Handout 10: Deciding Where to Begin
High Hopes Head Start wants to provide bus service to any family that wishes to have it. The local law states that any time more than six children under the age of five are in a vehicle run by a licensed child care center, there must be one adult present in addition to the bus driver. Each six children adds the need for one more adult. The transportation committee wants to make sure they have enough adults on board each morning and afternoon. There are 85 children in the program needing bus service, so there is a need for 13 adults. This year the program asked each parent to volunteer as bus monitor for a month. The advantage of this plan is that it provides an opportunity for parents to get involved. Also, by using parent volunteers instead of paid bus monitors, there is more money available for family activities. However, some parents have said they cannot volunteer. Also, a few have failed to show up on their assigned days. A parent has suggested that staff work more hours as bus monitors. Everyone wants to make sure that children in the program have safe transportation.
Instructions: Use page 2 of this handout to pinpoint the decision that needs to be made by the transportation committee of High Hopes Head Start. As a group, discuss these questions:
- What are the constraints? Look for issues that are beyond the power of High Hopes to change right now.
- What are the strengths? Look for what is working well and what High Hopes should continue doing.
- What are the concerns? Look for what is causing concern but is within the power of High Hopes to change.
Constraints Strengths Concerns What is firm? What is beyond our power to change right now? What is not likely to change? What is going well? What do we want to be sure continues after we make changes? What is causing concern but is within our power to change? What do we want to improve?