Safety as a Mindset

We value life, spirit, and health above all else and take action to maintain the safety of our workplaces, programs, and services through a trauma-responsive lens. We are personally accountable for our own safety and collectively responsible for the mental, emotional, and physical safety of our community.

Ms. Norma is by far one of the most outstanding workers in our program. She tackles issues with the youth right away.  Ms. Norma is an amazing communicator and has been able to mediate and resolve conflict flawlessly, creating a lasting impact on our youth’ behaviors and relationships in the cottage. She is appreciated by co-workers and youth alike. The atmosphere in C4 is always welcoming and inclusive because of her.

Congratulations Norma and thank you!

The Board of Child Care (BCC) and the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee would like to wish our community a Happy PRIDE Month! PRIDE takes place every June and is a time for the world’s LGBTQ+ Communities to come together and celebrate the freedom to be themselves. PRIDE celebrations are rooted in a long history of minority groups who have struggled for decades to overcome prejudice and be accepted for who they are. The Board of Child Care respects, accepts, and values the voices, lives, and experiences of all our staff, youth, and community partners who are members of this community. We could not do this mission-focused work without your contributions to society and the examples that you set for us all. Thank you and Happy PRIDE, not only in the month of June but every single day!

The original organizers of PRIDE chose the month of June to honor the Stonewall uprising that took place in June of 1969 in New York City, where police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar, and began harassing and pulling customers outside. Patrons resisted arrest, and crowds gathered in protest of the officers’ cruel and unnecessary treatment. This event displayed the built-up frustration towards authorities and social systems that discriminated against marginalized groups and were the catalyst for an emerging gay rights movement. Civic organizations formed and held protests, met with political leaders and worked to educate the world on the purpose of the movement. Today, the LGBTQ+ community continues to fight for rights and equality. Nationwide marriage equality is a more recent victory. However, various forms of discrimination still run rampant for the LGBTQ+ community. PRIDE is an opportunity to focus our energy on the history, progress, and future of the LGBTQ+ community.

If you do not know much about the LGBTQ+ community or PRIDE month, don’t worry! There are so many ways to get educated and involved! Check out the list below:

• Hit the Books – Research is the best way to not only understand PRIDE but also become a better ally. Read up on the history of the movement, educate yourself on proper pronouns, watch documentaries on LGBTQ+ issues.
• Walk the Walk- If you are well versed in the LGBTQ+ community, use that knowledge for good. Provide opportunities for members of this community to be heard on various platforms. Create safe environments for colleagues and youth to feel supported. Set the example of what it truly means to be an ally.
• Participate in your local pride events – Attending local events will allow you to network and learn directly from members of this community. Pay attention to social media, local universities, and nonprofits for information about celebrations.
• Door Decorating Contest: The picture above is a great example of the results you can get when you have a team and youth-based PRIDE contest. Thanks, Team West Virginia, for being an ALLY.No matter how you choose to celebrate, the Board of Child Care encourages you to remember those who fought for equal rights and those who still do. As an organization, we are continuing to create safe spaces, bring forth important conversations, and build allyship for all members of our community. We encourage you to join us in this work so we all can engage with joy and purpose and bring our most authentic selves to our community.

“The future belongs to those who give the next generation reason for hope.”

– Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

In these challenging times, the Board of Child Care (BCC) is still providing essential behavioral health services to our incredible youth. We didn’t stop during the pandemic, we kept on going. Actually, we worked harder, helping young people and their families no matter what! Now, more than ever, our youth need us, and we need you.

You can make a difference today. Please consider signing up to be a monthly donor or make a one-time donation. Your contribution helps to cover the added expenses we incurred due to the Covid-19 crisis. These additional costs include technology, staffing, personal protective equipment (PPE), and cleaning materials.

The Board of Child Care family was saddened to learn of the loss of one of our own this week. Dr. Lorraine Bess served the Board of Child Care for a number of years, both as a member of the Board of Directors and as the President of the Volunteer Auxiliary until 1999. Dr. Bess also Co-Authored The History of the Board of Child Care Auxiliary in 2003. Dr. Bess was the recipient of the Distinguished Volunteer Service Award from the Baltimore Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church in 1995 for her work with the Volunteer Auxiliary.

