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Strengthening Families Rhode Island
Brandeis University's Heller School: Observations & Impact on
Early Care & Education in RI
January 14, 2010
The Alliance
The National Alliance of Children's Trust and Prevention Funds (CTFs) is the only national organization that provides support to all aspects of the work of state CTFs. The Alliance represents CTFs in national policy and practice discussions and joins in dynamic partnerships with CTFs, federal agencies, foundations, state governments, other national organizations and parent leaders.
Basic Overview
• One of the original 7 CSSP Pilot States
• Initial Implementation Funding – United Way of Rhode Island $ 200,000 for two years
• Supplemental Funding since –
– A variety of sources including RI Family and Children’s Trust Fund, Jessie B. Cox Charitable Lead Trust, Hasbro Charitable Foundation, LEGO Fund, and other local funds
Basic Overview Continued
Facilitated Process
Work with specific programs for 6-8 months totalThey complete their self assessment, develop a
Program Action Plan
80% of their staff participate as a cohort in 16 Protective Factors Training series
Each site gets a minimum of 4 hours on-site TA each month
Number of Programs that have participated in the full Facilitated Process – 29Child Care Centers - 27 Family support Agencies that are non child
care programs - 2
Total Number of Staff Trained in Core Protective Factors Framework Series – 217Child Care Center Staff -175Family Support Agency Staff - 42
Center for Youth and Communities Mission within the Heller School, Brandeis University
=“Knowledge Advancing Social Justice”
Our job as Academic Activists = “To make knowledge productive” for policy makers, managers, leaders,
practitioners in government, business and nonprofitsand “change agents” who want to close the gap
between what we know and what we do on behalf of children, youth and families, particularly those who
are vulnerable as a result of poverty, economic insecurity, gender, homophobia, racism, disease,
ethnic discrimination, disability and age.
Field Study:Examining the Impact of
Strengthening Families Rhode Island on Parent Engagement
Faith Behum, Theadora Fisher, Carrie Ozols, and Allison Stagg
The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University
Background on Field StudyParticipants• SFRI staff, and program directors, teachers, and parents at the Stork's
Nest Child Academy Inc. and the JFK Child Development Center.
Learning Questions• What are sites currently doing in the area of parent engagement,
involvement, and leadership?• How did the SFRI training impact providers' understanding of parent
engagement?• What can we learn about integrating the SFRI model into an array of
childcare programs?
Procedure• Appreciative Inquiry: Highlighting the strengths and assets that exist in
the SFRI model and its implementation in childcare centers.
Frameworks for Analysis
Relational Bureaucratic Model
Findings
Shared Vision
Our findings:
• Training reinforced importance of parent engagement among providers.
• Providers have intuitive sense of the importance of parent engagement.
"A detailed 'big picture' of the end result that will be realized if all change efforts occur satisfactorily."
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Our findings:
• Substantial experience in childcare among providers. • Training provided opportunity for providers to learn
new skills.• Sparked sharing of skills and knowledge on a more
regular basis.
"Do the people and institutions focusing on this change effort possess the abilities needed to make the vision happen at a high level of quality?"
Resources
Our findings:
• SFRI and training staff were critical resources for providers.
• Impressive space, supplies, and materials for parents and providers at both sites.
• Time is a resource that is lacking.o After-hours staff meetings eliminated at one site. o "It's frustrating. They don't give us the means to accomplish
what they want us to."
"Do we have what we need to do the job well?"
Incentive
Our findings:
• Staff are committed to the well-being of children and believe they can influence their quality of life.
• Providers recognize long-term benefits of parental engagement for their work.
"What's in it for me?"
Shared Ownership
Our findings:
• Buy-in to the vision of parental engagement is strong among providers.
• Providers lack opportunity to interact and form cohesive teams.
• Disconnect between parents and providers creates fundamental tension that impedes shared ownership of vision.
"We're in it together"
Action Plan
Our findings:
• Training provided critical opportunity for providers to develop strategies to use in their classrooms.
