Chicago Child Care Society

Barbara Bowman is a well-known early childhood education pioneer, activist and teacher who co-founded the Erikson Institute in 1966. Her work has had an impact around the world in training teachers and advising government leaders in the field of child development. Family Focus is proud to have Barbara on its Honorary Board!

https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/barbara-bowman-39

Just TWO weeks until our Stronger Together Virtual Celebration! Join President and CEO, Dara Munson, and Board Chairperson, Dennis Abboud, for a virtual road trip to visit our centers! We'll hear from some participants and staff about the "new" Family Focus and officially celebrate our merger. RSVP to tune into show at 6:30 p.m. on June 22nd. Link to RSVP in our bio!

The Health and Human Services Advocacy Event with Illinois Partners for Human Service is starting soon! Our President and CEO Dara Munson will be one of the speakers. RSVP at this link and join us at 12:00 p.m. CST: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_AFPzDlK8RCqf1-uNy0s3sA

A name you should know: Selena Sloan Butler

Mrs. Selena Sloan Butler is most well-known for co-founding the National Parent Teacher Association, though she was not always recognized for this achievement.

Mrs. Butler was born to a white father and mixed African American and Indian mother in Georgia in 1872. Mrs. Butler's father was absent from her childhood. When she graduated high school she became a teacher. She married Dr. Henry Rutherford Butler, a prominent Black doctor in Atlanta and had one son.

When their son started school Mrs. Butler sought ways to help parents take a proactive approach to their child’s education. In 1911 she founded the National Congress of Color Parents and Teachers Association (NCCPTA) at her son's school, creating the first parent-teacher group for Black parents in the U.S. Mrs. Butler worked hard to grow awareness of the group and wrote letters to spread the word about the importance of parents taking an active role in their child's education. New chapters of the NCCPTA opened up at more and more schools, bringing the organization state-wide. By 1926 the group had gained enough widespread attention to create a national convention. Four states sent delegates and the group officially spread nation-wide.

In 1929, Mrs. Butler and the NCCPT caught the attention of the White House. Mrs. Butler was was appointed by President Hoover to serve on the White House Conference on Child Health and Protection representing the NCCPT. Mrs. Butler remained the President of the NCCPT for more than 30 years.

Outside of her work with in education she was an active community organizer and activist with almost too many credits to list: she was a delegate to the founding convention of the National Association of Colored Women, the first president of the Georgia Federation of Colored Women's Clubs, served as a member of the the Georgia Commission on In*******al Cooperation, the Chataugua Circle of Atlanta and the Order of the Eastern Star. She also organized the first chapter of the Gray Ladies, a group of American Red Cross volunteers who worked in American hospitals, other health-care facilities, and private homes.

Mrs. Butler passed at the age of 92 in 1964. In 1970 she was post-humorously recognized as the co-founder of the National Parent-Teacher Association after the NCCPT merged with the National Parent-Teacher Association.

To find more information about Mrs. Butler, you can visit the following links:
Georgia Women of Achievement: https://www.georgiawomen.org/selena-sloan-butler
African American Registry: https://aaregistry.org/story/one-of-georgias-finest-selena-sloan-butler/

Image credit to African American Registry.

In case you missed it, we announced last week that Chicago Child Care Society has officially merged with Family Focus! You can view all the details at www.family-focus.org/merger

As we work on integration we are slowly moving all communications to the Family Focus social medias. To stay up to date, please follow us there.

It's the first day of ! Like our Family Focus page to follow along as we spend the month honoring Black voices and their tremendous contribution to our history.

Family Focus and Chicago Child Care Society are pleased to announce that after a year of negotiations, the agencies have merged into one organization effective January 1, 2021, and will maintain the name Family Focus.

Dara Munson, former CEO of Chicago Child Care Society, is the new President and CEO of Family Focus. We're thrilled to be taking this step to combine our complementary missions and to expand and serve more children and families in Chicago and throughout NE Illinois.

For more information please visit the Family Focus website at www.family-focus.org/merger, and follow the Family Focus page.

Welcome to Hyde Park, Ms. Humphrey!! Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago

Chevy Humphrey Makes History as New Leader of MSI Chicago She’ll be the first woman and the first Black American to be president and CEO of the Museum of Science and Industry when she starts her new job in January. Chevy Humphrey joins us in discussion.