concrete supports a · future. • assist families in asking for help, understanding their rights...
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Center for Schools and Communities • 275 Grandview Avenue, Suite 200 • Camp Hill, PA 17011 • (717) 763-1661
February 2015
News Brief News BriefFamily Support
All families have strengths and all families have needs” is one of the basic tenants of the
Strengthening Families approach. It is common knowledge: we all need help at times. Every family works to provide basic needs for their children, including food, shelter and medical care. Sometimes families need more specialized services or fall into a crisis that prevents them from being able to provide the basics for their children.
Not knowing where to turn in a crisis or how to find help can be extraordinarily stressful for families and cause significant trauma for children. The stress in turn can be a barrier to a parent’s ability to be persistent in the face of daunting circumstances.
The protective factor “Concrete support in times of need” is defined by the Center for the Study of Social Policy as “Access to concrete support and services that address a family’s needs and help minimize stress caused by challenges.”1 Knowing that services are available and how to access them; seeking support when necessary and advocating effectively for one’s self and children are hallmarks of families who are demonstrating strength in this protective factor.
Concrete SupportsStigma and shame about needing help in general or specific services such as mental health counseling, substance abuse aid or domestic violence assistance often prevent families from seeking the kind of help that may be necessary for the family to move forward. Family Support organizations, schools and child care programs can take everyday actions2 that reduce the stigma and increase the receptivity of families to seek and receive services that are essential for their family’s development. Recommendations to consider:
• Provide concrete support as an important way of intervening before a crisis happens. Parents that are struggling to meet basic needs for their families will not be able to focus on less immediate concerns like positive discipline and helping their child with homework.
• Reach out in a crisis; serve as the gateway to services for families when they are in need.
• A referral has more meaning and is more likely to be followed up on when it is offered in the context of a personal relationship. Remember the value of a “warm transfer” making a personal connection to the organization and following up to ensure the family’s needs were met.
• Help families get what they need in a way that builds confidence and skill for
“ families to get what they need in the future.
• Assist families in asking for help, understanding their rights and navigating sometimes frustrating and complex service systems; this can be a learning experience as well as concrete and immediate help.
An important aspect of receiving concrete support is also gaining a new perspective on giving back once the crisis is over. Include opportunities for families to volunteer or contribute to others once they feel more stable.
1, 2 Center for the Study of Social Policy: http://www.cssp.org/reform/strengthening-families/2014/SFProtectiveFactorsExpanded.pptx
www.pa-strengthening-families.org
Center for Schools and Communities • 275 Grandview Avenue, Suite 200 • Camp Hill, PA 17011 • (717) 763-1661
PAT Quality Assurance Guidelines
Do you ever have a question about how often milestones need to be updated or what information is
required in a family-centered assessment? Go to the Parents as Teachers Quality Assurance Guidelines to find your answers. According to the National Center, the
guidelines provide detailed guidance on how to design, develop and implement PAT services. This is a resource that could be used for new programs just getting started in PAT or veteran programs that just need a reminder about implementation expectations.
Ask PATNow that we are using the new online curriculum Foundational and Foundational 2, what should I do with the Born to Learn curriculum and the binders?The old Born to Learn pages and handouts should not be used. The materials may be recycled. The binders could be repurposed or recycled in accordance with your waste disposal service. Remember that according to
the agreement that you signed when you purchased the curriculum; the PAT Born to Learn Curriculum should not be resold or given to another program.
How do I remove parent educators that have left our program from my employee list on the PAT web portal?Web administrators can remove a parent educator from their employees list by logging into the Web Portal, going to
Tools, then Employees, click the grey Remove button beside the person that you want to take off your program. Tutorial
Pat
Safe and Supportive Preschoolsiii Shonkoff, J. P., & Phillips, D. A.
(Eds.) (2000). From neurons to neighborhoods: The science of early childhood development. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
iv Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Development, 82, 405–432.
v 2014 Pennsylvania Learning Standards for Early Childhood, Pennsylvania Department of Education http://www.pakeys.org/uploadedContent/Docs/Career%20Development/2014%20Prekindergarten%20standards.pdf
Social emotional learning is the way in which a child experiences, expresses and manages emotions.
It is the way children form secure, close relationships with others and how they explore and interact in their environment. Educators who work with preschool-age children understand the importance of fostering social and emotional development. Research shows that safe and supportive environments that nurture social emotional skills lead to positive behavior in children. Studies indicate that youth who receive instruction in social and emotional learning, when compared to their peers, had better attitudes and more positive social behaviors, performed better academically, were less likely to have behavioral problems and had lower levels of emotional distress.
Pennsylvania is one of many states that recognizes and provides guidelines to preschool educators on the importance of social and emotional development.
The 2014 Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards for infants, toddlers and preK are: • Standard Area 16.1: Self-Awareness
and Self-Management• Standard Area 16.2: Establishing and
Maintaining Relationships• Standard Area 16.3: Decision Making
and Responsible Behavior
For more information on evidenced-based programs for preschool children consult Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning.
i Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning www.casel.org
ii Bowman, B. T., Donovan, M. S., & Burns, M. S. (Eds.) (2001). Eager to learn: Educating our preschoolers. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Resource Spotlight: Child Welfare Information Gateway
implementing programs including collaborating with community members, retaining families and promoting parent leadership. Also included is information to make the financial case for prevention programs.
