Connecting for Kids starts Spanish initiative

Spanish-speaking parents in Lorain County have the opportunity to receive information and resources in Spanish regarding questions and concerns they have about their children. Connecting for Kids, a nonprofit organization in Northeast Ohio, started the initiative to provide more families with access to resources whether they need specialists, counselors, funding or other services. Sarah Rintamaki, the executive director of Connecting for Kids, said the Spanish initiative is needed in the area.

“There is clearly a growing population of young families in Lorain County, and there is a lot of data that shows children of color are under-diagnosed for both developmental and mental health care issues as well as giftedness,” Rintamaki said. Parents need to be aware of warning signs their children display in order to take necessary steps, she said. “We see the need to increase awareness in families about warning signs like red flags and when they need to start working with professionals to make sure they can rule out any underlying developmental or mental health issues,” Rintamaki said. Although some families have identified needs in their children, other barriers exist that can affect their resource accessibility, she said. “We know families that have already identified a need, they often struggle with language or cultural barriers that make it harder for them to be able to access resources,” Rintamaki said. “We wanted to remove one of the barriers by providing a family resources specialist that could help them navigate and know what resources are available for them.” To maximize the initiative’s reach, Connecting for Kids must partner with local businesses, groups and organizations to establish a level of trust with the area’s Spanish-speaking residents, she said. “In combination with us working with partners like El Centro and others in the community, Ready Set Go and Rising Titans, we can gather that level of trust in the community so they’ll be comfortable reaching out to us,” Rintamaki said. A goal of Connecting for Kids is to educate the public about its efforts and resources, she said.