---

PART TWO: ELEMENTS OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES PROGRAM

---

Chapter Five : Outreach , Recruitment and Enrollment 

---

Outreach, recruitment, and enrollment are the first steps in establishing contact between families, the community, and the Head Start staff. These activities often represent the very first contact that a new family has with Head Start. Since first impressions tend to be lasting ones, it is very important that the social services staff who perform outreach, recruitment, and enrollment activities, do so in a manner that will encourage individuals to be a part of the Head Start family.
 
OUTREACH

Outreach means exactly what the word says. It means "reaching out" to others. The social services staff must reach out to the community on behalf of Head Start. Outreach activities involve getting out into the community and making contacts with individuals, agencies, and groups within the community to publicize the Head Start program, enlisting community support for Head Start and its objectives, and making families aware of the recruitment effort

The outreach process includes contacting churches and other community organizations to let them know about Head Start and to get their help in identifying eligible families. The social services staff must also visit support agencies located in the community or serving the community to acquaint them with Head Start and its objectives, and to determine the following: (1) what services are available to families; (2) what services are lacking in the community; (3) how available services are obtained; and (4) what sources can be used to obtain services which are not immediately available within the community.

RECRUITMENT

Recruitment means getting children into the Head Start Program. Recruitment activities involve seeking out those families within the community who are the most in need of support services, and whose children are most eligible for enrollment in Head Start.

The recruitment process includes a review of the community needs assessment and the provision of all important information to the recruitment committee by the social services staff. The social services staff and the recruitment committee then work together to evaluate the information available on the community and the families residing in it, to identify those families with the greatest need for Head Start, and to establish objectives for the recruiting effort.

Once objectives are established, the social services staff develop written criteria (guidelines) for the selection of families to enroll in Head Start, and submit these guidelines to the recruitment committee for review and approval. Then, using the guidelines to identify those families to be recruited, the social services staff begin to contact families personally through home visits and telephone calls. Recruitment is on-going and progress must be reviewed periodically.

Recruitment is perhaps the most critical task that the social services staff- have to perform, in that the manner in which families are approached initially often determines how they feel about Head Start and how involved they become in the overall program.

ENROLLMENT

Enrollment refers to the formal process of taking children into the program. Enrollment involves preparing the proper forms; obtaining necessary space, supplies and equipment (such as tables, chairs, pencils, etc.); making staff assignments and getting additional help from parents already in the program; and actually signing up the specified number of new children.

Once enrollment is completed, staff should meet to discuss how things went, what could be done to improve the process, and initial plans for the next year.

Each year, the entire process of outreach, recruitment, and enrollment should be reviewed, evaluated, and modified or changed, as needed. Staff should set objectives and make plans on the basis of this evaluation. An overview of the outreach, recruitment, and enrollment process is presented below.
 

OUTREACH, RECRUITMENT AND ENROLLMENT PROCESS
Tasks	Gather Information	Study and Assess Information-	Establish  Objectives
OUTREACH	Conduct community needs assessment. Identify local agencies and organizations.  Identify eligible families. Determine public relations  possibilities.	Examine local population and  available services.  Contact local organizations.  Determine number  of families eligible for Head Start.  List families with  special needs.  Contact local publicity sources: T. V., radio, newspapers.	Attempt to reach all eligible families to make them aware  of Head Start.  Make community aware of Head  Start and the  benefits offered to all.
RECRUITMENT	Review needs assessment and list of eligible families.  Meet with recruitment committee to review  information.	Ask recruitment committee to evaluate  information, add any new information, and set priorities.	Meet with recruitment committee to establish objectives:  target areas list of families range in age of children Develop written criteria for selection of families. Plan for on-going recruitment activities.
ENROLLMENT	Review enrollment forms. Determine what is needed for enrollment activities. Determine staff needs for enrollment.	Prepare enrollment  schedule.  Make list of materials, supplies, and equipment needed.  Make list of staff needs.	Enroll as many children as possible from list of eligible families recruited.  Make the enrollment process pleasant for families.

