Emma
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Post by Emma on Oct 10, 2011 23:22:43 GMT -5
Been talking with a couple people. We'd like to start a working group for ways for littler kids to be involved w/ OA. At actions and otherwise. Also possibly daycare stuff. Stuff around parent-specific issues wrt geting arrested. Etc.
It said to post here if you want a new WG forum...
Thanks, Emma
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joshred
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Post by joshred on Oct 10, 2011 23:40:47 GMT -5
I wanted to bring this up at the GA and completely forgot. Thank you for this. I don't have children but I have friends who might appreciate it.
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benbrucato
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Post by benbrucato on Oct 11, 2011 0:50:25 GMT -5
This is a great idea. I wish I had ideas to suggest, but want to follow the development of this and offer encouragement and maybe assistance; as a father it's important to me personally. I tried to make the first GA a family affair but with a 1 year old and the arrangements that meant we had to leave after an hour and a half. Do know that with the location WG I emphasized the importance of access to facilities with children and special needs people in mind first.
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roylemons
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Post by roylemons on Oct 11, 2011 10:58:01 GMT -5
great idea. i'll talk to the food group about making sure we keep snacks on hand for the kids.
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rana
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Post by rana on Oct 11, 2011 18:25:16 GMT -5
i'll be part of this WG. they set up a kid's area at OWS yesterday and it was really great.
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Emma
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Post by Emma on Oct 12, 2011 10:30:36 GMT -5
Glad to see interest. Planning in-person meetings is proving challenging for a lot of groups, and I'm sure it would be for us. I suggest we start with using this space to brainstorm & share resources & plan specific stuff as it comes to mind.
Can whoever organizes the boards move this to the Working Groups list (with a "pending GA approval" like one of the others has, if necessary - not that the GA voted on the formation of the existing WGs so it seems a bit silly).
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rcdrake
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Post by rcdrake on Oct 12, 2011 18:44:48 GMT -5
I'd like to propose having designated caregivers volunteer at the occupation. They would get background checks, file their contact info with a photo someplace on these boards, have access to emergency contact information for any parent who brings their kid to the protest, and be issued brightly-colored T-shirts that shows they are safe, approved, accountable, and available. Then people on the ground at the protest would immediately know who is safe to hand a kid to in case of arrest or if the parent is needing to immediately put muscle elsewhere. Police and angry public would also be able to identify immediately the people who were only there to take care of kids. Also, short people would be safer surrounded by these brightly-colored T-shirt flags, less likely to be squished in a crowd.
And, yes, childcare at the GAs. That'd be great.
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Emma
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Post by Emma on Oct 13, 2011 9:39:37 GMT -5
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Emma
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Post by Emma on Oct 13, 2011 9:43:58 GMT -5
So, anyone want to organize a small childcare situation at this week's GA? Or a group of parents & kids to meet up at the Capital protest on Saturday afternoon?
GSCA has the one small room w/ closing doors. More than 10 kids would be a bit much. It would have to be a "last resort" thing, with people doing their best to make other arrangements. And we'd probably need to have advance sign-up, so folks don't show up with more kids than can really fit in the room.
Some of the Free School 10-11yo's have provided childcare at meetings there. And/or we could look for an adult volunteer or two.
I'm not particularly suggesting that we do this, but asking what you all think. Hopefully we can find a site for the next meeting with more small rooms or a larger room for possible childcare. Will keep it in mind...
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rcdrake
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Post by rcdrake on Oct 13, 2011 17:07:46 GMT -5
So, anyone want to organize a small childcare situation at this week's GA? On it! I talked to the co-director of the Free School this morning, but haven't heard back yet. I will put in a return call shortly. I pinned down an adult volunteer this evening. So if we have a space, we have childcare, for the General Assembly on Sunday night. I think we should limit childcare to people under age eight, because we're doing this on a volunteer basis, and are therefore going to get a ton of kids. For folks in a real crunch, well, kids older than that are capable of sitting still and being quiet and can therefore be with their parents at the meeting, unless they're special needs. I'm not sure we can deal with special needs kids anyway. I think we then just need a poster at the door and/or a volunteer to run around and let parents of toddlers know there's childcare over at the Free School.
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dylan
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Post by dylan on Oct 13, 2011 18:02:35 GMT -5
I wanted to make sure you all saw this: Working Groups Announcement: Working Groups DO NOT need to be approved by the General Assembly. Working Groups may be created autonomously outside of the General Assembly and are only limited by your imagination. However in order to prevent the forum from becoming overloaded with half-formed Groups we request that your group: [1] has had at least one meeting in the real world, and [2] has at least four members Once your group meets this criteria please send a personal message to one of the moderators. Also, these rules are not set in stone so if you have a concern please post it on the suggestions board. Read more: occupyalbany.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=groups&action=display&thread=133#ixzz1ahorzxCO
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rcdrake
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Post by rcdrake on Oct 14, 2011 17:56:27 GMT -5
Do you want to meet before the next GA, right after it, or the next day or two? I am willing to host at my apartment but y'all might prefer a place without pet allergens.
