ADVANCING PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES IN POVERTY

Susan Lenihan Ph.D., CED

Jenna Voss Ph.D., LSLS Cert. AVEd

Colleen Kinsella

Approximately 1 in 5 children in the US live in poverty.  How can listening and spoken language professionals better serve them?  

This presentation expanded upon Voss and Lenihan’s December 2015 article “Fostering Resilience for Children Living in Poverty”.    A devastatingly high number of children in the United States live in poverty, and this has serious and wide-ranging effects on their lifelong growth and development.  The youngest children are also those at greatest risk.

The presenters suggest six ways in which providers can support children and families living in poverty:

• Identify personal bias

• Build relationships (both parent-child and parent-professional)

• Assess family needs

• Provide resources and support

• Increase awareness and advocate

• Educate families on quality instruction

They also provided a Resource List for professionals interested in learning more on this topic.

All recaps are from my notes, memory, and/or presentation materials made available by the presenters. Any errors or omissions are my own.