• Open-door policy was articulated clearly by all staff.• Broader and more comprehensive strategy articulated at
higher levels would unite providers behind goals.
"A well-conceived short- and long-term plan that lets people know what their roles are, what they must do within those roles, by when, with whom, and how."
Evaluation
Our findings:
• SFRI is clearly committed to continual reflection and improvement in their program.
• Constantly using feedback to improve training.
"...an ongoing process through which one can identify progress and problems, spearhead improvements, encourage accountability, and keep up with other changes in the field."
AssetsProviders and staff embrace a SHARED VISION of parental engagement, which provides a solid foundation for change.
SFRI training reinforces the high level of KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, and ABILITIES that providers bring to their daily work.
The belief that they can truly make a difference in the lives of children is an enormous INCENTIVE for providers, and is why they believe change is worth the time and effort.
The importance SFRI places on regular reflection and feedback-gathering demonstrates a commitment to ongoing EVALUATION.
Both sites demonstrated components of a RELATIONAL BUREAUCRACY, which will benefit parent engagement.
Opportunities and ChallengesTime is a critical RESOURCE that providers feel they are lacking, and innovative strategies to help them overcome this challenge may enable them to participate more effectively in the change process.
SHARED OWNERSHIP needs to be cultivated between providers and parents over the vision, roles, and strategies related to parental engagement.
Providers should be regularly reminded of their organization's ACTION PLAN in order to understand how their individual efforts fit into the broader vision and to appropriately gauge outcomes related to their classroom strategies.
ReferencesAdams, A., Kingsley, C., and Smith, P. (2001). Managing Complex Change. CYD Journal, 2 (2), p. 34-39.
Center for the Study of Social Policy (2004). Protecting Children by Strengthening Families: A Handbook for Early Childhood Programs. Washington, D.C.: CSSP.
Cooperrider, D.L. & Whitney, D. (1999). “Appreciative Inquiry: A positive revolution in change.” In P. Holman & T. Devane (Eds.), The Change Handbook (pp. 245-263). Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
Curnan, Susan P. and LaCava, Lisa A. (eds.). (2004). Evaluation Handbook for W.K. Kellogg Foundation Grantees, Battle Creek, MI:
Knoster, T., Villa R., & Thousand, J. (2000). “A framework for thinking about systems change.” In R. Villa & J. Thousand (Eds.), Restructuring for caring and effective education: Piecing the puzzle together (pp. 93-128). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) (2009). Strengthening Families and Communities 2009 Resource Guide.
Douglass, A. (2009). Strengthening Families Illinois: How Management and Policy Interventions Influence the Quality of Professional-Parent Partnerships in Child Care. Dissertation. Presented to the faculty of The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, August 2009.
PTA (2009). PTA National Standards for Family-School Partnership: An Implementation Guide. Chicago, IL: National Parent Teacher Association. Available at: http://www.pta.org/2757.asp
Weiss, H. and Lopez, M.E. (2009). Redefining Family Engagement in Education . Family Involvement Network of Educators (FINE) Newsletter, 1(2). Retrieved from http://www.hfrp.org/family-involvement/publications-resources/redefining-family-engagement-in-education
Williams, A. (2002). Putting Parent Engagement into Action: A Practical Guide. Chicago, IL: Family Support America.
AcknowledgmentsKate Begin, Executive DirectorKim Ash, SFRI Coordinator
“Strengthening Families Rhode Island” Initiative, Prevent Child Abuse Rhode Island
Leadership Staff and TeachersStork’s Nest Child Academy in Smithfield, RIJohn F. Kennedy Child Development Center
on the Naval Base in Middletown, RI
Thank you!
Questions and Answers
For additional information please contact:
Katherine Begin, Executive DirectorPrevent Child Abuse Rhode Island500 Prospect StreetPawtucket, RI 02860(401) 728-7920; (401) 724-5850 FAXemail: [email protected]: www.preventchildabuse-ri.org
Martha Reeder, Program ManagerEarly Childhood InitiativeNational Alliance of Children’s Trust and Prevention [email protected](501) 219-2918