 

Tasks	Develop Plan  of Action	Determine and  Obtain Skills and Knowledge	Implement	Evaluate  Progress or Accomplishments
OUTREACH	Establish a schedule for the conduct of the community needs assessment and other  outreach activities. Make staff assignments for outreach activities.	Review plan in relation to available staff. Determine need for additional assistance and/or training.	Conduct needs assessment.  Meet with community  leaders and service providers.  Arrange for publicity spots.  Make list of eligible families.	Review progress.  See if objectives were accomplished.  Look for areas where outreach could be  improved.  Maintain community contacts.
RECRUITMENT	Establish schedule for recruitment activities. Make staff and volunteer assignments for recruitment activities.	Review staff needs and availability.  Determine need for additional assistance and/or training.	Carry out recruitment activities as planned.	Review recruitment process to see if objectives were met. Meet with recruitment committee to evaluate process and begin planning for next year.
EMROLLMENT	Establish schedule of enrollment activities. Make staff and volunteer assignments for enrollment activities.	Review schedule and staffing assignments. Determine need for additional assistance and/or training.	Carry out enrollment activities as planned.	Review entire outreach, recruitment, and enrollment process.  Identify areas needing improvement and begin planning for next year.

Chapter Six: Family Needs Assessment  

---

 
PURPOSE

The purpose of the Family Needs Assessment (FNA) is to develop a total profile or picture of the individual families being served by the Head Start program. The FNA will identify the interests, desires, goals, needs, and strengths of the family. The information, provided in the FNA will help the social services staff determine how Head Start can best work with the family to maximize and maintain its strengths, while strengthening areas of need and/or concern.

It is important to involve all members of the family in the FNA. Family members should be approached with respect, and interviewed in a pleasant, non-judgmental manner. The conduct of the FNA provides the best vehicle for the social services staff to establish a positive rapport with the families they are serving - a rapport which will be on-going and will deepen as confidentiality and trust are built.

There are five tasks involved in the completion of a family needs assessment:

1. Developing an interview instrument.
2. Conducting the interview.
3. Contacting other community agencies with which the family is involved.
4. Following up the interview with staff and family.
5. Analyzing the information gathered and preparing a Family Assistance Plan.

We will examine each of these five tasks in the remainder of this chapter.
 
DEVELOP INTERVIEW INSTRUMENT

The instrument used during the interview is very important, because a good instrument (form) will yield a lot of information using very few questions.

It may be necessary to do a little studying to prepare for this task. If a FNA has been done in the past, the social services staff should review the instruments used before and determine from other staff members how successful the form was. If this is the first time that an FNA has been done, staff may need to go to the local library and ask to look at other forms that have been used for a similar purpose.

The staff should be clear on what information they want to gather on each family, where it will be used, and how it will be used. Staff should not gather any information that cannot be used to constructively assist the family, and the information collected should be consistent with Head Start needs and the Performance Standards for social services

The Head Start intake process and enrollment form will provide some information, and the information gathered should not be requested during the FNA interview. The instrument should have open ended questions and not just "yes" and "no" answers, so that the family can really participate in the conversation and tell the their own story. For instance, instead of asking, "Do you read to Alice at bedtime?", a better question would be, "What kinds of things do you do with Alice when you have free time?" The instrument should also have space for the staff member conducting the interview to jot down observations.

The interview form should be constructed so that objectives can be established by the staff and family from the information gathered, and a realistic Family Assistance Plan (FAP) developed. The instrument should reveal:

• How the family sees itself participating in and using Head Start.
• What the family wants to achieve during the year.
• What community agencies are already providing the family with support services, and how the family feels about the agencies and the services received.
• How the family members interact with one another, and how they see their family structure.
• What interests, skills, and talents individual family members possess.

Once developed, the social services staff should meet with their supervisor and the psychologist who works with the center (if there is one) to have them review and comment on the interview form. It must be reviewed and approved by the Parent Policy Committee also.
 
CONDUCT FNA INTERVIEWS
 
The social services staff should be thoroughly familiar with the interview form before going out on an interview. Questions should not have to be read. The interview should flow along with natural conversation.

Contact the Family
The first step in conducting the interview is to contact the family. This should he done by sending a letter which explains the purpose of the interview and in which the staff member requests an appointment. Follow up the letter with a telephone call to confirm the appointment, and to establish before hand how much time is needed for the interview, what information is needed, and how the information will be used.

Be on time for the appointment. Explain again to those family members present, the purpose of the interview and how the information will be used. Explain that the interview is part of an overall process to help the family to decide how they can, best use the services offered by Head Start. To the extent possible, establish overall objectives with the family as the interview is being conducted.

