At StreetSquash, we believe that the best outcomes occur when students and their caregivers are as involved as possible. To help encourage caregiver participation, we create opportunities to get involved through the Family Leadership Board (FLB) and our Parenting Journey Workshops.

“StreetSquash is committed to the holistic development of children, and caregiver support is a vital part of that,” StreetSquash Program Director Stefany Navarro said. “Parenting Journey provides a space for caregivers to care for themselves and fill their cups to then have the capacity to give to their children and provide for their needs.” 

Parenting Journey works with nonprofits across the country to help caregivers interact better with others, change negative feelings to positive ones, and strengthen relationships with their children. 

Earlier this month, StreetSquash completed another 10-week Parenting Journey curriculum led by Dr. Sanayi Beckles-Canton, a former social work intern at our organization and a caregiver herself to a StreetSquash participant. Parenting Journey is put together and coordinated through the StreetSquash social work department. 

Reynaldo Forbes is one caregiver who took advantage of Parenting Journey and ended up attending all 10 classes. His 12-year-old daughter Gia started participating at StreetSquash in September 2022. 

At first, Reynaldo was unsure about wanting to participate in Parenting Journey.

“Honestly, at the beginning, I was very hesitant,” Reynaldo said. “When someone introduces information to you, and they talk about Parenting Journey, it makes you think, ‘what are they trying to say? We’re bad parents?’” 

But Reynaldo quickly found out it was not about that.

“It’s really just talking about understanding the role of a parent and the sacrifices we make,” Reynaldo said. “And even though I was hesitant, I was interested in that.”

From the very first meeting, Reynaldo was fully engaged. 

“I and the other parents were hesitant at the beginning of that first meeting,” Reynaldo said. “But you will eventually open up because it goes deep. It’s more about finding yourself as a parent and understanding what parenting journey means. In the end, it’s about not corralling your kids and not forcing them to be something. It’s about giving your kids the space and giving them knowledge so they can create their own journey.” 

Reynaldo also noted that as a parent, he only got the most out of the workshops if he was a willing participant instead of just sitting there and going through the motions. He added that the facilitator always worked to get something out of the caregivers. 

“Each session they’d ask you, ‘what’s a positive interaction you had,’” Reynaldo said. “They also asked, ‘How did you take care of yourself, or how did you educate yourself that day,’ or ‘describe a positive interaction you had.’” 

Reynaldo said there were homework assignments, but even if you didn’t do the assignment, you weren’t off the hook.

“They’d ask, ‘Why didn’t you do the homework?’” Reynaldo said. “Some parents said it was difficult, or they didn’t know what to say, or it made them reflect on a time when they were a kid.” 

Reynaldo noted other topics discussed in the workshops, such as how parents engage with their kids, how parents solve problems, and if parents imitate their own parents and apply it to their kids. 

He said the topic of caregivers imitating their own parents was, at times, very powerful.

“Some of the caregivers were unable to present because it was bringing back memories of how their parents treated them, and now they’re doing some of the same things,” Reynaldo said. “They were giving us an idea of how to see that and how not to apply those same characteristics of how our parents parented us.” 

Reynaldo was one of the rare caregivers who took the time to attend every session, and he explained what kept making him go back.

“I need to understand and seek deeper about what I’m doing wrong,” Reynaldo said. “I’m a single dad with a daughter. I wanted to see what I could change and how I could grow from it.” 

Caregivers interested in learning more about opportunities for programming specifically for them should email StreetSquash social worker Anthony Diana at Anthony@streetsquash.org.