Memphis Family Connection Center

Jill Stockburger is one of our counselors here at MFCC.

Working with a range of young children to adults, Jill provides therapeutic tools, techniques, and support through the lens of trauma. As an Expressive Arts Therapist, her ability to incorporate art and play is instrumental in the work she does with children and families.

We are thankful to have Jill as part of our team!

✨WE HAVE EXCITING NEWS✨
A new program serving adoptive and foster families launches this fall!
✨Together: Family Intensive✨

KEY BENEFITS✨
-Strengthen Relationships
-Improve Communication
-Support Behavior
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Together: Family Intensive from Empowered to Connect is an intensive counseling and family support program.

The 12-week program is for Memphis area adoptive, foster and kinship families with children ages 4-15 yrs old to support overall family well-being, improve parent competencies, and assist children in regulation, connection, and healing.

ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS✨
-Equip Parent Coaching
-Counseling Sessions
-Cohort Connection

LAUNCHING FALL of 2024✨
-Kick Off Family Event: Monday Sept. 9th, 6:30pm
-Weekly Equip and Counseling Sessions: Scheduled from the week of Sept. 9th through the week of Dec. 9th (with several weeks off for Fall Break and Thanksgiving)
-Closing Family Event: Thursday Dec. 12th, 6:30pm

COST✨
Together: Family Intensive Program cost approximately $467 per week per family for a total of $5,600 per family (with 1 child participating). Believing cost should not be a barrier to high-quality care for adopt/foster/kinship families, our development team and generous donors are committed to helping offset those costs in order to provide exemplary support at a reduced rate to families. Sliding scale scholarships are available to offset the expense to participants!

✨Making the weekly cost between $100-$150 per week for 3 hours of weekly care and support!!

✨THE APPLICATION WINDOW is open from 8/5 - 8/19.
✨There is limited space so apply soon!!!

✨For additional information and to APPLY; please visit http://memphisfamilycc.org/together

✨Questions? Email [email protected]

“Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work.”-CS Lewis
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“It’s never more important to be right than it is to relate rightly.”
-Michael Monroe

📚 “I Am Human” is a delightful children’s book that teaches kids about compassion and empathy. It’s a perfect way to inspire your little ones to embrace kindness and understand their own feelings and those of others. Highly recommend adding this gem to your bedtime story rotation! 📚

“Inviting our thoughts and feelings into awareness allows us to learn from them rather than be driven by them.”
-Daniel J. Siegel

🇺🇸MFCC is closed today in Observance of July 4th 🇺🇸

As we celebrate the privilege of freedom brought to us by the sacrifices of so many people who came before us, let us remember the true meaning of freedom. This quote from Nelson Mandela says it so well:
“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
#901

Just discovered something incredible today! Did you know you can stretch and shape your brain? 🧠💫 Hope couldn’t wait to share this fascinating fact after reading “Your Fantastic Elastic Brain”. 📚 It’s an amazing book that teaches kids all about having a growth mindset and the wonders of our brains, all in a super fun way! Caregivers, you might find it eye-opening too!

“Creating artwork allows your mind to be in a safe place while it contemplates the tougher issues you are dealing with.”
-George E. Miller

Is your child resisting deep breaths? Try blowing bubbles together instead. It’s a fun way to promote relaxation and mindfulness. 🌬️

🫧For this activity you will need bubble solution and bubble wands.
🫧Model to your child to take a deeper breath each time and blow slowly through the wand. This will help reduce anger and anxiety build up.
🫧After taking a few deep breaths and blowing bubbles, invite your child to join you in popping the bubbles.
🫧To add more enjoyment, play some cheerful music in the background and turn the activity into a bubble party.

📚 Our friend Hope the sloth wants to recommend a heartwarming book that’s all about empathy and friendship! “The Rabbit Listened” is a wonderful story that teaches us how to be good listeners when someone we care about is going through a tough time. It’s a powerful reminder of how important it is to understand and support each other’s feelings. Whether you’re a child or an adult, this book beautifully explores emotions and the power of empathy.📚

“Not perfect, but present.” -Tina Payne Bryson

🌱🍓🌻”FARMERS’ MARKET DAY FOR CONNECTION”🌱🍓🌻
Looking for a fun and meaningful way to connect with your family this weekend? Here’s how you can turn a trip to the farmers’ market into an unforgettable adventure:
🌱 Start by researching local farmers’ markets together. Choose one with a variety of vendors and activities that interest everyone.
🛒 Make a shopping list of fresh produce, artisanal products, and any special treats you want to try.
🔍 Create a list of items to find or tasks to complete, like finding the most colorful vegetable or talking to a farmer about their favorite recipe.
🍓 Encourage each family member to try something new and share their thoughts on flavors and textures.
🍴 After your market adventure, head home and turn your purchases into a delicious family meal.

🎉 Today we celebrate Juneteenth! 🎉
Let’s honor the significance of this day as we commemorate the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in 1865. It’s a time to honor resilience and celebrate Black heritage.

“When children pretend, they’re using their imaginations to move beyond the bounds of reality. A stick can be a magic wand. A sock can be a puppet. A small child can be a superhero.” -Fred Rogers

“OBSTACLE COURSE” CONNECTING ACTIVITY

Creating a backyard or indoor obstacle course is a fun family activity that encourages physical fitness, teamwork, and creativity.