Conduct the Interview
Carry out the interview in as conversational a manner as possible. Let the family know that you will be taking notes, and then pick up key phrases and bits of information for note taking purposes. DO NOT WRITE DOWN EVERY WORD! Repeat responses that family members make when necessary for clarification. Compliment family members on their strengths and accomplishments.

Identify with the family those areas in which they need support, and explain how Head Start can assist them. Summarize the interview briefly, and with the family, decide what the next steps (follow-up) should be, and when they can begin. If appropriate, invite family members who have exhibited interest in doing so to come to the center to contribute some of their time, skill, and/or knowledge to the program, and identify activities in which they can participate.

Observe Carefully
Observations are an important part of any successful interview. Observations should be described as they occur, without any judgment on the interviewer's part. Observations should cover three areas: the physical environment in which the family lives; the emotional climate among family members; and the social interactions that take place within the family.

Physical surroundings can tell a great deal about a family. Observe the location of the home and then describe the neighborhood in general. Describe the house and the items in the home. Note the presence or absence of items, such as sufficient chairs for the entire family to sit down and eat together, plants, books, television, etc.

Tune in to the emotional atmosphere in the home, and observe the relationships exhibited between and among family members. Determine the leadership within the family - who provides the
greatest stimulation to other family members? Note the amount of emotional stability and security
among family members do they seem comfortable with one another? Is there much physical contact?

Identify the social climate in the family. Determine what the family does to relax. Observe those things which they say makes them happy, and identify things which can be realistically obtained to improve the family's social climate. For example, membership in a posh country club for a family member who likes golf may be unobtainable, but there may be a local driving range about which the family doesn't know.
 
CONTACT LOCAL AGENCIES

The reason for contacting other agencies is to determine whether Head Start and agency activities are complementary and not repetitious, to insure that there are common goals for the family, and to make certain that the family receives the support services needed.

If the family is already working with another agency, the social services staff must ask for permission to contact the agency. Explain that the contact is to insure coordination, reduce any overlap in services, and better assist the family. If the family is not working with other agencies, the social services staff should determine whether the family needs and/or wants to become involved with an available agency to help them meet some needs.

If the family is already involved or desires to become involved, the social services  staff should visit the appropriate agency and establish contact with an agency representative to determine complementary actions and to establish a rapport for future communications.

If it is determined that the agency and- Head Start can work together, the social services staff  should prepare the agency for the family's visit, determine the process for obtaining the resources of the agency, and prepare the family in terms of what to expect. A letter of appreciation should be sent to the agency representative thanking them for giving their time for the meeting, cooperating with Head Start, and assisting the family.

Compare the observations made and information gathered during the family interview with any information obtained from other agencies. If the family is working with or becomes involved with other agencies, social services personnel and agency staff should periodically assess their joint  progress in helping the family to achieve the goals that they have established for themselves, and then jointly make any necessary changes in approaches used to assist the family.
 
FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES

After the interview and agency contacts have been completed the social services staff should follow up these activities with the family.

First, staff should review and analyze all the information they have collected and determine what the family's strengths are, what support is needed from Head Start and who should provide the supports and what additional outside support services are needed. The staff should then set up an appointment to visit the family and discuss their findings.

With the family members, social services staff should establish specific, realistic, and measurable objectives. The objectives should reflect the interests and concerns of the family. Family and staff should determine how the family and Head Start can work together to achieve the established objectives, and should identify areas of responsibility for family and staff members in working toward the objectives. Realistic expectations and schedules should be set, and confidentiality must be assured.

Back at the Head Start center, staff should meet with their supervisor to discuss which staff members have the skills and knowledge to assist the family in carrying out their plan of action, and how the identified Head Start staff members can best work together as a team.

PREPARE FAMILY ASSISSTANCE PLAN

The social services staff can now develop a written family profile and assistance plan. The profile and FAP will describe, the family in such terms as:

• Family composition
• How the family developed (i.e., marriage, living with, adoption, death of some family member, moving around; break away from nuclear family, someone began taking care of someone else)
• Educational desires and needs
• How the family enjoys its members
• Physical, emotional and social perceptions and descriptions
• What the family has to offer Head Start
• What Head Start has to offer the family
• Perceived family strengths and, areas that can be strengthened
• Family's determination areas
• Agency involvements
• Significant, realistic future plans and objectives

The Family Assistance Plan should be developed with an eye toward termination of support services from other agencies and increased reliance on internal family strengths. The social services staff should conduct periodic interviews with the family to evaluate their mutual progress in implementing the plan and achieving objectives, and to make any needed changes or modifications.

