It’s in the Bag

As we continue our celebration of 50 years serving foster, kinship, and adoptive families, and the many organizations and individuals we are connected to, we’re reminded that one of the key features of embrella’s longevity has been its ability to adapt and grow with the ever changing landscape of child welfare.

This change often comes from staff seeking new resources to assist the caregivers, children, and youth we work with daily.

Sometimes, change is gifted to us.

A little over two years ago, in early Summer 2022, embrella began the process of incorporating an already successful program to assist children entering care. This program, established as The Bag Project, was created in 2015 by its founder, Anupa Wijaya, and is rooted in her passion to help children in crisis and provide them with comfort and dignity.

It’s what all children deserve but unfortunately not what all experience.

Born from the image of a child placing their personal belongings into a trash bag, the purpose of The Bag Project is to make the transition to a safer place a little easier by providing children and youth who find themselves in unfamiliar situations with familiar items.

With the first bag being distributed in 2016, The Bag Project grew exponentially each year, with more volunteers and donors heeding Anupa’s call for help. With the assistance of the many groups and individuals willing to offer their time and resources, Anupa was able to distribute thousands of bags to infants, children, and youth in crisis.

Then COVID-19 hit.

The project founder was forced, as most of us were, to take a look at her surroundings and make some hard decisions. She wanted The Bag Project to thrive, but she felt that she had taken it as far as she could with the resources available to her. She also needed to recharge and focus on her family.

Anupa researched her local Mercer County area in hopes of discovering another nonprofit that might be willing to adopt and nurture her work. She chose embrella based on its long-standing partnership with the community and extensive network of offices, agencies, and families that are in need of these bags.

Accepting this program under the umbrella of the many services we already offer was a no-brainer.

The Bag Project has become an extension of embrella’s Backpack Program, in which backpacks with school supplies were distributed to caregivers through Connecting Families meetings, as well as to local CP&P offices.

Through feedback from resource workers, youth, caregivers, and our own staff (many of whom are licensed caregivers themselves), we began the process of ensuring the items contained in the bags were indeed useful to both the caregiver and the child receiving them.

We are mindful of the hair care products we include, sourcing donations and products that are appropriate for a range of different hair types. We have also taken the suggestions from our youth to heart, as they have asked for literature books representing different backgrounds and cultures.

We strive to solicit better quality donations, helping our children feel a sense of normalcy when they use the same brands and products their peers are using.

Many of these items can be viewed and purchased directly from our Amazon Wish List.

What’s in the bags?

Duffel bags with welcome items such as soap, shampoo, a toothbrush and toothpaste, as well as a blanket and stuffed animal, are given to children and youth ranging in age from newborn to 18.

Activity backpacks, containing engaging materials like coloring books, puzzles, Play-Doh, or a journal, are most often used as an icebreaker between a child and a service provider or resource family.

We’re currently wrapping up our Back to School backpack giveaway, distributing school backpacks with supplies to children and youth entering grades pre-school through high school.

Although resource parents have many of these items prepared in their home, it’s not uncommon to receive a call through the night, asking if they are able to accept a child at that moment. We try to alleviate some of the initial stress that may arise by providing the resource worker and child with essential items they can use for their first night.

The new bag is theirs to keep, along with the items inside. Some things to call their own with a safe and dignified way to store and transport their belongings is what we aim to provide.

We are proud to announce that embrella has distributed close to 1,500 bags since September 2022, in addition to the thousands of bags Anupa gave during her time as The Bag Project CEO!

This program is made possible through generous donations, both monetary and in-kind, and hours given by our volunteers and sponsors. We invite you to visit our new Bag Project page where you can find ways to get involved!

Specialized Meetings Offered to Promote Bonding Experiences

In response to recent feedback from caregivers, our Family Support Department is excited to share new specialized Connecting Families Meetings occurring throughout New Jersey!

Connecting Families Meetings are hosted every month by our dedicated Family Support Advocates across New Jersey. These monthly gatherings offer a safe space for resource and kinship caregivers to come together, share experiences, and access valuable resources.

At our Connecting Families Meetings, you’ll not only find a supportive network of fellow caregivers but also receive personalized support from our knowledgeable Family Support Advocates. Whether navigating complex issues, seeking assistance with community resources, or simply looking for a place to discuss best practices in childcare, our Advocates are here to help.

We are pleased to offer the following topics as a way to promote bonding between resource parents and the children and youth in their care, while learning lessons and techniques to assist with future independence.*

Braid & Bond: An African American & Biracial Hair Care Workshop – engaging workshops for youth and adults to attend to learn techniques on styling African American and Biracial hair in collaboration with Gayle Bruney, owner of HealnGo.

Teaching Independence Through Cooking Workshop – in partnership with Cooking Thyme owner, Adrienne Fudge, caregivers and youth work together to create a meal from scratch while learning hands-on culinary techniques alongside professionally trained chefs to further advance independent living skills.

Teen Speak – this evidence-informed and skill-building program is intended to improve healthy decision-making and behavior choices of teens through education and support to caregivers through an in-depth, four-hour workshop presented by Empower of Somerset County in collaboration with embrella.

