Transcript The Parent Resource Initiative

Connecting Danbury Parents to
Resources and Each Other
A group of Parent Leaders are working with
Danbury Children First and community
partners to create a plan to improve family
access to the community services and
supports needed to raise happy, healthy
children.
Results from all sources fell into the following
categories:
• Access to family information, services, and
supports
• Quality of life issues
• Health
• Education
History of the Initiative:
• Partnership between the community partners
and parents.
• Supported by the William Caspar Graustein
Memorial Fund.
• Parent Leadership integral to all of the work.
• Facilitated by Danbury Children First.
(Caroline LaFleur—Staff)
Parent Advisory Board Members:
Leticia Rocha – Parent Co-Chair
Patti Keckeisen – Parent Co-Chair
Alba Aillon
Tanya Callands
Marilia Chagas
Rupa Dand
Paromita Dutt
Sherri Edgar
Angela Evertez
Mari Grajales
Angelina Hernandez
Regina Lima
Adriana Mendoza
Milagros Perez
Tom Thomassen
Jennifer Wolke
Caroline LaFleur - Staff
And thanks to the many, many other
volunteers who contributed to this work!
Discovery Oversight Committee Members:
Mark Boughton – Danbury Mayor
Ann Burke – Boehringer Ingelheim
Angela Evertez - Parent
Juleen Flanigan – Education Connection
Elizabeth Goehring – United Way of
Western Connecticut
Julia Horne – Principal, Shelter Rock School
Patti Keckeisen – Parent Co-Chair
Carolyn Keenan Smith – Parents as
Partners Committee
Kristen Kennen – Education Connection,
3Rs
Linda Kosko – Danbury Children First
Caroline LaFleur – Danbury Children First
Craig Mowrey – Walnut Hill Community
Church
Sal Pascarella – Danbury Public Schools
Superintendent
Debbie Pietras-Nolan – Danbury Public
Schools
Leticia Rocha – Parent Co-Chair
Darla Shaw – Western Connecticut State
University
Mary Teicholz – Danbury Common Council
Jennifer Wolke – Parents as Partners
Committee
Information was gathered in the following
ways:
• Parent Surveys
• Community Conversation on the Quality of
Life for Young Children and Families
• Community Engagement Interviews
• Social Networking Strategy Sessions
• Focus Groups


The research process was also designed as a
way to engage community members.
We wanted to mobilize the community to
reflect on the resources and needs of our
families with young children, and build the
will to make the changes and investments,
necessary to ensure that all families have the
access to information, support, and education
they need for their children to succeed in
school.
Community Conversation on the Quality of Life
for Young Children
• Held on October 28, 2008
• 80 participants from many sectors of the
community
• 5 discussion groups, including one in
Spanish and one in Portuguese
• Each group had a moderator and recorder
Community Engagement Interviews
• Parent Advisory Board members interviewed
24 members of the Danbury community.
• Interviewees included agency personnel,
business people, city department employees,
members of the faith community, educators,
and behavioral health providers.
Social Networking Strategy Sessions
• 3 Sessions were held by Parent Advisory
Board Members, 1 in Spanish
• 12 parents participated
Focus Groups on Behavioral Health
65 parents participated.
7 Focus Groups were held with:
• Latino Parents
• African American Parents
• Caucasian Parents
• Brazilian Parents
• Cambodian Parents
• Indian Parents
• Portuguese Parents
Danbury Parent Surveys
• Surveys available in hard copy format and
online through Survey Monkey.
• Surveys available in English, Spanish, and
Portuguese.
• Surveys distributed and collected through:
-- Community outreach events
-- Childcare centers, preschools, Head
Start, Even Start and many other venues
Danbury Parent Surveys
• 486 Total Surveys Completed
• 323 Surveys in English (66%)
• 153 Surveys in Spanish (32%)
• 10 Surveys in Portuguese (2%)
Results from all sources fell into the following
categories:
• Access to family information, services, and
supports
• Quality of life issues
• Health
• Education
What we learned:

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Parents get most of their information through
“word of mouth.”
Knowledge of services was cited as a major
barrier to access.
Service providers have difficulty getting
information to parents.
What we learned:
Other barriers to access are:
 Cost
 Working Hours
 Not enough capacity/waiting lists
 Childcare
 Quality of Service
 Language
 Transportation
What we learned:


Parents pay attention to the information they
get from schools—
But they would like more information about
what’s going on in the schools and how the
schools work. They also want more
information in their native languages.
What we learned:


More multilingual/bilingual staff people—and
culturally competent staff people—are
needed at schools, social service agencies,
and health providers.
Middle income families may not have as much
access to services as lower income families.
What we learned:

