CAMPUS/AREA UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Monday, February 28,1994
5
Forum focus: Rebuild the African-American family
By Gennifer Trail Kansan staff writer
OVERLAND PARK — In September, about three-fifths of the children in the Kansas Social and Rehabilitation Services were African-American, according to a study by the KU School of Social Welfare.
This was the basis on which about 100 social welfare students and alumni discussed "Family Permanence: The African-American Child at Risk." The forum was held on Friday at the Regents Center.
Social and Rehabilitation Services is a state program that cares for children who are not receiving proper care in the home. Social workers either can give in-home assistance, assign children to foster care or find adoptive parents for the children.
Lemuel Kimes, coordinator of the forum and assistant to the dean of the school, said that a goal of family permanence is to reunite African-American children in the program with their biological parents. He said that another goal is to increase the number of African-American adopting parents.
The panelists, from the University of Kansas and the field of social welfare, said they supported these ideas.
Harold Washington, assistant professor of social welfare, said that an increase in adoptions by African Americans could occur if social workers were more knowledgeable of African-American culture.
"African-American families very much believe in adopting informally within their families," he said. "We need to build on this strength."
Alonzo Owens, recruiter for Black Adoption Program and Services, also said he encouraged the need to increase African-American adoptions by African-American parents.
"The need to increase adoptions is very severe," he said. "More than 600,000 kids are in foster care in the U.S. Three-fourths are African-American. And Black boys, aged 2 to 17, stay in foster care longer than any other group."
Owens said that social workers
need to work at the origin of the problem by educating parents.
"When parents are empowered children are better," he said. "S'ht up, get out of my face, I don't want to hear it." Parents say this. Disrespectful behaviors are learned by kids. Parents have got to model and teach love and respect."
Vonzella Bryant, research assistant in the school, said that social workers needed to work as a team to improve life for African Americans.
"I'm pushing cooperation and organization," she said. "Social workers need to get together and say, 'This is what we want.' For example, if we advocate better housing, we need to talk to the people who allocate government money."
Kimes said that he hoped the forum would make a difference in the daily work of social workers. *
"People working in the field on a day-to-day basis are frustrated," he said. "We hope to give them some tools and inspiration to make a difference for African-American children."
Med Center relief plans set to fly
By Ashley Schultz Kansan staff writer
Kansan staff writer
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — About 150 benefactors mingled within the sights and sounds of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan Thursday night as they kicked off efforts to get a medical airlift to the country.
But the one evening was the result of months of work.
The gathering at the University of Kansas School of Medicine combined fund raising with a press conference and crafts fair. The airlift project is being coordinated by the Med Center and Heart to Heart International, an Alathe-based relief organization.
"A public university, certainly one such as the University of Kansas, does not serve its state or its nation if it does not strive to understand the world," he said.
Chancellor Gene Budig said Kyrgyzstan offered the University an international opportunity.
The participation of Heart to Heart and the University will mean life to the people of Kyrgyzstan, said Roza Otunbayeva, Kyrgyz ambassador to the United States.
"My small country today is in great trouble." Otunbaveva said.
Kyrgyzstan is struggling under the pressures of a newborn free-market economy, Otunbayeva said. But despite shortages such as the ones experienced in hospitals, the Kyrgyz are eager to make their new democracy succeed, she said.
Fred Holmes, professor of medicine, is responsible for the involvement of both the Med Center and Heart to Heart in Kyrgyzstan. He saw the medical shortages in Kyrgyzstan when he visited with his wife, Grace, a professor of preventive medicine, to set up a personnel exchange with the republic.
blessed from the very beginning," said Holmes.
"There are some enterprises that are
Holmes said he was warned that getting a hold of the Kyrgyz Minister of Health could be difficult and might take several attempts. An assistant fluent in Russian made the call.
"We said, 'Here's the number, go for it,' Holmes said. "Alexander reached out and touched someone — the first time, direct dial, he got the Minister himself."
But initial contact with Heart to Heart was not so successful.
The first time around, Holmes was told that the organization probably could not help the Med Center help Kyrgyzstan, said organization founder Gary Morsch.
But shortly thereafter, Morsch was discussing objectives in the former Soviet Union with members of the State Department in Washington. Kyrgyzstan came up again, and a partnership was born.
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For general admission tickets, call the KU box offices (Murphy: 913/864-3982, Lied: 913/864-ARTS); KU student tickets are available through the SUA Office, Kansas Union; public $3, students and senior citizens $2; VISA/MasterCard accepted for phone orders.
The KU Bands are partially funded by the KU Student Senate Activity Fee.
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