Harambee Village at NACAC Central Metro Parents Village

Central Metro Transracial Families Village

Location

Registration

Facilitator

Dates

FAQs

Location

The Central Metro Village will be held on the 4th Tuesday of the month from 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm at:

North American Council on Adoptable Chlidren
970 Raymond Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55114
Link to Google maps

Adults will meet in the conference room on the ground floor, while children will meet in NACAC offices in Suite 106.

Registration

Pre-registration is required and registration is limited to ensure adequate staffing for our youth programming. You may register online here or by coming to our offices in person.

Facilitator

Amy and Alan Ames are parents to 13 children -- 4 by birth, 6 by adoption from foster care, and 3 by foster care. Their children range in age from 1 to 19. Amy is the MN ASAP East Metro Parent Liaison. Alan is a special education teacher for St. Paul Public Schools at Boys Totem Town, a juvenile correctional facility.

Dates

Spring Session is now concluded, and all Family Villages will be taking a summer break.

Fall Session, and new Family Village dates, will begin in October. In-person registration will be available at the Harambee Village Annual BBQ. Online registration will begin at noon on August 18th.

Keep checking our website for Summer Events, or join our mailing list for weekly updates.

FAQs

What if I arrive late?

We prefer that you arrive on time or ten minutes early, but we will not turn you away if you’re late. Whenever you arrive, please allow at least five to ten minutes for paperwork.

What happens if I am unable to give notification of cancellation 48 hours in advance?

If you are a no-show to two events, future registrations to all Villages will automatically be placed on the waiting list. Our Villages fill quickly, and consistent no-shows deprive families on the waiting list of the opportunity to attend our events.

Why am I on the waiting list?

For the most part, we have a first-come, first-served system. However, because of our funding through the Minnesota Department of Human Services, we reserve slots in all Harambee programs for families of children adopted from Minnesota’s foster care system

Who are the adults working with the youth?

Mr. Darrell is Harambee’s Youth Program Coodinator, the Senior Pastor of Proverbs Christian Fellowship in North Minneapolis, a school counselor at HOPE Academy and a therapist at Brakins Consulting. Mr. Darrell has been working with Harambee youth for 2 years.

Miss Annette is the lead mentor. In addition to working with Harambee youth, Annette is a therapist with the Domestic Abuse Project (DAP), is a therapist working with the Minneapolis Police Department and is a researcher at the University of Minnesota. Annette has been working with Harambee youth for the last year.

Miss Ella is an adult transracial adoptee and a graduate of Harambee’s teen leadership program. Ella has 9 brothers and sisters, so has lots of experience working with youth of all ages. She has been involved with Harambee programming for more than 5 years.

Miss Michelle is an adult transracial adoptee and the Hennepin County Guardian Ad Litem Program’s Volunteer Coordinator. Miss Michelle has been involved with Harambee for more than 5 years.

What if my child has difficulty separating from me?

Learning to separate from mom or dad is part of developing healthy attachment. All of Harambee’s staff understand separation can be difficult for many children. We will do everything we can to provide a positive, safe environment to help your child learn to separate from you and to teach them you will come back. These are some things you can do to help:

Assure your child you will be back
Show your child where you will be while he/she is with his/her friends
Use positive language to describe the child’s experience at Harambee, “You will have so much fun playing”, “Miss Annette and your Harambee friends will be so happy to see you”
Downplay what you will be doing while your child is with his/her friends, “I will be in the boring parent room talking … no fun toys, no drumming, no books to read”
Develop a separating routine. Take your child to an adult in the children’s room, give your child a hug, say “I will be back when you are done playing”, and leave. Your child may cry. Leave anyway. Don’t look back, don’t engage further with your child – just leave. The staff will not allow your child to cry for more than 10 minutes before retrieving you.
PLEASE do not allow your child to see you during the children’s group. If you feel the need to have your child checked on, please ask Darrell to check

If you must return to the children’s group because your child was unable to successfully separate, please consider the following strategies:

Play the “boring parent”. Find a quiet corner away from the group to sit. After calming your child, no longer actively engage with your child. Do not talk to the child. Limit physical contact. Limit eye contact. The goal is to encourage the child to wander back to the group, because it is far more interesting than you are
Calm your child. Ask one of the staff people to come and engage with your child in your presence. Play the boring parent while the staff person is engaging your child.
If you continue to have concerns about separation, please talk with Miss Annette, Mr. Darrell or Miss Deb about additional suggestions or strategies

Can Harambee staff baby sit for my kids or be our PCA?

No. This creates issues around boundaries and liability.

If you have any questions, contact program assistant Aubrey Haddican at HarambeeVillage@nacac.org