Chapter Seven: Providing Services to Meet Needs 

---

The key element in determining the success of any Head Start social services program is the degree to which the families involved receive the support services they need to improve their lifestyle and enhance the quality of their lives.

The Performance Standards for the social services component of Head Start require the provision of services in five general areas:

• Counseling or making referrals for appropriate counseling.
• Emergency assistance and/or crisis intervention.
• Sharing information about community resources and how to use them.
• Follow-up to as-sure delivery of services.
• Monitoring frequent absenteeism.

COUNSELING AND REFERRAL

Head Start counseling and referral services include personal counseling, marriage and family counseling, and counseling related to the parent-child relationship. Counseling is a very personal area which can result in major and significant alterations or changes in peoples' lives. Therefore, counseling must be undertaken with care, and only after much preparation on the part of the counselor, whether or not that counselor is Head Start staff or other agency staff.

Staff should not make unrealistic commitments to families or family members. The credibility of Head Start in the community, and the ability of the social services staff to continue working effectively with parents is at stake, and should be kept uppermost in mind.

Counseling referrals are important because they require the proper matching of families or individuals with counselors. The social services staff should direct their attention to locating all available counseling services in the community, establishing personal contact with a key person in each. and obtaining as much information as possible about each counseling service.

Staff can then review family needs assessments as counseling requests are made, identify the appropriate agency to handle the request and discuss the process with the family or individual family member. The social services staff will be prepared to make a good referral, and can follow up with the family and the counselor to ensure that effective, counseling is being provided.
 
EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE

Emergency assistance and crisis intervention activities represent an extremely sensitive area of social services. These activities involve providing families with essential support in times of emergency or family crisis.

Where Head Start cannot provide emergency assistance or crisis intervention, it is-the role of the social services staff to identify, and become completely knowledgeable about, all crisis intervention programs available to the community, to establish contact with someone working in these programs, and be informed about the eligibility requirements of each.

Even when Head Start cannot provide all the services or meet every need, the role of the social services staff is critical to families in times of emergency or crisis. It is important for the staff to evidence personal interest, maintain contact with the family, and provide support both personally and in terms of locating needed outside services.
 
COMMUNITY RESOURCES

The resources within the community which can provide directly the services needed by Head Start parents and families are key elements in the social services program. Chapter Eight discusses more completely the role of community services in the Head Start social services program, but some activities related to community resources can be discussed here.

Social services staff should be well informed with regard to all of the various resources for the provision of support services which are available to the residents of the community in which the Head Start program is located. The staff should develop a directory of available services, maintain a master list in the Head Start office on 3 x 5 file cards for easy reference, and provide copies of the directory to all families enrolled in the program.

The directory should contain the following information about each agency or service listed:

• Name and address of the agency, organization, or person providing the service.
• A description of the services available through this resource.
• Telephone numbers (for day and, evening, if available).
• Hours of operation (when services can be obtained).
• Procedures for securing services and eligibility requirements.
• Directions for getting to the facility in which the services are located.

Once the directory of community services is prepared, the social services staff should conduct a training session for families on how to use it. Training and education within the context of social services refers to all those activities which stimulate families and individuals to use their own abilities to better the conditions under which they live. In other words, training and education activities should help people attain the skills and, techniques necessary to influence and control the forces that affect their lives.

The training session should include an orientation to the directory; and how to locate items. The session should also provide an interpretation of the various services available, the eligibility requirements which families must meet to receive services, and the procedures for actually obtaining services. Time should be allowed for a question and answer period following the session.

Social services staff should make, personal contact with each-service provider listed in the directory, and should place the contact person's name for each provider on the card in the master file. This will expedite the processing of referrals when they become necessary.
 
FOLLOW-UP

An important activity for the social services staff is following up on referrals to other service providers to make certain that families actually receive the services requested. Follow-up includes contacting the agency to which the family was referred, as well as checking with the family to determine whether or not services were received and how the family was treated by the service provider.
 
MONITOR ABSENTEEISM

Children enrolled in the Head Start program may miss classes due to circumstances at home with which the social services staff could help. A parent may be ill and unable to get the child ready for school; the child may be sick and need to see a doctor; the family may not have the financial resources to buy clothes or shoes for the child.

