The Family Resource Center: a Collaborative Response to the Changing Needs of Families

The FamilyResourceCenter: A Collaborative Response to the Changing Needs of Families

An added feature to many schools is the FamilyResourceCenter. The impetus for such an initiative often comes from the professional school counselor in collaboration with other school and community representatives. The FamilyResourceCenter can be a place where parents and other community members can assemble for a variety of purposes. Parents can come to such a center for educational materials, training, informal meetings, and even for referral to other community services (USDE, 1996). Some considerations regarding the establishment of a FamilyResourceCenter are described and summarized from a document developed by Anne Arundel County Public Schools (1997).

To make the growth and development of the FamilyResourceCenter a truly collaborative process, it is imperative that stakeholders be identified and a needs assessment be conducted and used to guide the formation and operation of the center. Some examples of needs assessment questions may include:

•What specific issues and concerns do you have in raising your children?

•What kind of learning experiences would be most helpful to you (brochures, books, videos, audiotapes, lectures, informal group discussions with other parents, etc.)?

•What are good and bad times to hold parent events?

•How can you help us to have the best center possible: volunteer, speaker, business support, marketing, and so on?

•What types of materials, activities, and services could the center provide to be most helpful to the community?

From the survey responses, develop a resource file that will become the database for mailings and from which you can develop an action planning team. Forming a diverse team, including parents, educators, and community and business representatives, will ensure that a wealth of ideas will become incorporated into the structure of the center.

In addition to surveying the local stakeholders, it is also helpful to learn what research advises about Family Resource Centers and what other family services are available to your school’s parents. Next, visit and interview some existing centers to get a sense of the variety of formats. By having the benefit of this knowledge and experience, the action planning team will make more informed decisions regarding the development of the center.

Next, the action planning team will need to reach a consensus on the following series of decisions:

1.Objective setting. What is it you want to do? Prioritize the objectives and develop a time line.

2.Programming. How will you get it done? How will others know about it?

3.Scheduling. When will you do it? Who will do it?

4.Budgeting. What resources are needed? How will additional resources be
acquired?

5.Fixing accountability. Who will be responsible? When and to whom will progress be reported?

6.Reviewing and adjusting. How and when will changes be made?

The actual work of the FamilyResourceCenter is divided into two categories: management and operations. Management refers to the activities needed to accomplish the center’s goals, including planning, organizing, staffing, training, directing, coordinating, reporting, budgeting, and evaluating. Operations involves the services provided and may include:

•Basic training for parents and professionals.

•Initial contact for parents entering the community and the schools to provide information about services.

•Consultation with parents to provide direction related to educational issues and community services.

•Ongoing support groups and problem-solving sessions for parents.

•Career and college information and referral.

•Health screening and other related services.

•A newsletter or contributions to the school newsletter or local newspaper.

•A lending library of parenting literature and/or toys for children.

Other factors when opening a resource center include:

•What is the scope of the assistance your staff can provide (e.g., regular and special education information, school- and community-sponsored events, referral to school and community services)?

•What level of involvement should staff provide in assisting parents with their problems?

•How will staff ensure that information given out is accurate?

•Will you establish a parent-to-parent network? If so, how will you obtain permission for the use of parents’ names and telephone numbers?

•How and to what degree will telephone conversations and personal meetings be documented?

•How will you ensure confidentiality of parents’ disclosures?

It is essential in the planning and operation of a FamilyResourceCenter to continuously let the public, as well as professional colleagues, know about the center. For its potential to be realized, effective marketing is the key. Initially, a brochure is an easy, cost-effective way to disseminate information. Whether you design your own family-friendly product using computer software or consult with a print design shop, consider including some or all of the following:

•FamilyResourceCenter name and logo

•Location

•Phone number and Web site address (if applicable)

•Mission and objectives

•Hours of availability

•Services and service providers (to ensure the longevity of the brochure’s up-to-date information, you may want to avoid putting individuals’ names on the brochure)

•An invitation to participate and volunteer, if desired

The brochure may be sent out to families in the community, be available at open house and conference times, provided as a resource at special education meetings, given to local agencies to display, and be available on local supermarket bulletin boards and other places where families gather.

Additionally, a monthly calendar of events that is placed on a Web site and mailed out to public and private schools, agencies, libraries, and individuals keeps people informed and continues the marketing process. The format should be simple, readable, and kept to one page, if possible. It should include a phone number and method of registering for the advertised events and in some way reflect the brochure (e.g., include logo, color, design).