For families that have children with special
needs, childcare is a major barrier to access.
How would you find out about services or
resources for your children or family?
Percent
By Word of Mouth
76%
From School
51%
Websites/Internet
51%
Referral From Service Providers
38%
Announcements in Publications, Newspapers,
Letters, etc.
Special Events
33%
28%

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For subgroups not fairing well in the achievement
gap, more receive information from the school than
from the Internet. (Survey)
For parents of children with special needs, 62% find
out from service providers. (Survey)
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Information should be provided in person, in
addition to printed materials. (Social Networking
Strategy Sessions)
Information should be presented at multiple times
and in multiple places/ways. (Social Networking
Strategy Sessions)
Parents need information on children’s
developmental stages. (Community Conversation)
When parents have difficultly in finding or using
programs, how big of a factor is each item listed
below.
Percent Saying Big or
Moderate Factor
Cost
Knowledge of the services
86%
Working hours
Not enough capacity/waiting
lists
77%
Childcare
74%
Quality of Service
85%
75%
73%
Language barrier
72%
Transportation
68%
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86% of parents of children with special needs
report that childcare is a big or moderate factor.
(Survey)
79% of Hispanic parents report that transportation
is a big or moderate factor. (Survey)
84% of Hispanic parents report that language is a
big or moderate factor. (Survey)

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More resources are needed for families with very
young children, ages birth to three. (Community
Conversation)
“Low literacy levels among parents” was identified
as an additional barrier to accessing information.
(Community Interviews)

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More coordination and centralization of services is
needed (Community Conversation, Social
Networking Strategy Sessions, and Focus Groups)
Improved communications is needed between
parents and the support/education systems in our
community, as parents are the responsible “first
line” in raising and teaching their children.
(Community Conversation)
What we learned:
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Most parents agree that Danbury is a great
place to live and a good place to raise their
children.
Most families feel mostly or very safe moving
in and around Danbury.
Most parents value diversity as a strength of
the Danbury community.
What we learned:


Parents want more activities that they can do
with their children—and more activities for
younger children.
People want more kid-friendly
neighborhoods, with sidewalks and safe
places for biking.
What we learned:


Parents want more out-of-school time activities
and recreational activities, including activities for
children with special needs. Activities should be
offered at times that allow children with working
parents to participate.
Children with special needs and Latino/Hispanic
children are not accessing activities and recreational
programs at the same rate as their peers.
What we learned:

Many parents and professionals are
concerned about the economic pressures
families are facing and the high cost of living
in Danbury.
Danbury is a great place to live.
All Parents
Strongly
agree
29%
Agree
64%
Disagree
6%
Strongly
disagree
1%
How safe do you feel living and moving around
in Danbury?
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When parents were asked what are the strengths of
Danbury and the best thing about living in
Danbury, the diversity of the community was cited
most often. (Survey-Qualitative Information)
There is a strong sense of having a caring
community, including good social service agencies,
teachers, volunteers, community members, and faith
communities. (Survey-Qualitative Information)
What kinds of recreation activities does your
youngest school-age child attend?
Danbury Public Schools after-school or extended
learning
Other after-school programs in the community
Music activities
Scouts
Sports
Dance activities
Arts
None
All Parents
Hispanic/L
atino
11%
13%
7%
7%
9%
8%
7%
3%
34%
28%
6%
4%
6%
4%
20%
33%
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Information on recreation, community events, and
low-cost, affordable family entertainment was
identified as important. (Social Networking Strategy
Sessions)
Parents of children with mental/behavioral issues
need more recreational and family activities
available, and at times that accommodate working
parents’ schedules. (Focus Groups)


Needs identified included more parent education
programs and more family activities in the
community, especially for families with young
children. “Family-friendly” roads and
neighborhoods are desired, so outdoor play is safe.
(Community Interviews)
Affordable music lessons are desired for children.
(Social Networking Strategies)
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More indoor recreation spaces are needed,
especially in the winter and for families with very
young children. (Surveys, Social Networking
Strategy Sessions)
More recreational and educational out-of-school
time activities are needed for pre-teens and teens.
(Survey, Social Networking Strategy Sessions)
What we learned:



