Photo Courtesy of somethingweagreeon.org

Daisy Garcia-Montoya
Education Reporter

Through a unique collaboration, Mattie Rhodes Center, the Children’s Trust Fund and Fresco Marketing teamed up to bring awareness and effective parenting techniques to the Latino and Hispanic community.

This program, “Something We Agree On” — created by the Missouri’s Children’s Trust Fund — focuses on developing campaigns for the general public to raise awareness toward the importance of child abuse, neglect prevention and positive parenting techniques. 

To reach the Latino and Hispanic community, Mattie Rhodes Center — with the support of Fresco Marketing — adapted the “Something We Agree On” program and created “Estamos de Acuerdo,” (Something We Agree On) to spread awareness and resources in Spanish. 

In doing so, Mattie Rhodes Center became the first organization to adapt and translate the materials from its original campaign into Spanish — bridging a gap and serving a population not previously reached.

This campaign shares constructive parenting approaches for guardians as they navigate through their own emotions and reactions when interacting with their children. With these techniques, this program hopes to foster an environment where parents can best prepare responses to children’s emotions and reactions — and in turn — further develop a healthy relationship between parents and children. 

“It’s important that whenever there’s this type of campaign or resources at the state, federal or local level, that they can be offered in Spanish for all the families that don’t speak English or that feel more comfortable in Spanish,” Luis Padilla, founder of Fresco Marketing said. “This way they can educate themselves and have the resources to improve. This campaign is an example of how no one has thought of making these materials in Spanish and how necessary it is so that it’s accessible.” 

Additionally, this campaign encourages non-violent methods of child-rearing and working at reducing physical punishment of children through the access of education materials, community outreach and support services available in Spanish.

Monica Sierra-Mayberry (MSW), director of Community Behavioral Health Services at Mattie Rhodes Center said  this organization offers bilingual professional support services such as learning mental health, wellbeing and problem solving for families and parents. 

“We would love to support our local families in their parenting journey,” said Sierra-Mayberry.

For more information or resources, please visit: somethingweagreeon.org.