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Family Support Specialist Role
The primary role of social services in Head Start is to provide support to families as they work to strengthen their family units and improve the quality of their daily lives. Gads Hill Center is committed to providing quality services to families and communities across Chicagoland.
All families need support systems at various times in life; the difference between many Head Start/Early Head Start families and their more affluent counterparts is simply a lack of information.
One of the main functions of the social services component of Head Start/Early Head Start is to supply resourceful information. The social services component of Head Start/Early Head Start serves as a link between the family, the program, and the community.
Head Start/Early Head Start staff with social services responsibility are hired to provide families with information about the Head Start/Early Head Start program and about support services available in the community; to assist families in locating and securing needed services; and to serve as advocates for Head Start/Early Head Start and catalysts for change within the community. Additionally, where possible, Head Start/Early Head Start social services staff provide direct services to families with enrolled children.
Family Support Services Goals & Objectives
The focus for the social services staff is on support. Families must make their own decisions concerning which alternatives within the Head Start social services network they choose to utilize and which options they choose to exercise. The interpersonal relationships established between staff and family members provide the vehicle through which effective decision-making takes place.
GHC works to partner with families to utilize their strengths to make maximum use of community resources is one of the primary aims of the Social Services component in Head Start". This statement can be interpreted in many ways, depending upon one's point of view. Head Start/Early
GHC engages its Family Support Specialist to support families in:
become more aware of their individual strengths;
maintain a strong sense of family pride and self-worth;
improve their ability to identify and assess their needs;
remove obstacles preventing parents and family members from entering into meaningful activities with their children; and
increase their capacity to find and utilize community support and resources for the family.
The social services component will have reached its goal if each family it serves:
Has developed or increased the ability to identify its strengths and weaknesses.
Has the capacity to recognize what they need when they are having difficulties, and where to get assistance.
Feels in control of their own lives.
Has confidence in dealing with a complex network of community agencies and services.
Family Support Specialist Role
Family Support Workers are charged with the responsibility for providing social services for children and families enrolled in the program. The objective of all Gads Hill Center staff - is a concern for the welfare of the families in the program and working together to affect the improved quality of life for all.
Services
According to the Head Start Performance Standards, the broad basic needs and the specific social, emotional, and/or parenting needs of families can only be met through a comprehensive social services program, coordinated with the other Head Start component efforts.
The social services component meets needs through the following activities:
community outreach
recruitment and enrollment of children
family needs assessments
Provide information about available community resources and how to obtain and use them
referrals
emergency assistance and/or crisis intervention
follow-up
record keeping via COPA and children/family files
advocacy
Service Implementation & Coordination
Implementation
The method used for service delivery to families can be either direct or indirect. The Family Support Worker can either provide the service directly or take appropriate steps to ensure that the family or individual obtains the needed services. In most instances, the role of the Head Start/Early Head Start program is to act as a catalyst, facilitating the action to be taken by other supportive services within the community.
The Family Support Worker directly implements the outreach, recruitment, and enrollment activities in order to bring families into the program; they conduct family needs assessments with families directly; they are responsible for making families aware of community resources and how to use them; they are directly responsible for follow-up and record keeping as it pertains to children’s health status; and they serve as advocates for families by recognizing changes needed in the community and taking action to bring about such change.
It may be necessary sometimes for Gads Hill Center to provide needed services that are either missing in the community or that are presently unavailable to Head Start/Early Head Start participants and families.
Coordination of Services
Coordination of services across the different components of the Head Start/Early Head Star and with other community agencies is an important function of the social services component. Family Support Workers must be involved in the classroom, parent involvement, nutrition, and health activities in their respective programs in order to have a complete picture of the child and family, and in order to make recommendations to other staff members concerning the needs of the child and family. Family Support also has a responsibility to make other resources in the community aware of the Head Start/Early Head Start program and the needs of Head Start/Early Head Start families, while working with community agencies to obtain needed services.
