Meetings & Training  Events 

Rationale 

GHC recognizes that providing all staff and program participants opportunities to engage across all content areas, departments, and cross-agencies enhances knowledge, practical skills, professional capacity, and resources within the staff. In order to promote transparency, communication, and collaboration across the children's service department, consistent meetings and committees should be held regularly. CSD has designed a meeting matrix and guidelines for all meetings to ensure positive outcomes, program continuity, and systematic knowledge-sharing approaches.

Staff & Team Meetings 

All GHC Direct Supervisors or the designated administrators of content areas should host, at minimum, monthly staff meetings. These staff meetings should include:

• Program and department updates 

• Content updates 

• Relevant Policies and procedures 

• Assigned and Actionable items, if relevant 

• A space for questions, comments and concerns 

• Agenda and Sign In sheets

All virtual Staff meetings must be recorded and documented. The meeting host should share virtual videos with all relevant staff members and relevant non-attendees. Acknowledgment of non-attendees should be obtained via sign-in sheet signature acknowledgment of virtual video. 

Parent Meetings 

Parent meetings are held monthly by each site / or program. Parent Meeting participants should include parents of enrolled children, Site Managers, Family Support Staff, and relevant program staff. Parent meetings should, at a minimum, include the following:

• Center or Program updates 

• Relevant and applicable policies and procedures

• Internal and external resources (community and social service)

Parents must be informed of parent meetings, at minimum, within seven school days of the meetings using alerts such as flyers, emails, and texts. Parent meetings must include required topics listed annually by GHC grantees and funders. Attendance, agendas, and resource materials are translated into English and Spanish if the school or program population has over 10% of bilingual families enrolled.  

Committees and External Meetings 

This refers to opportunities such as membership in appropriate professional organizations, professional subscriptions, as well as cohorts offered through the Department of Family and Support Services, ad-hoc committees, and External stakeholder meetings. Any individual attending external meetings must notify and gain formal approval from his or her direct supervisor of the individual acting as a representative of GHC or any GHC department. Annual Committees are assessed at the onset of the program year. All committee members should have an assigned alternate when possible. All members attending committee meetings are responsible for relaying pertinent information to their supervisor.

Ordering Food for Meetings 

Ordering refreshments for meetings must be approved through the Site and Program Managers, with final approval from the Director of Programs. Each Site and Program has a planned program budget, and within that budget is a "Food for Meetings Line Item". Each site and program is restricted to food ordering purchases by 2 x per month. Generally, food expenditures are for general monthly staff meetings and large staff training and professional development. Meetings smaller than 10 participants should not generally include food purchased by the agency. Family Engagement activities are not included in the 2x monthly food purchasing limit as it has its own line item. All purchasing guidelines must be followed and recorded by GHC Finance Guidelines.