The Art of Fatherhood – a new specialized support group meeting just for men in the foster, kinship, and adoptive community. Work with other fathers and father figures to engage in discussion, while exploring the challenges and triumphs of the male role in our child welfare community.

Meetings & Movie in the Park – join embrella for a light-hearted meeting topic that children and youth can attend with you in a local park and then enjoy a family movie night in the park.

Don’t miss out on these opportunities to connect, learn, and grow with other resource and kinship parents. Join us at our next Connecting Families Meeting by checking out our calendar of upcoming events and take the next step in your journey today!

*Please note new specialized meetings occur in various areas throughout New Jersey based on funds and presenter availability.

Welcome to Our Family

How do you protect something as fragile as a web, while also keeping the many delicately woven layers in tact? How do you communicate the nuances of lived experience to someone that is unfamiliar with that narrative?

embrella’s Future is Family video series was designed to share the unique stories and perspectives of youth and families navigating the child welfare system. The mission of Future is Family is to create a deeper understanding of the challenges and triumphs children, youth, and families face every day. By sharing these stories, we hope to challenge perceptions, encourage empathy, and highlight the importance of community support.

Last month, we released Grandfamily – A Kinship Care Story, featuring Yvonne and Thomas Ketter-Walls, who found support with embrella and their Family Support Advocate, while raising their granddaughter, Zaylii. Grateful to discover the resources embrella offered, Yvonne details the complexities of her Kinship Care experience including out-of-state visits with their daughter-in-law, the search for trauma-informed therapy, and the process of grieving.

We were honored to record and preserve the story of Jaleesa: From Foster Care to Foster Mom, where we heard her experience of adopting her first foster child, while raising her biological 7-year-old son, and how she explained the complexities of fostering to her two young children. Jaleesa has a shining light within her that radiates when she speaks of the many children that have been a part of her life.

We believe sharing the untold stories of your neighbors will impact the way you live your life.

We believe that seeing regular folks take vulnerable children in need into their homes – to raise them, to teach them, to love them – will move you.

We believe that when you learn that these parents aren’t perfect, that their lives are as messy and confusing as the rest of us, but that they are also filled with love, courage, and dedication, you’ll be inspired.

As we continue to collect and share more stories, we invite you to check out our video library on YouTube or visit www.futureisfamily.org. 

A Profound Close to a
Powerful Series of Events!

embrella’s inaugural Power to End Adverse Childhood Experiences (P.E.A.C.E.) Initiative was an employee led yearlong series of Educational Workshops and Family/Community Engagement Events for foster, adoptive, and kinship caregivers, youth, and Department of Children and Families (DCF) staff and their families. These workshops and community events culminated with a daylong health and wellness P.E.A.C.E. Summit that was held on June 1, 2024.

The goal of the P.E.A.C.E. Initiative was to create a shared child welfare community of healers, leaders, and future changemakers. The initiative was informed by Positive and Adverse Childhood Experiences (PACEs) research.

The P.E.A.C.E. Advisory Committee provided partner support from like-minded agencies that share embrella’s mission to embrace, support, and advocate for children, youth, and families within the child welfare community. This included a total of fifteen volunteer committee members with a wealth of expertise in the area of child welfare.

Volunteers represented various offices and fields including DCF Office of Resource Families, DCF Local Office CP&P staff, CASA, Prevent Child Abuse NJ, DCF Office of Resilience, Age Out Angels, New Jersey Therapy Partners, and Constanta Wellness & Healing.

It also allowed those involved with child welfare firsthand to volunteer in helping guide the direction of P.E.A.C.E. This included kinship caregivers, resource parents, and an NJFC Scholars graduate.

With everyone’s support we were able to provide the following:

• Five educational training courses – two virtual, and three in-person in Hudson, Monmouth, and Atlantic counties. In all, over 100 resource, kinship, and child welfare interested attendees received training.
• Three family engagement events in Camden, Mercer, and Essex counties with over 300 resource and kinship attendees.
• The P.E.A.C.E. Summit had over 100 attendees and took place in Middlesex County.
• The P.E.A.C.E. Initiative served over 500 attendees, hosted 9 events from September 2023 through June 2024, engaged 26 embrella staff members and had in-person outreach in seven counties.

We can’t thank all the volunteers, staff, and especially the attendees enough for coming together in fellowship and community. It is our hope the connections that were created through these events will continue to support children, youth, and adults on their journeys of healing from past traumas and adversities.

Included below is a highlight reel of the P.E.A.C.E. Summit with some sentiments from the day.

We invite you to be a part of our 50th Anniversary by sharing your experiences, wisdom, and insights throughout your time with embrella.

Your entries will help us build a celebratory “Tips and Tricks” reference book to share with caregivers throughout New Jersey and beyond!

No idea is too large or too small. We’re looking to share your hard earned knowledge with those that could benefit from your wisdom.

Some sample topics to consider:

• Self-care practices
• Favorite recipes – school nights, quick meals, big family dinners
• Entering a new school
• Supporting teens
• Success stories
• Bonding activities

Your entries will help us to build a celebratory tips/tricks reference book to share with caregivers throughout New Jersey and beyond!