Family Support Specialist Scope of Services
Recruitment and Enrollment
Recruitment
1. Identification of recruitment sources
2. Development of publicity to promote programs
3. Recruitment and follow-up
4. Beginning the development of relationships with potential program participants
Enrollment
1. Determination of eligibility
2. Processing COPA application
3. Interpretation of agency services
4. Arranging for required medical services
5. Identification of special accommodations
Services to Children, Individuals, and Families
1. Diagnosis and evaluation of problem situations (compliance in all children’s health requirements)
2. Short-term casework
3. Informal case management
Referrals
1. Making use of available and appropriate community resources
2. Preparing clients (family members) for referrals
Concrete Services
1. Accompanying families to community resources when necessary.
2. Enabling families to secure needed services.
Planning and Development of Parent Programs
1. Helping parents to organize parent groups, and programs in various areas (e.g., educational, recreational, social, cultural, advocacy, and self-help.
2. Helping parents to "connect" as individuals with established community groups and organizations with which they can maintain, contact after their relationship with Head Start comes to an end.
Helping Families to Use the State-Issued Children’s Health Insurance Program
1. Planning and implementing campaigns to encourage families to apply for medical card
2. Planning and implementing campaigns to familiarize families with benefits available under All Kids
3. Locating and identifying local providers of medical and dental services that can be used under the ALL Kids umbrella
4. In conjunction with Managers, arranging for local hospitals and clinics to provide medical and dental services to Head Start families
Community Relations and Social Action
1. Community profile development
2. Community studies (e.g., identifying unmet needs, fact-finding)
3. Information bank on available community resources via the Resource Directory
4. Development of inter-agency relations
5. Development of parents' organizations
6. Enabling families to develop a social action program
7. Helping family and parent organizations to "connect" with established community groups, organizations and institutions
Evaluation and In-Service Training
Evaluation
1. Evaluating the effectiveness of practices and techniques
2. Self-evaluations
3. Following up evaluations (e.g., through discussion with supervisors, questions at staff meetings, etc.)
In-Service Training
1. Identifying needs; gaps, weaknesses and problems that can be constructively dealt with through in-service training
2. Using all available in-service training resources (whether in or out of the agency) to strengthen the program
Family Support Specialist & Program Support
Family Support Workers support the Site Managers and Partner Network Manager by:
1. participating in overall program planning and in policy decisions related to service functions and activities
2. Understanding and implementing agreed on policies concerning the role, function, duties and responsibilities of the Family Support component
3. Keeping the managers currently informed about on-going programs and problems
4. Requesting authorization or approval whenever necessary
5. Making recommendations for changes in policies and practices
Family Support supports the classroom teaching staff by:
1. Sharing relevant information about the child and family with the teacher that will affect child in the classroom
2. Following-up on absentees
3. Coordinating with appropriate channels in the provision of on-going services to individuals and families.
Family Support Specialist Commitment to Families
Personal growth and development and self-sufficiency are some of the major goals of Head Start/Early Head Start. Supporting families as they improve their ability to recognize, examine, analyze, and select their own choices; and to recognize the risks involved and the consequences of making a decision to choose one alternative over another, is the function of Family Support.
The mission of Gads Hill Center’s personnel is to insure that resources and services are available to each child and his family in the Head Start/Early Head Start programs. The impact of services on family living and on individual growth and development should be guided by Family Support and the program staff. Within the resources of the classroom, there should be growth incentives and developmental provisions for each child. Within the local and larger community, Family Support staff serve as advocates to insure that needed resources and services are available to Head Start/Early Head Start family members.
Family Support staff have six primary roles to fulfill for families:
1. Provide support and serve as a resource to families.
2. Act as a liaison (a bridge) between Head Start/Early Head Start, the family, and the community.
3. Provide training and education to families in using available resources and services, and in locating those that are unavailable or inaccessible.
4. Serve as a resource within the Head Start/Early Head program for other staff members.
5. Maintain accurate enrollment, health, and family records for the benefit of families and other staff members.
6. Act as an advocate (a supporter) of the children and families enrolled in the program, both within the center and in the larger community.
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