In addition to her service to BCC, she was a devoted member of Asbury United Methodist Church in Washington DC and served her community as a member of the DC Third Ward Advisory Neighborhood Commission.  Dr. Bess passed away on March 5^th, 2021 at the age of 92, leaving a legacy of family and selfless service.

BCC would like to offer our heartfelt condolences to the Bess family and are grateful for the life and service of Dr. Lorraine Bess.

BCC celebrates our social worker staff during Professional Social Work Month. The National Association of Social Workers has made this year’s theme, “Social Workers Are Essential.” Social workers are essential to BCC’s purpose of enriching communities, one family at a time.

Here at BCC, social workers breathe life into our innovative and transformative programs. Our social workers provide high-quality integrated care that is grounded in evidence-based practices. BCC treatment plans support the healing of trauma and foster healthy communities for youth and their families.

A special THANK YOU to all the social workers who work tirelessly to serve our local communities.

Are you a social worker who wants to join BCC? Check out this position. We look forward to hearing from you!

Explore more career opportunities.

Launch your career with real, hands-on experience!

Do you have the ability to effectively work with youth and families; excellent written and oral communication skills as well as the ability to be self-motivated and organized? We welcome you to apply today!

BCC gives you the access and professional training you need to excel in your field. We offer internships year-round and many interns are hired for full-time employment.

Black History Month started in 1915, half a century after the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States. In September of 1915, the Harvard-trained historian Carter G. Woodson and the prominent minister Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH). This organization dedicated itself to researching and promoting achievements by Black Americans and other peoples of African descent.  It created the beginnings of what we now know as Black History Month (BHM).

Black History Month allows everyone to share, celebrate, and understand the impact of black heritage and culture. Black History Month continues to inspire our BCC community and reminds us of the important core values of Empathy and Relationships.

In the past, present, and future, BCC pursues and walks in our purpose, carrying our core values.  In 2020, to gain our footing in a tumultuous environment, we established the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committee. This committee has continued to meet monthly and is helping BCC navigate these challenging and unprecedented times.  We are grateful for their guidance this month as they enrich our learning about Black History and nourishing our skills in empathy and relationships.

The great thing about Black History Month is that it’s for us all!  Learning about the contributions of our Black brothers and sisters is essential. Learning about Black history is part of the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion journey and helps us develop our core value of Empathy and nurtures the core value of Relationships.  Please, reflect on where you are in your journey. Are you unaware, an ally, advocate, or activist? I ask this question as I reflect on where I am in my journey – how far I’ve come and how far I need to go yet.  I also think about where BCC is on its EDI journey. One thing I know for sure. We have a long way to go. But we are moving in a promising direction. During Black History Month, consider how you might drive yourself to your next level:

• Achieve allyship through research and self-reflection.
• Educate yourself on the journey of black people in this country.
• Find books by black authors, listen in on podcasts, participate in a community service project that targets underserved communities.
• Push yourself to engage in reflective practices that allow you to see where you can serve as an ally.

It is only through educating yourself and action that you will develop a skill set to be an ally and gain an appreciation for the Black community that extends past Black History Month.

As we celebrate Black History Month this February, we are dedicated to illuminating and amplifying Black contributors’ work in mental and behavioral health. However, we will not stop there. Through 2021 and beyond, we are committed to highlighting our underrepresented mental and behavioral health professionals from diverse backgrounds, celebrating their important contributions to our field.

Learn more about the BCC’s commitment to embracing equity, diversity, and inclusion by reading the BCC Compass, our new blog, created to share our pursuit of an equitable, diverse, and inclusive environment at BCC.

A special THANK YOU to BCC’s staff members who identify as Black and/or African American.

Thank you for all that you do to contribute to our purpose of “enriching communities, one family at a time.” Choosing to be a mentor and part of the healing and recovery of the children and families we serve makes a difference that lasts and matters.

Laurie Anne Spagnola, MSW
President and CEO
Board of Child Care