Another collaborative effort that is informative to both service providers and families is a center-sponsored Resource Fair. Invite representatives from local agencies and schools to “operate a table” where guests can peruse the literature and speak personally to a representative of the organization. In addition to inviting families, school staff, and community members, include local politicians and board of education members. Inform local newspapers and television stations to expand the marketing process.

Ultimately, word of the value of the FamilyResourceCenter will spread from person to person as their needs are met through attending workshops, counseling sessions, or referral to other agencies. This takes time and much hard work; however, the rewards are potentially vast in terms of increased student attendance, achievement, and behavioral compliance.

Budget requirements for the operation of a FamilyResourceCenter are twofold: financial and time resources. Although the time element is often overlooked, it is the people-to-people contact that transforms the center from a physical space to a functioning, service-providing organization. Both of these areas are addressed through the needs assessment data.

Securing the financial resources to meet the needs of the center can be a continuous challenge. First, explore “in house” possibilities such as the regular school budget, media allocations, local fund-raising efforts, and the PTA or PTO. Then explore financial connections with local agencies and organizations, Title I and/or Safe and Drug Free Schools funding, and other grant sources. The Internet provides a wealth of possibilities to connect with foundations and businesses interested in supporting the needs of families and students.

Finally, evaluating the success of the FamilyResourceCenter provides guidance for continued development and communicates program effectiveness to stakeholders. The action plan provides the framework for evaluating the center. The time line in the action plan determines if benchmarks have been achieved. In addition, the room-use log and phone log document the use of the center’s services. Written evaluations from parenting sessions and other training are also informative. A suggestion box also yields anecdotal data for the team’s evaluation of the center. Ultimately, coordinators or directors will be asked to demonstrate how the work of the center has impacted the total school program.

Parent Workshops

Professional school counselors are often asked to develop and present workshops for parents to increase skills in effectively communicating values and expectations to their children. By refining parenting skills, parents can help their children achieve their potential and provide the best defense against at-risk behaviors, such as alcohol and drug use, early sexual activity, and delinquent activities. Whether the counselor chooses to use one of the many commercial programs available or to design a program unique to the individual expressed needs of parents, several program planning considerations must be addressed. The following suggestions are taken from the Parenting for Success Manual, developed by the Anne Arundel County Public Schools (1991).

Needs Assessment and Design

It is important to know the specific issues and concerns (needs) of parents in your school community. Programs and activities must be designed to respond to their identified needs. Possible target groups include parents whose children: exhibit academic challenges, have behavior or self-control difficulties, have poor interpersonal skills, have a history of excessive absences, or are receiving special education services. Other, sometimes hard to reach, populations that could comprise target groups are economically disadvantaged families, single parents, transient families, stepparents, custodial grandparents and relatives, or foster and adoptive parents.

After understanding the needs of potential participants, the following steps will assist the professional school counselor to begin to design appropriate programs and activities:

1.Examine what you have learned by making a list of all the parenting issues, problems, and concerns (e.g., how to set limits, how to deal with substance abuse, etc.).

2.Prioritize this list by looking at the issues that were raised most often. Choose only one issue to work on at a time.

3.Check out what is already available to address that need and form collaborative partnerships and referral networks.

4.Review calendars and agendas from parent-teacher organizations and other social and civic organizations to avoid scheduling conflicts.

Figure 8–3 shows some examples of commercially prepared parenting kits that could be used in their entirety or in part to address the needs of parents. This list is by no means exhaustive, but only a sampling to whet the reader’s appetite.

Many programs, whether packaged or counselor created, require professional school counselors to function in a facilitative role. A primary difference between the role of a facilitator and that of a leader is the perception that the leader is also the “expert.” As a facilitator, the counselor uses counseling skills to engage participants in solving problems as a group. Thus, the facilitator does not own the success or failure of the strategy, and participants are empowered through the group process.

Evaluation and Follow-up

It is critical that professional school counselors providing parenting skill-building workshops conduct formal and informal evaluations. Evaluation results provide the rationale for counselors to continue to invest time working with parents in this way. They also provide direction and guidance to the counselor as he or she strives to meet the needs of participants and improve services. In addition, positive responses by parents become good marketing tools for future sessions. It is essential that evaluation results be shared and used for continuous improvement.

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