Here’s how to set one up:
Take a walk around your backyard (or indoors) and identify areas where you can set up obstacles. Consider using items like cones, pool noodles, hula hoops, jump ropes, chairs, and anything else you have on hand.

Choose Your Obstacles:
📦 Use a large cardboard box or create a tunnel using chairs and blankets.
🎯 Set up cones or use pool noodles as hurdles to jump over.
🏋️‍♂️ Lay a sturdy plank of wood or use a line of tape on the ground for balancing.
🕺 Use a broomstick or a pool noodle held up by two chairs for a limbo station.
🚗 Line up old tires on the ground for kids to run through.
🤸‍♂️ Have kids jump rope a certain number of times before moving on.
🎯 Set up buckets or targets for kids to throw bean bags into.

Arrange the obstacles around your backyard in a sequential order, ensuring there’s enough space between each one for safe movement.

Gather your family and explain the rules of the obstacle course. You can set a timer for each participant to complete the course and challenge them to beat their own time.

Let each family member take turns navigating through the obstacle course. Encourage them to do their best and have fun!

If desired, you can turn the obstacle course into a team activity where family members work together to complete the challenges.

Once everyone has completed the course, celebrate their efforts and achievements.

Feel free to modify the obstacle course layout or add new challenges each time you play.

📅 🎉Upcoming Holiday Closing 📅 🎉
MFCC will be closed on Wednesday, June 19th, in observation of Juneteenth.

📚✨“Breathe Like a Bear: 30 Mindful Moments for Kids to Feel Calm and Focused Anytime, Anywhere” by Kira Willey is a wonderful resource for introducing mindfulness and breathing exercises to children. Help your little ones manage their emotions and find peace wherever they are - in the car, at home, or even in school! Let’s empower our kids with the tools to stay calm and focused! 📚✨

“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.” -Fred Rogers

“901 SUMMER ADVENTURES” FOR CONNECTION
Looking for family-friendly activities to beat the heat and make lasting memories this summer? Look no further! Memphis is bursting with exciting things to do for families of all ages.
Check out these fantastic family-friendly activities happening in our city:
🎵 Experience the magic of live music at Levitt Shell’s free outdoor concerts for all ages.
🌳 Explore the great outdoors at Shelby Farms Park with hiking, biking, and paddle boating.
🦒Visit the Memphis Zoo and get up close with amazing animals from around the world.
🎟️ Enjoy FREE family visits to 12 attractions by registering for the 901 student passport card.
🌐To register and learn more about the 901 student passport visit this website: http://www.901StudentPassport.com

📖✨”Eyes That Kiss in Corners” by Joanna Ho is a captivating exploration of identity and self-esteem, following a young Asian girl as she discovers the beauty of her heritage through her unique eyes. It beautifully captures her observations of diversity among her peers while highlighting the timeless bond across three generations. 💖 Representation truly matters, and this story is a must-have for every home library.📖✨

“It is in the small moments, when we feel the other person fully present, fully engaged, connected, and accepting, that we make the most powerful, enduring bonds.”
-Dr. Bruce Perry

🌼“KINDNESS GARDEN” FOR CONNECTION🌼
Creating a Kindness Garden is a heartwarming project that promotes positivity, compassion, and community spirit.

Here’s how you can make the most of this connecting activity:
🪨Arrange a community rock-gathering event where everyone can collect smooth, flat rocks for decoration.
⛱️Choose a suitable location within your neighborhood for the rock garden. It could be a community park or a designated area within a neighborhood common area.
🎨Set up a communal decorating station where neighbors can paint and decorate the rocks together. Provide plenty of art supplies such as paints, markers, and brushes.
🖌️Encourage participants to write messages of kindness, gratitude, or encouragement on the rocks.
🌳Once the rocks are decorated and dried, gather together to arrange them in the chosen location. Lay them out along a pathway or around a tree. Consider adding decorative elements such as flowers or plants.
🪧Attach a sign explaining the purpose of the garden and inviting participation.
🧹Consider organizing neighborhood clean-up events to keep the garden engaging.
🫶By creating a “Kindness Garden” in your neighborhood, you’re building a sense of community and spreading positivity one rock at a time.

Looking for a heartwarming read that celebrates diversity and individuality? 📚 “It’s Okay to Be Different” is a delightful children’s book that embraces uniqueness in all its forms. It’s a great choice for sparking conversations about acceptance and empathy with your little ones.📚

📅 Upcoming Holiday Closing 📅
MFCC will be closed on Monday, May 27th, in observation of Memorial Day.

Hope loves using “How Do You Feel” by Mandy Stanley to help kids understand emotions better. Through vibrant illustrations of animals and colors, it’s a fun way for children to learn about feelings and expand their emotional vocabulary.

“When we play, we are engaged in the purest expression of our humanity, the truest expression of our individuality.”
-Stuart Brown

Looking for a way to dive into those big emotions with your little ones? Check out “Exactly You: The Shape of Your Feelings” by Sarah Krajewski.📚✨ This colorful book is like a roadmap for understanding feelings like anxiety, depression, and self-esteem. 🎨💬 It’s perfect for sparking heartfelt conversations and teaching kids to embrace every emotion!
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“When your child feels truly safe, doors swing open to positive change.”
-Dr. Karyn Purvis

Representation matters so much, and this book tells the story of a young girl of Asian Heritage as she notices the differences with with her peers and celebrates all the similarities among three generations. We know for sure that this book will enrich your home library.