In all of these instances, Head Start can provide assistance, but the staff must be aware of the problem in order to know that support is needed. Part of the job of the social services staff is to find out the reasons behind absenteeism, and to provide help when needed, so that the absent child can return to the classroom. Classroom teachers and social services staff should work together in keeping track of frequent absences and family needs.

Chapter Eight: Coordination of Community Resources and Advocacy 

---

 
The objectives for the social services staff in the roles of coordinators and advocates are three-fold:

1. To develop a system for linking available resources within the community.
2. To channel parents into the mainstream of community life in the most effective manner.
3. To act as spokespersons for the parents and families enrolled in Head Start, and to serve as Head Start's representatives in the community.

Coordination of resources and advocacy are terms which can have numerous meanings. For the purposes of the social services program in Head Start, the following definitions explain the roles of coordination and advocacy:

Coordination refers to the development of a mechanism, for connecting services provided by Head Start with services provided by other existing agencies or organizations (both formal and informal) for the purpose of meeting the needs of the Head Start families.

Advocacy refers to speaking, acting, or interacting on behalf of the Head Start families who are enrolled in the program, and representing Head Start in the larger community.
 
COORDINATION OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES

One of the major functions of social services is to bring together all those programs in the community that have resources or services that could be used by the family to meet its needs. In the community, this might mean working with the local welfare department, public health services, the recreation department, Veteran's Administration, the social services programs of churches, the Salvation Army. Home Extension agents, private and public social agencies, local businesses, and even the local police and fire departments. This pulling together (or coordinating) of forces in a common effort to improve and enrich the lives of Head Start families is what was known in the 1960's as community action. It is the process of building bridges between government officials and private groups; between professionals and laymen; between and among agencies which operate related programs; and between Head Start families and those opportunities which could help them to become more self-sufficient.

Head Start Families and Other Community Groups
Part of the job of coordinating Head Start activities with those of other support groups in the community is assisting Head Start parent and family groups to work with other groups in the community.

Some of the effective strategies (methods which the social services staff can use to support families as they begin to interact with community resources through Head Start are outlined below:

• Become thoroughly familiar with available community resources, both within the area served by the Head Start center and the larger community.
• Hold parent and family' group meetings and invite presenters from local community agencies and/or organizations to discuss their operations. include a question and answer period for participants.
• Accompany parents on initial visits to individual service providers, agencies, or organizations in groups as well as on an individual basis.
• Help parents identify specific problems and to associate them with the most logical agency to provide the service.
• Be aware of the track record of various community agencies and service providers in terms of their ability to produce for Head Start clients.
• Do not over-sell the ability of an agency to provide a service. This could lead to a drastic disappointment. Be as accurate and objective as possible.

The social services staff can be very helpful to families as they develop self confidence and independence in dealing with the community service providers.

Directory of Community Services
The preparation of a directory of community services was discussed in Chapter Seven, but it is worthwhile to review the steps which social services staff can take to develop a complete and useful resource list.

• Compile a list of potential resource agencies to be used by the Head Start program using existing resource directories and information from parents and other staff.
• Extract, (pull out) from the overall list those agencies most accessible to the Head. Start families.
• Contact extracted agencies and request information regarding the services they provide.
• Once information is received; compile a Head Start resource list, placing agencies in appropriate categories (e.g., health, housing, public assistance, etc.).
• Distribute the directory to families at a meeting during which information contained in the directory can be discussed by parents, other family members, and staff.
• Maintain master list and contact persons for each service provider, on 3 x 5 cards for ready reference and ease in making changes.

Coordination, Cooperation and Information Sharing
Once contacts have been made with the service providers in the community, and communication has been initiated, it is important to keep the lines of communication open. Periodic contacts, in person or over the telephone, will help to maintain coordination efforts and stimulate cooperative activities. Information sharing keeps everyone involved in the process aware of (1) what the others are doing; (2) what progress is being made by each member toward the common objective; and (3) new directions that are being considered to accomplish goals.

