A little bit of who I am and what I've done
My column, "Surviving Parenthood Intact" appeared in the Reno County, KS. Head Start program newsletter in 1994 and was distributed throughout the community to civic and charitable organizations, clinics, the local mental health center, and the hospital. Soon I attained an odd celebrity status, beginning at the local Salvation Army where I was asked if I was "THE Jerrie DeRose who wrote the parenting column"? One of my articles posted on the waiting room bulletin board, 'Keeping Kids Safe', that was written in response to a newspaper report of a possible pedophile cruising an area where children play and attend school, was in great demand. Parents and other caregivers passed the article on.
Head Start parents looked forwards to the monthly column and the information I provided for free. Most were serious topics, some were humorous. In 1997 Bright Beginnings Head Start program asked to be put on the newseltter mailing list and to translate my column into Spanish and other languages for non English speaking families and some local citizens requested to be put on the newsletter mailing list.
Research, and a survey illicited the need for easily accessible parenting information on a wide range of topics, which I could provide. Low and middle income wage earners and parents without an income often did not have a computer and for those who did, web sites were not as prevalent or as comprehensive as they are today.
In addition to formal education, a 6 year Region VII and Kansas Head Start Assoc. board membership made me privvy to extensive specialized training in child development, health and safety, relationships, and a plethora of other subjects parenting and community. I received specialized training as part of a two year family support technician position at the local mental health center as it related to the State of Kansas Home and Center based Waiver Program for families having children with serious emotional illnesses.
I cannot begin to list the college educations units, college clock hours, workshops, guest speakers, and other avenues through which I recieved continuing education, including a four week course on "Creating an Emotionally Safe Environment for Children and recognizing signs of possible child sexual abuse, state reporting requirements, and how abused children can become abusive adults, writing an (IFSP) Individual Family Support Plan, writing a crisis plan, developing an (I.E.P.) Individual Education Plan, (IDEA) Individuals with Disibilities Education ACT) and (ADA), the American Disabilities Act, etc.
In 1999 I received Kansas Head Start Association, Region VII Head Start Association, and the National Head Start Association's Eugenia Boggus Leadership Award for my volunteer and advocacy work on behalf of families and children and for my newsletter column.
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