Preschool Villages at Harambee

Preschool Families Village

Location

Registration

Facilitator

Dates

FAQs

Location

Parents will meet the first Tuesday of the month. Children will meet the first and third Tuesday of the month.

The Preschool Village will meet from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at:

Harrison Recreation Center
503 Irving Avenue North
Minneapolis, MN 55405
Link to Google maps

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

Darrell Gillespie is the Harambee Youth Programming Coordinator. He is also the Senior Pastor of Proverbs Christian Fellowship, a school counselor at HOPE Academy, and an adjunct professor at North Central University. Darrell has more than 15 years of experience working with families and youth in therapeutic, educational, faith-based and family settings. Darrell and his wife are birthparents to 2 children and have been kinship caregivers to several family members.

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.

How much do Villages cost?

The first Tuesday of the month is the Preschool Family Village (parent group and children’s group). The Preschool Family Village is free. The third Tuesday of the month is the Preschool Kid Village (children’s group only). The Preschool Kid Village is $20 per month.

Do I have to register for both the Preschool Family Village and the Preschool Kid Village?

No. We encourage you to register for both, but you can register for one or the other.

What are my payment options?

You may pay by credit card through our web site. You may also pay by check in-person or by mail.

When do I have to pay?

Payment is required at time of registration, and processed immediately (excluding those placed on the waiting list). Registrations received without payment go on a waiting list until payment is received.

My child was a Minnesota waiting child. Do I still have to pay for their Kid Village attendance?

Yes.

If I am unable to attend a Village, can I receive a refund of my registration fees?

Harambee Village is unable to offer refunds of registration fees. If we receive a cancellation notification 48 hours prior to the event, we will apply your paid fees to a future event.

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

The first time this occurs, we will simply retain your registration fees, and be unable to apply them to a future event. However, 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

What happens to my payment when I’m placed on the waiting list?

We keep your payment in case your family is able to attend. If the event passes and you were unable to attend, we will shred all credit card information and checks (notify us if you would rather have checks returned). If you registered for other events, you may also notify us that you would like us to apply your payment to those registration fees.

Where is the front door at Harrison?

Good question! The parking lot is on the south side of Harrison, but the entrance is cleverly hidden on the west side.

Who are the adults working with the preschoolers?

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 Hannah is a part of Harambee’s teen leadership program and a transracial adoptee. She spends lots of time babysitting for her younger brothers and neighborhood children. She has been involved with Harambee programming for more than 5 years.

Mr. Marcus is a recent graduate of the University of Minnesota – Duluth and is currently working for the YMCA. Previously he was a PCA for a Harambee family and gained much knowledge about the needs of transracially adopted youth.

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

During the Preschool Kid Village do I have to remain in the building?

No. We encourage you to make it a date night or explore the area with other parents in the group. We have a list of area restaurants and shops. Go on! Get out of here! Enjoy some adult time! We’ll take good care of the kids!

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

No. This creates issues around boundaries and liability.

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