The social services staff is the primary link between the Head Start center-and the community. Some of the things which the staff can do to foster and maintain coordination, cooperation, and information sharing are listed below:

• Establish a team that. will review agency participation, sincerity, and capability regarding the delivery of services to Head Start families previously referred.
• Refer to the intake (enrollment) form to identify those agencies with which the family is presently involved (receiving services or requested services). Contact appropriate person to determine the extent to which they are involved in working with the family.
• Keep participating agency informed of the progress (or lack of) that you see, and/or that the family expresses in relation to the specific service(s) that 'have been requested.
• Make suggestions to the participating agency as to the necessary steps to be taken by the agency to remove any barriers that prohibit the agency from. effectively servicing Head Start families.
• Contact agencies to commend them when they have done a good job of getting services to a Head Start family in need.
• Make sure that the participating agency is on the Head Start mailing list and is receiving, any newsletters, reports, brochures, announcements, etc., that the Head Start program distributes.
• Request that the Head Start program be placed on the participating agency's mailing list.

ADVOCACY

Helping the child and his family to function as his own advocate is the ultimate goal of advocacy in the social services program of Head Start. Head Start can help to strengthen the relationship between families and the community by helping Head Start families to learn what the community can and should provide for them and, in turn, what they can and should provide to help the community to grow and improve.

Communicating Head Start Needs to the Community
Social responsibility is the degree to which the community feels responsible for the welfare of all its members  including those who are unable to care for themselves because of poverty, ill health, old age, and/or lack of education -- and it is visibly expressed by the adequacy of services and resources it offers to help them. In some communities the social services staff may have to concentrate on making the community aware of its social responsibility by encouraging it to provide necessary services and resources for families that are lacking; while in other communities the job might be coordinating and directing the multitude of available services and resources so that families are able to utilize them for their maximum benefit. In both cases, it is most important for the staff and concerned community persons to work together as a team to understand and satisfy the current relative needs of Head Start families, as well as to anticipate future needs and prepare for them.

The checklist below outlines steps which staff can take in communicating the needs of the families they are working with to the other agencies in the community, and in translating needs into support services provided by these agencies.

• Determine which needs are to be transmitted and make certain that you understand all aspects of the problem.
• Discuss the need with the parent and family prior to transmitting them to an outside agency. Remember, the family has entrusted you with information regarding their personal situation. Obtain consent from the family to seek assistance through other channels. (This may be accomplished as part of the needs assessment interview).
• Develop a relationship with a primary contact person within the given resource agency or organization and work through this contact person to the maximum extent possible.
• Whenever possible, have parent or other family member go with you to the agency on the initial visit where you discuss their problem.
• Encourage family members to build a rapport with the agency on initial visit. This is one of the major steps in the building of self-confidence.
• Follow-up contact with a "pursuant to our meeting letter." This serves as a reminder to the resource agency as well as documentation for the social services files.
• Encourage the agency to be honest as to whether or not they can actually meet the needs of the family; and ask them to recommend other service providers if they cannot.

Improving Available Services
It is the responsibility of Head Start to help families in their efforts to bring about changes in the community that will meet their relative needs and provide greater opportunities for a secure future.

The social services staff should encourage the community to meet its social responsibility by modifying or altering its present institutions to the point where they adequately meet the needs of its citizens, and by developing needed resources and services in demand. Part of the advocacy job of the social services staff is to make the community aware of inadequacies in existing services, to assist in improving available services, and to advocate for the creation of new services in support areas where no services are currently available.

The following list is designed for use as a guide to social services staff in fulfilling their role as advocates.

• Identify those services that families need and are unavailable to them.
• Re-examine the resource list to insure that the void actually exists.
• Determine the severity of the need and how many other community residents are affected by the lack of services.
• Involve families in bringing the need to the attention of the appropriate body, using some of the following methods, depending on the severity of need:
• Contact the responsible agency (i.e., local government, school system, housing department, etc.)
• Send letters to appropriate government officials and/or local legislative body. Speak with or write to local representatives (i.e.; school boards, city councils, etc.) Contact appropriate person within the state agency.
• Solicit the support of other agencies in bringing the need to the attention of the appropriate agency or person.

The support which the social services staff provides in their roles as community coordinators and Head Start advocates is perhaps the most important contribution they can make to Head-Start families. In addition to helping families obtain services needed immediately, the support provided by staff here helps families to recognize and assume their own advocacy roles with greater confidence, and promotes changes within the community which will eventually benefit all residents.

