Florence Crittenton News — January, 2009In this issue: 
Ngoc TranIn high school Ngoc discovered that she loved computers. Although she knew little English, she studied it intensively so she could attend a four-year college and study computer science. She attended Northeastern University in Boston from 1996 to 2000 and received her degree. During this time she met and married her husband, Chau Truong. Ngoc and her husband moved around quite a bit between 2001 and 2007, due to school or family needs, and she lived for a time in the states of South Carolina, Florida, and Minnesota. She also became a mother, giving birth to three children, twin boys, Anh and Khanh, now 6, and Vivian, now 3. Ngoc and her family returned to San Francisco in 2008. It was in the middle of the school year, and Ngoc at first had a hard time finding a school that would take her children. Then she discovered Malcolm X. Elementary on Harbor Road in the Bayview-Hunter's Point area. Ngoc was surprised to learn that her children were not the only Asian children at the school. "The teachers at Malcolm X are fantastic," she adds. "My children didn't know how to read when they started. And now they do." Her children finally settled in school, Ngoc now turned her attention to finding work. Although she got her degree in computer science in 2000, so much had changed with computers in the interim that her skills were out of date. She was also less interested in computer programming now, and wanted to change careers. But she didn't know how to proceed. Adding to the uncertainty was a tight economy, and as a result, Ngoc had a hard time finding work. Clearly, Ngoc was at a crossroads. She was 34, a mother of three, she and her husband were both unemployed, and her family was without health insurance. The pressures of such a situation are easy to imagine. Luckily for Ngoc, during a parent relations meeting at Malcolm X, she learned of Parent University, a program of Florence Crittenton Services. Inspired by the Harlem Children's Zone, Parent University is a groundbreaking initiative led by FCS and Edgewood Centers. The program teaches parents age-appropriate parenting skills and provides parents with literacy, leadership, learning and employment resources. Now hooked up with FCS, Ngoc got the kind of support she really needed. Working with Parent University program staff, she was given the information she needed to obtain health care for her family. She learned techniques for skillfully interacting with her children. She learned about how to keep her home environment free of substances like lead and other toxins. Ngoc also took part in the Crittenton Jobs program. During the past 12 years, Crittenton Jobs has trained and placed more than 180 San Franciscans into gainful employment, and its employer partners include California Pacific Medical Center and the San Francisco International Airport. Through the jobs program, Ngoc learned how to write a resume and cover letter, how to take a job interview, and public speaking. FCS' job developer got a chance to understand Ngoc's employment skills and how best to support her given her limited English abilities. During her time in FCS's programs, Ngoc showed an impressive initiative. One example is that she volunteered to create a database for Crittenton Jobs director Susan Murphy. Of Ngoc, Murphy says: "Ngoc went beyond what was asked of her. She is friendly, and willing to learn new tasks. She's a pleasure to work with and an asset to the program." Ngoc truly thrived at FCS's Parent University. She showed her potential to such a degree, in fact, that the agency decided to hire her as one of its own. Ngoc now works as a Child Development Program Assistant, using her database and people skills. To Gwen Henry, FCS's Associate Director, Ngoc's story is emblematic of what's happening in San Francisco's southeast community. "At FCS we know that there is much hidden employment potential within the parents living in this community," Henry says. "Our ability to see the employment potential in Ngoc is an example of how we are able to match her valuable skill sets with our agency needs." And the news was also good for Ngoc's husband, Chau, who obtained employment as a manager with Ross Department Store as a result of utilizing Crittenton Jobs. Clearly, Ngoc and her family are on their way to moving out of poverty. Overall, Ngoc's time in FCS's programs was a deeply validating and empowering experience for her. With her life more stable now, Ngoc can plan for the future. "Florence Crittenton taught me that I have a say in my life," she says. "I learned that I don't just have to accept what other people tell me, but can advocate for myself and my family." Ngoc also feels optimistic about her family's future. "We feel better," she says. "The children are in school. We have health insurance. We're working. Florence Crittenton really benefits the whole family by empowering parents to learn new skills and to stand up for themselves. It helps us find a new direction." Proposed Budget CutsA report just released by the California Budget Project, which focuses on the economic plight of low- and middle-income people, gives a "quick and dirty" look at the proposed budget cuts Governor Schwarzenegger proposed on New Year's Eve. Noting that the State's massive budget gap is due to a combination of revenue declines resulting from worsening economic conditions, as well as to tax cuts enacted over the last 15 years, the report states:"These factors have led to the widest budget gap in California history in dollar terms and a gap that approaches that of 2003-04 in percentage terms." Childcare and development programs are especially hard hit in the Governor's budget. According to the report, the Governor proposes to:
Take Action Take action now to stop these budget cuts from being enacted! Call the Governor's office, write your Assembly Member or a letter to the editor to add your voice in opposition to these cutbacks on California's most vulnerable children. And let us know about it. Program Updates2009 promises to be a challenging year for our state and our nation, and we at FCS are taking steps to meet the challenge with an array of programs that serve the whole family: Childcare: A new weekly music arts education program is in the works for toddlers at the Hayes Valley childcare site. Learn more about Crittenton Childcare. Parents & Families (The Parent and Family Resource Center - PFRC). A holiday party on December 19th, 2008 at Hayes Valley was attended by 80people: 29 parents and 51 children. Families learned about this event through word of mouth, phone calling and mail, which was done in three primary languages; Cantonese, Spanish, and English. Job Training & Placement: The new Crittenton Jobs cycle started January 12th. So far, ten students have enrolled in the program. Learn more about Crittenton Jobs. At-Risk Teens: Crittenton Teens serves San Francisco's most at-risk teen-agers, providing them direction and resources needed to overcome daily obstacles and to lay the groundwork for future achievement. Fathers: A Father Child Bonding workshop took place on Friday, January 16th in Visatacion Valley
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