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Emma
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Post by Emma on Oct 15, 2011 6:59:29 GMT -5
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rcdrake
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Post by rcdrake on Oct 15, 2011 8:50:25 GMT -5
Okay! We have the Free School from 5 to 10 on Sunday, and we have an adult care provider. I propose announcing at the GA the following:
"It has been great to see so many young faces here. Please feel free to keep your children involved in the meeting. But, a noisy room with a babysitter is available across the street for children ages seven and under who are having difficulty being quiet in the meeting space. Directions to the space are on this poster, which I am now posting in the front entryway of this building."
I'll make a poster and bring it.
Since Sunday is tomorrow, I guess I'm going to say that if I don't hear any objections, I'll just do this.
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Emma
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Post by Emma on Oct 16, 2011 22:44:39 GMT -5
So now that we have a date & time for the occupation to begin, we have a lot more to talk about.
I think it'd be good to have a designated kid space (which is not to say kids wouldn't be welcome throughout) right at the beginning. It welcomes more people to participate, and it's more fun for the kids (and parents) who are there. It'd also be good to have a racially diverse group of kids & parents so it's clear that this kid space, like the occupation as a whole, belongs to everyone. We'll need folks to do some personal outreach around that.
Shall we get together a critical mass of 4 or 5 families who can arrive during the day on Friday, who can each bring an old sheet or blanket and a couple toys, games, and/or art supplies?
And then what about during the GA? Childcare in the park? Remember, it will be getting dark around 6. Hard to watch groups of kids in an open space in the dark. Not sure if there are well-lit areas under street lights.
And after the GA, when most folks are taking off, are there any parents who are planning to stay past this time with little kids?
Food folks said they'd work on having snacks available for kids - we can remind them of this and offer to help.
That's the tip of the iceberg...
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rcdrake
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Post by rcdrake on Oct 17, 2011 9:28:45 GMT -5
think it'd be good to have a designated kid space (which is not to say kids wouldn't be welcome throughout) right at the beginning. I agree. I can bring a sheet or blanket. I can also rig up a smiling sun paper mache dude or something to draw/greet littl'uns and be a mascot that says kidspace. I was thinking about what Rana said about not having a place at OWS where it was safe for small people to be on the ground. If we had three big sticks and just wrapped ribbon from one to one, maybe that would help? I have a bunch of Care Bears fabric I can use to help mark boundaries of toddlers-on-the-ground watch-your-step space, but it would be more efficient if we used strips of it from a pole to a pole instead of putting it on the ground. Do you want me to talk to the POC caucus about this? Just the people I saw up there have five kids of color between them who I personally know and who play with my kids. Would it be appropriate to ask them to come down and help make the baby bloc a POC-friendly space on Friday at noon? They're all Free School kids, so I'm pretty sure they're gonna field trip this anyway. [/quote]Shall we get together a critical mass of 4 or 5 families who can arrive during the day on Friday, who can each bring an old sheet or blanket and a couple toys, games, and/or art supplies?
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Post by neveridle on Oct 17, 2011 11:49:13 GMT -5
Hi! I was over at the Free School doing child care last night for the GA, and I'm happy to help out with child care/fun kids space at the occupation as well. Even if it's just a space the parents utilize during the GA.
I can bring activities and art supplies and such.
I'd also be happy to help get a list of contacts together for parents who might be concerned about getting arrested.
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Emma
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Post by Emma on Oct 18, 2011 11:48:59 GMT -5
woohoo! Rose, you rock! I was wishing I could say "I'll go check out the street light situation" but it was too much for me to promise. If you can, that would be awesome.
Neveridle/Sarah(?) or Rose - Wanna start a thread in our newly-promoted Kids Stuff WG specifically for childcare specifically? I could contribute some time, and greatly(!!) value the service of those who are involved, but I don't think I want to make that one of my own key involvements.
Yeah, I think it'd be good to send a msg along to the POC caucus about diversifying kid space early on. Seems likely that Free School folks will mostly do their own thing at the occupation, and the preschool little-littles may or may not come out. And, as the white parent of a black kid, I specifically mentioned kids AND PARENTS of color so free school kids on their own do not imo fully diversify the space. We need *adults* (possibly teachers, preferably parents too) of color involved.
Of the folks I know in POC caucus I only know those with kids old enough to not need the childcare/kid space as much. But I don't know all of them. If you (Rose, or anyone else) know any with young children would you feel comfortable contacting them directly about this? I don't know if Rana is keeping up in here but I'll msg her also.
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rcdrake
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Post by rcdrake on Oct 18, 2011 13:37:21 GMT -5
eah, I think it'd be good to send a msg along to the POC caucus about diversifying kid space early on. I asked Bhawin a ton of questions, about that and a few other things. He said he'd bring them up at their meeting tomorrow. He also mentioned that it was important that we have a caregiver of color. I can't think of anyone that passionately interested. We may have to go to the caucus and ask for help there. (Has Nellie shown any interest in the occupation? Maybe she is willing to be there the first day just to set precendence?)
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Emma
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Post by Emma on Oct 18, 2011 23:17:12 GMT -5
If Bhawin said he'd bring it up, that's cool. I am not under the impression that the POC caucus is inviting folks from wg's to show up at their meeting to ask for stuff.
Kid area: Rose texted this evening & said there is an area at the park away from the street that's pretty well lit after dark. Shall we try to stake that out? Dylan Boyce (as Capital Area Permaculture Guild) seems to be trying to put together a map of where things will be. Rose, can you talk to Dylan about where this spot is (I don't know the park at all) so he can incorporate that info if he does end up putting together such a thing? Thanks!
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