Chapter Nine: Establishing and Maintaining Records 

---

Establishing and maintaining accurate records is an important function of the social services staff. There are five primary purposes for efficient record keeping in Head Start:

1. Evaluation: Recording activities and outcomes assists staff in evaluating the effectiveness of their delivery of services to families.
2. Accountability: Well-kept records provide documentation for the staff in terms of work performed, and serve as a measure of accountability.
3. Organization: A carefully maintained record-keeping system helps staff to organize their social services program, to conduct periodic reviews of progress, and to plan future activities.
4. Training: Record keeping provides a two-fold training foundation. Information contained in the records can help staff to identify the training and education needs and interests of the families with whom they are working. Additionally, in-service or pre-service training for social services staff can revolve around record keeping and the information contained therein.
5. Research: Records can provide an excellent source of data (information) about the program for internal and external research efforts.

There are three main aspects of efficient record keeping, that should be considered by social services staff as they review their record keeping procedures:

· Establishing the system and setting up the files.
· Keeping records current and meaningful.
· Maintaining confidentiality of information obtained.

SETTING UP THE FILES

A file should be maintained on each family served by the Head Start program. The family file should contain at least the following, and any other information which the staff feels is relevant:

· Recruitment/enrollment card
· Verification of family income
· Letter of acceptance into the Head Start program (letters of non-acceptance should also be developed for mailing to families who have made application to but were not accepted by Head Start).
· Family profile developed during FNA interview.
· Record of each contact made with family by social services staff.
· Reports of all home visits made by social services staff.
· Attendance records of child/children enrolled in the program.

If a working file has not already been established, or if the existing file is inadequate or out-dated, staff members may need to develop procedures, letters, and forms for obtaining and recording the necessary information. Sample forms for the family profile, staff contacts with the family, and home visit reports follow. Another form that will be needed for the file if additional support services are needed is some sort of referral report form. It should contain the following information:

· family name              -service provided by referral
· date of request         · follow~up action
· service requested      · family assessment of service
 

FAMILY PROFILE

Family Name: Brown  Address: 1605 Elm Street  Telephone: 432-6152

Description of Surrounding Neighborhood: Generally clean and neat. Few trees. No playground nearby except on school lot four blocks away.  Physical Description of Home: Well cared for. Lots of plants. Some books (mostly adult paperbacks). Plenty of seating space for family.

Family Members:  Adults                                      Children                  Age Mr. Brown (Father)                   Jason                       15  Mrs. Brown (Mother)                Elizabeth                  13  Mr. Brown, Sr. (Grandfather)    James                         7                                                   Philip                                                    Lena

Family Interactions: Family finishing dinner when I arrived. Lots of friendly teasing between  members. Children took over clean-up detail and joined us later. Much touching and laughter.  Grandfather appears to drink heavily but manages auto repair shop and loves to talk about cars.  Father drives bus for city. Mrs. Brown out of work.

Adult Interests and Needs:  Mr. Brown - likes bowling. Wants to finish CED so that he can apply for higher position in  Department of Transportation.  Ms. Brown - would like part-time job. Has worked in school cafeteria and as waitress before. Mr. Brown, Sr. - Automobiles

Interest and Needs of Children:  Jason - Wants part-time job. Likes music. Has large record collection. Elizabeth - Loves drama. Would like to take dance lessons. James and Philip - Baseball and television. James may need glasses. Lena - Enjoys picture books and rhyming stories. Not much of a TV bug. Needs some immunization shots.

 

FAMILY CONTACTS: 1980 - 1981 SCHOOL YEAR  

Date	Method	Purpose	Outcomes
8-4-80	Telephone call	Set up appointment for FNA interview	Interview scheduled for 8/12 at 7:00 p.m. All family members will be present
8-12-80	Personal visit	Conduct FNA interview.	Interview completed Family profile developed.
10-5-80	Telephone call	Invite Mr. Brown, Sr. to share auto repairing skills with meeting of Head Start fathers on 10-19.	Mr. Brown very pleased Participated in meeting. Several fathers interested in setting up workshop.
12-11-80	Telephone call	Invite family to center Christmas pot luck supper 12/23.	Family plans to attend.

HOME VISIT REPORT  

Date	Purpose	Outcomes
8-12-80	FNA interview	Interview completely successfully. Family profile developed and filed
11-6-80	Accompany Mrs. Brown and Lena to clinic.	Lena saw Dr. Jones, received immunization, has appointment for January. Mrs. Brown feels comfortable with taking Lena by herself for the next visit.
2-7-80	Work with Mrs. Brown on at-home activities.	Discussed things she likes to do with children. identified items at home that could be used for activities. Sent Mrs. brown two (2) Dr. Suess books from center/home library.

