Since it was founded in 1992, the Nashville Children’s Alliance has worked to reduce the trauma of child abuse victims and their families by conducting forensic interviews, working with the Department of Children Services, the Metro Nashville Police Department and the District Attorney General’s office to make sure no child falls through the cracks. Lori Myers is the clinical director at the Nashville Children’s Alliance and sits down with host, Jonquil Newland, to discuss childhood trauma and help for families. 

Several counties across Tennessee are listed as child care deserts and the average yearly payment a family will fork out for child care is around $7,400 and rising. On this episode of Roots and Wings, Heather Hicks with the Child Care Resource and Referral Network (CCR&R) sits down with host, Jonquil Newland, to discuss some of the biggest challenges facing child care facilities and professionals in Tennessee and her advice for parents looking for the best child care for their family. 

Elandriel works with United Way of Metropolitan Nashville as the manager of Early Learning Initiatives. On this podcast episode, she sits down with host, Jonquil Newland, to discuss Social Emotional Learning, SEL and Environmental Learning, EE, and how it impacts a developing brain and youth behavior.  

Nearly 20 percent of youth between 13 and 18-years-old experience severe mental disorders in a given year. About half the number of children with a mental illness do not receive any services or help. While data and numbers tend to focus on older youth and teens, young children and be heavily impacted as well. On this episode the supervisor for the Pediatric Therapy Program at Mental Health Cooperative, Brianna Grant, sits down with Roots and Wings host, Jonquil Newland, to discuss therapy options available as well as tips for mental health conversation starters between adults and the youth in their lives.  

Research shows young children who are read to three or more times a week are nearly twice as likely to show advanced literacy skills. The Governor's Book From Birth Foundation works to promote early childhood literacy for children in Tennessee between birth and 5-years-old. As of January 7, 2020 the foundation is now known as the Governor's Early Literacy Foundation. In a partnership with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, the foundation works to give every preschooler in Tennessee the opportunity to receive free books in the mail! The foundation's president, Jame Pond, sits down with Roots and Wings host, Jonquil Newland, to discuss the foundation's work and future reading initiatives.  

Traumatic experiences and adverse childhood experiences or ACE's shape our community's youth. The Raphah Institute is an organization that is working to help youth offenders and their victims heal from non-violent crimes before charges are ever filed. 

"If incarceration made us safer the United States would be the safest nation in the history of any civilization," Raphah Institute CEO Travis Claybrooks said. 

One way of keeping non violent youth out of the criminal system is through the Raphah Institute's Restorative Justice Diversion Program, when youth who are arrested for certain felonies have the opportunity to meet and talk with the victims they've harmed. Together they work to heal and move forward. 

Claybrooks discusses why this program was implemented in Davidson County and it's impact on our community's youth with Roots and Wings host, Jonquil Newland. 

 

 

Davidson County Juvenile Court Judge Sheila Calloway was elected in 2014 and oversees the entire juvenile court system in Davidson County, as well as manages the detention facilities that house youth offenders. On this episode of Roots and Wings Calloway discusses the recent uptick in violent crimes among youth and the challenges that face the juvenile court system.     

Despite working hard for 16 years to pursue a successful comedy career, DJ Pryor and his toddler son, Kingston are now advocates for "Serve and Return". In Summer 2019, a video of DJ and Kingston interacting went viral. Since then he's spoken to crowds around the country about Serve and Return and the importance of father's connecting with their children. "I move as if I'm representing every man that's doing right. I'm moving to inspire every man that's doing wrong," said DJ. He speaks candidly about his new role as a child and family advocate with Roots and Wings host, Jonquil Newland. Learn more about DJ and Kingston's journey by watching this video.   

Grandparents and other relatives have a very long tradition of being the foundation that keeps a family together. Across the nation 2.7 million grandparents are raising their grandchildren. Tracy Van de Vate is the program manager of the Knoxville-Knox County Grandparents as Parents Program. She sits down with Roots and Wings host, Jonquil Newland, to discuss the resources available to families as well as some of the challenges and benefits of raising grandchildren.