A place for parents to share their stories

WATSONVILLE – Raices y Carino or RC Fam, an international and bilingual family centerthat will be opening its doors to the public on the following Sunday. The center will provide a space where families can gather for classes and provide educational sessions. The center provides more than programs and classes. It also serves as an oasis for parents tired from the everyday grind of parenting.

Julianne Bellin is an organizer volunteer of Raices y Carino. She admitted that it can be difficult to cope with the stress of a day even when you’ve done right, but your child is having a difficult day. It’s the RC Fam Center will offer an environment that is safe for parents to enjoy tea and unwind. The grand ceremonial opening of the RC Fam Center will take place at 5 p.m. The event will feature an open house with raffles as well as a resource event for service providers. Taco trucks will be accessible on the other side of the street. The community is invited to join the celebration to find out more information about the event and the services it offers.

Family Birth and Bonding Center provides a variety of programs such as parent support groups as well as postnatal yoga, and sign languages classes for infants. Nora Yerena, a doula as well as Juliana Reyes are the founding directors. They have been helping families as well as training them. Yerena is the mother of six , and also Doula. She also was the founder of the two Monterey Maternal Mental Health Task Forces. Yerena has been a Parenting Connection parent educator since the very beginning of the organization’s existence.

San Benito counties. Yerena stated, “I’m proud to connect three counties with resources.” We’re breaking down the barriers of institutional discrimination and trauma between generations by connecting different languages, cultures and families. All of us are influencing one other for good through connecting us all. Reyes is a teacher as well as RC Fam director is proud to have a mother who is an immigrant. In her role as a Pajaro Valley United Schools District Coordinator as well as an educator for parents, First consultant, and Head Start teacher.

Reyes is the head of the Live Oak Resource Center’s English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC) as well as Spanish Playgroup. Reyes views her work as a member of RC Fam as a continuation of her assistance to families. Reyes stated, “This time in life is beautiful as well as fragile.” “Mothers need support and communityof their own,” Reyes said. RC Fam partners with groups like the Santa Cruz County Public Health Department’s Birth Network of Santa Cruz County and the Santa Cruz Public Health Department’s Positive Discipline Community Resources Bay Area Babywearing Networks , Parenting Connection of Monterey County’s Shared adventures We Get It, MENtors Fitness.

The individuals can join the center and offer workshops or support groups for free that range from support for fathers and grief counseling to mothers’ wellbeing, maternal and postnatal physical and mental health , to lactation-related support classes and activities such as tablestop role-playing and assistance for the emotional wellbeing of their children. There are rooms available for private appointment for physical and medical and a collection of products for babywearing and other enrichment toys. Bellin said, “There will be something to suit everyone.” Bellin added “And even if something isn’t there but we’ll make sure we are able to provide what our community needs.”

Morality

Reyes believes her work as a RC Fam volunteer RC Fam is a continuation of her family’s support. Reyes stated, “This stage in life is both exciting as well as a bit scary.” Mothers need support from their communities. RC Fam partners with community organizations like Santa Cruz County Public Health Department as well as the Birth Network of Santa Cruz County. Positive Discipline Community Resources, Bay Area Babywearing Network, Parenting Connection of Monterey County. Shared Adventures. We Get It. MENtors. Fitness.