receive the necessary support and resources.
- Family Support Coordination: Assisting families in accessing resources such as housing, healthcare, and legal aid to improve family stability and well-being.
- Counseling:
- Individual Counseling: Offering one-on-one counseling sessions for children with incarcerated parents to help them cope with emotional and psychological challenges.
- Family Counseling: Facilitating family counseling sessions to improve communication and strengthen relationships between incarcerated parents, their children, and caregivers.
- Youth Coaching:
- Life Skills Coaching: Providing coaching sessions focused on building resilience, self-esteem, and positive behavior in justice-impacted youth.
- Career and Academic Coaching: Offering guidance on career planning and academic achievement, helping youth set and achieve their goals.
- Academic Support:
- Tutoring Services: Providing tutoring services to help children with incarcerated parents succeed in school despite their challenges.
- Academic Workshops: Organizing workshops that focus on study skills, time management, and college preparation.
- Facilitated Communication:
- Virtual Visitation Programs: Developing virtual visitation programs that allow incarcerated parents to communicate with their children and caregivers, helping to maintain family connections.
- Communication Workshops: Conducting workshops to teach children and caregivers effective communication strategies with incarcerated parents.
Get Involved
Community members can get involved by attending workshops, volunteering as mentors, participating in advocacy efforts, and spreading awareness about the program. Donations to MyFairyGodParents.org also help sustain and expand the program’s reach and impact. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of justice-impacted youth and build a more just and supportive community.