Most parents are attending school functions
and parent-teacher conferences. Those who
don’t attend cite work hours and fatigue.
Most young children are having preschool
experiences.
Parents want more/better communication with
teachers and parents need more information
about what is going on in schools.
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“Schools should do a better job of getting
information to families about what is going
on in the schools.” (Community Interviews)
More parent involvement in education is
needed. (Community Interviews)
Parents want teachers to know that parents do
want to get involved. (Community Conversation)
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Parents of children with mental/behavioral
health need would like teachers to know more
about working with children with special
needs. (Focus Group)
Hispanic/Latino parents need support to help
their children with homework. (Social
Networking Strategy Sessions)
Programs for gifted children was cited as a
need. (Survey-Qualitative Information)
Do you attend school functions such as
open houses and parent-teacher
conferences?
All Parents
Yes
91%
No
9%
If there are children under 5 years old living in
your home, check if they have attended:
Head Start or
School Readiness
Program
Childcare Center
or other
Preschool
None have
attended
preschool or a
childcare center
Family day care
home
All Parents
$0–
$40,000
$40,000–
$80,000
$80,000+
52%
85%
24%
16%
29%
26%
45%
55%
12%
0%*
24%
19%
7%
8%
10%
10%
* Most surveys, but not all, from families of lower
economic means came from publically funded
childcare centers, which skews this result.
What we learned:

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Almost all children are receiving routine
healthcare.
Parents identified a lack of dental services—
and a lack of affordable dental services.
Parents identified a lack of mental/behavioral
health services—and a lack of affordable
mental/behavioral health services.
Is there a particular clinic, health center,
hospital, doctor’s office, or other place that
your child usually goes for routine healthcare?
All Parents
Yes
93%
No
6%
Unsure or don’t
know.
1%
I have not been to the doctor or a
healthcare provider for my child: 1%
When you go to the doctor for your child, does
the doctor or nurse explain things to you in a
way that you can understand?
All Parents
Yes
91%
No
1%
Sometimes
8%
Percent who agree or strongly agree with the following:
Middle
Income
Families
$40,000–
$80,000
Families of
children
with
special
needs
92%
91%
91%
72%
63%
71%
56%
31%
34%
49%
26%
22%
49%
28%
26%
All
Parents
If I need to know something about my
child’s health, I know where to go.
Health service are responsive to the
cultural and language differences of
families and children.
There are enough health services in
Danbury for my child that are
affordable.
There are enough dental services in
Danbury that are affordable.
There are enough mental or behavioral
health services in Danbury that are
affordable.
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More information on getting health insurance is
needed to access medical and dental services
(Social Networking Strategy Sessions).
Parents of children with mental/behavioral health
issues need more help with health insurance,
paying for services and medication, and hours that
will accommodate their work schedules. (Focus
Groups)
For those whose first language isn’t English, there
is a greater need for translations and multicultural
staff. (Focus Groups)

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Parents of children with mental/behavioral health
needs seek more qualified staff at schools, at the
state agencies, and at local services. (Focus
Groups)
Parents need real dialogue with systems (state,
medical, DCF, schools) to improve their children’s
mental/behavioral health. (Focus Groups)
Parents of children with mental/behavioral health
issues found help could be limited and appointment
times with doctors too short. Sometimes they need
more information, and they need more respect as
the ones who know their children best. (Focus
Groups)
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Prioritize immediate actions needed to provide
support for all Danbury parents.
Coordinate with 3R’s (Ready Children and Families,
Ready Communities, Ready Schools) Early
Childhood Plan to improve service delivery to
families with young children.
Explore the possibility of a Parent Center, which
was identified as a means of connecting parents
with resources and each other.
What are your most important sources of
emotional support or advice?
All Parents
Spouse, husband, wife or
partner
74%
Other family members living
with you
19%
Family members not living
with you
50%
Friends
61%
Priest, pastor, rabbi, or
other spiritual leader.
18%
Neighbors
13%
Percent who agree or strongly agree with the
following:
All
Parents
There are good parenting classes
in Danbury.
There are enough parenting
classes in Danbury.
If I want some help with basic
needs (food, clothing) I know
where to go.
There is plenty of help for families
who need some help with basic
needs.
77%
60%
69%
61%
Percent who agree or strongly agree with the
following:
Public transportation in Danbury meets
the needs of families with young
children who need it.
I rely on my friends or family for
information about services or childcare.
I get information I need about services
or childcare from the newspaper or
radio
I get information I need about services
or childcare from the Internet.
All
Parents
53%
70%
50%
64%
Percent who agree or strongly agree with the
following:
All
Parents
Danbury is a great place to raise my
child.
I envision a bright future in Danbury
for families and their children.
I believe there is good social and
community support for families with
young children in Danbury.
95%
87%
77%
All Parents
Lived in
Danbury
20+ years
16%
Female
84%
Employed
70%
Married
70%
Income information about survey respondents:
Total
Under $10,000-$20,000
28%
$20,001–40,000
19%
$40,001–60,000
8%
$60,001–80,000
10%
$80,001–100,000
11%
$100,001–150,000
16%
Over $150,000
8%