The Prevention Programs section also includes a link to the Child Abuse Prevention Month website which has additional resources for raising awareness in your community. Check back in March to order copies of the Prevention Resource Guide which is released each year as a part of Child Abuse Prevention Month. This article includes highlights of what is available, but be sure to take time to peruse the full website for resources to strengthen your program and support your work with families.
Resources:Child Welfare Information Gateway (n.d.). “Our mission.” Retrieved from: https://www.childwelfare.gov/
In mid-December, the Child Welfare Information Gateway launched a new and improved website. The Gateway
is a service of the Children’s Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that works to connect “child welfare and related professionals to comprehensive resources to help protect children and strengthen families” (Child Welfare Information Gateway. “Our Mission”). The website includes myriad resources for organizations working to prevent child abuse and neglect.
The Prevention Programs section has information about standards for quality as well as lists of programs and resources for home visiting, parenting education and family resource centers, some of which are listed below:
Promoting Child and Family Well-Being includes parenting resources, information on fatherhood and resources on protective factors. The Protective Factors will provide
additional links and resources on each protective factor and the framework as a whole. You will notice there is an additional protective factor, Nurturing and Attachment, which, though not a part of the Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework, is recognized as being important to child well-being and a part of the other five factors.
Public Awareness and Creating Supportive Communities includes information about raising awareness about preventing child maltreatment in your community as well as a guide to using social media in your programs.
Prevention Programs has information about standards for quality as well as lists of programs and resources for home visiting, parenting education and family resource centers.
Developing and Sustaining Prevention Programs has valuable resources for
Center for Schools and Communities • 275 Grandview Avenue, Suite 200 • Camp Hill, PA 17011 • (717) 763-1661
Trauma Tips for Parent Educators and Parents
Parents as Teachers added an article to help parent educators guide parents during times of public
trauma and issues such as community violence or a devastating weather event.
Some important things for parents to remember when trauma occurs in the world or in your life: • Stay calm and keep children’s routines
consistent
• Turn off the television to protect children from the constant rehashing of news
• Take care of yourself and seek professional assistance if you feel out of control
For more on helping parent educators and parents in times of trauma, read the entire article. Click here.
Safe Kids Corner
Parents and caregivers know how important it is to child-proof their homes, but unfortunately many don’t understand the potential danger of TV or furniture tip-overs. One child dies every three weeks due to injuries sustained from a TV or other piece of furniture tipping over on them. Additionally, over the past ten years, one child visits the emergency room every forty-five minutes due to TV and furniture tip-over injuries. Today’s flat-screen TVs are much more likely to tip over because of their lightweight design.
Tips to remember when child-proofing your home:• Assess the stability of TVs in your
home• Mount flat-screen TVs to the wall
to prevent them from toppling off stands; follow the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure a secure fit
• If you have a large, heavy, old-style cathode ray tube (CRT) TV, place it on a low, stable piece of furniture
• Use brackets, braces or wall straps to secure unstable or top-heavy furniture to the wall
• Move heavy items to low shelves to prevent tipping
TV or Furniture Tip-Over Prevention
Family Support at the Center for Schools and Communities provides training and technical assistance to Parents as Teachers providers, Children’s Trust Funds grantees and the Strengthening Families Leadership Team.Partnerships Project Manager Karen Shanoski
(717) 763-1661 x139 [email protected]
Family Support Technical Assistant Coordinators • Children’s Trust Fund and Strengthening
Families Rijelle Kraft
(717) 763-1661 x221 [email protected]
• Parents as Teachers Allyson Fulton
(717) 763-1661 x146 [email protected]
Family Support Specialist Wenda Deardorff
(717) 763-1661 x116 [email protected] Parents as Teachers is based at the Center for Schools and Communities. Learn more at the following sites:Children’s Trust Fund
Strengthening Families
Family Support
Parents as TeachersAll PD opportunities are being held in the state of Pennsylvania.
PAT Foundational and Model Implementation For new parent educators of affiliate programsJanuary 26-30 Camp HillMay 4-8 ClearfieldJune 1-5 Pittsburgh
PAT FoundationalFor new approved users February 17-19 ChesterMay 4-6 ClearfieldJune 1-3 Pittsburgh
PAT Model ImplementationFor new supervisorsMay 7-8 ClearfieldJune 4-5 Pittsburgh
PA Foundational 2: 3 Years to KindergartenApril 20-21 Camp HillJune 29-30 Homestead
Family Support WebinarsFirst Wednesday of the month 10 a.m. – 11 a.m.February 11 Solutions to Engaging Resistant Individuals and FamiliesMarch 11 Reflective SupervisionBoth events have been moved to the second Wednesday of the Month
Partnering with Teen ParentsMarch 2-3 Camp Hill
Supporting Families of Children with Special NeedsApril 23-24 Camp Hill
2015