Health Services - Focus on Health, Body & Mind Project
February: Identifying Trauma Reactions To Create A Safe Environment For Children
We often separate mental health from physical health. One might say, “I’m going to the gym to get in shape” or they may also say “I’m going to a therapist to get my head right”. Our brains are part of our bodies, so we’d be wise to realize mental health is physical, and physical health is mental health. The two are linked, and cannot be separated.
A Mind, Body & Culture Home Visiting Program is available for children from birth to 30 months of age. It can be provided on its own or as a complement to other early childcare programs. The program allows parents to choose either virtual or home-based weekly visits to enhance family relationships, basic communication skills, and preparation for school.
Link with Voices of Tomorrow to learn about opportunities for home-based early childcare, preschool programs, parent training, employment, and professional development.
Wellness Education is offered to families, staff, community members, and allied professionals.
Founded in 2012 by two East African professionals who came together to achieve one goal: “Helping today’s children for a better tomorrow.” VoT takes pride in delivering a wide array of comprehensive services for immigrant and refugee children, families, and in-home early childhood providers in King County.
Unfortunately, our community experiences racism and other oppression due to immigrant status that results in health, education, and financial inequity, and has a negative affect on our mental, emotional, and physical health. But our faith, community, and heritage give us strength to overcome any challenges.
For this month, we are providing resources to identify trauma reactions in children and creating an environment of safety to benefit their mental, emotional, and physical health. To ensure our program meets the needs of the community we serve, VOT relies heavily on support and input from both partners and community members.
VOT has a licensed independent clinical social worker on staff ready to offer behavioral health experience and knowledge to the early childhood/learning programs.
In-depth staff training is being provided to teach information on compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion resilience. Specialized information is being shared about how trauma appears in early childhood and ways staff can support families to address the problems and recover from critical events common to immigrants and refugees from East African countries who settle in the United States.
Early Learning Dual Language
There’s an old saying that “old fools were once young fools”. If this is true, then the converse must also be true: those who seek wisdom in their youth, will surely grow to be wise elders. Voices of Tomorrow’s Early Learning Dual Language Preschool Program is designed to prepare today’s children to be the leaders and voices of tomorrow. Research shows that children can become multilingual at a young age. The Early Learning Dual Language Preschool Program program will expose your child to intentional instruction in the Somali language both in receptive and expressive language
Our teachers are bilingual and hold degrees in Early Childhood Education. They are dedicated to the growth and development of each child that comes through the doors here at Voices of Tomorrow. By teaching our children, as early as possible, the value of their culture and heritage, we strengthen our communities across generations.
We don’t just stop at the children, we have resources for the whole family to ensure each member has their unique needs addressed in a safe and suitable environment. VOT keeps families lifted through culturally and linguistically responsive wraparound Family Support Services and case management.
Voices of Tomorrow is dedicated to improving the school readiness of East African children in King County, while preserving home languages and building on to their cultural heritage.
East African culture has strong communal and oral traditions. For us the first step is always gathering together to talk and to set goals. Once we figure out what works for you, we develop a plan with some clear action steps for success. Learn more about how you can benefit from our Early Learning Program here.