KEEPING RECORDS CURRENT

In order to keep records up-to-date and meaningful, the social services staff should review the files of all families assigned to each regularly. The family profile should be reviewed and added to as the staff member gets to know the family better. Changes in address, phone numbers, family members living at home, etc. should be made as soon as information becomes available.

All forms should be dated, and recordkeeping should be coordinated with the other components to avoid unnecessary duplication. Entries for referrals and home visits should be made immediatley after contact whenever possible, and at least once a week by the staff member assigned to the family.

All files should be reviewed at least once a year to revise forms, update information, and discard information not being used. All family records should be kept on file for at least three (3) years from date of enrollment.
 
MAINTAINING CONFIDENTIALITY

The Parent Policy Committee and the social services staff should work together to establish criteria for confidentiality of records. Confidentiality means keeping what parents and family members share with the social services staff private. If families understand what information will be kept strictly confidential, unless they authorize its release in writing, and what information needs to be shared and with whom, in order to provide assistance, they will be more open and honest in their responses to requests for personal information.

Records must be kept in a locked file cabinet and the staff should determine who shall have access to the file - access should be limited to one or two persons. Parents and volunteers should be prohibited from reviewing any records except their own, and staff should be allowed to review records only for specific purposes and with the approval of the staff member responsible for records maintenance.

Information should be released only after written consent is obtained from the head of the family concerned. Family permission forms for the release of information to agencies or individuals, should be developed by staff, signed by the designated family representative, and kept on file for the protection of both the family and the service provider.

Chapter Ten: Head Start's legacy to Families

---

 
"It is necessary while in darkness, to know that there is light somewhere, to know that in oneself, waiting to be found, there is light."

- James Baldwin.

Perhaps the greatest gift Head Start can give a family is trust. And families do leave the program with trust - in themselves and their ability to cope with the world; in other people and the capability of others to respond to them on an equal level; and in a future that will become increasingly rewarding, because they will make it so. For families leave Head Start with greater confidence in themselves as individuals and as an effective social unit. They are more aware of their value as a socializing force and of their strengths. They understand their rights more completely, and have learned to use the resources available to them to assure these rights.

The question is: How can social services in Head Start help families to develop autonomous activities; that is, the sense of self-direction, the feeling of mastery and, most of all, the feeling of movement, going somewhere based upon one's own decision and choice? The mission of a social services program in Head Start is for

(1) training and education of families,
(2) mobilizing community and other resources as social utilities and as provisions to meet the developmental needs of participants, and
(3) Providing missing services while promoting institutional change as social responsibility.

Specifically, the mission of social services in Head Start should be to transmit the values of human dignity and human services in such a way as to strengthen the human spirit of those who have for so very long been afraid and frustrated, and felt rejected. The aim is to help families enhance their lives through training, education and support activities designed to increase their social and economic power. Families should be enabled to forge their own path from dependence through independence and move toward experiences in interdependence with other persons and organizations.

Human dignity is the touchstone of democracy. Social services are human services, and as such the general objective of the social services program in Head Start is to strengthen the dignity of the families served by the program. The program is designed to

• Provide opportunities for families to participate in training and education activities which will stimulate them to learn new skills and techniques for use in changing the conditions under which they live.
• Assist families as they examine public social policies and do what is necessary to gain access to services and resources.
• Help families mobilize resources that will benefit their own and other families, and discover how to utilize available resources productively.
• Identify and provide missing services while working with families and other groups to promote institutional change in the community.

The ultimate goal of social services in Head Start is to have families leave the program with

• Enhanced awareness of their individual and joint strengths.
• Improved ability to identify and assess their needs.
• Increased capacity to locate and utilize community supports and resources to their advantage.
• Strengthened family pride, dignity, and respect.
• Fewer barriers to their ability to engage in meaningful activities with their children as the prime educators of their children.

Head Start believes in families. The families who have completed the Head Start program will continue to provide their children with opportunities to grow and learn. They know where to go for assistance within the community and how to work within the community system to effect the changes they need. Head Start families will face future encounters within the community (teachers, landlords, community service providers, etc.) undaunted by former fears, secure within themselves, knowledgeable about their rights, and convinced that they will be heard. They will leave the program with a greater sense of trust in themselves and in the world in which they live.