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Peer Mentoring Network
Innovative Strategies
Regional Resource Centers
Quality Assurance/ Credentialing
Training
State Systems
Funding
Events
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Family Retention
Tips for Engaging Families in the Assessment Process:
- Present small gift bags to families
- Have practical, easy-to-read and graphically appealing information helps to convey to families the resourcefulness of the program and its staff
- Consider having assessment works wear an identifier such as a hospital uniform or name that clearly conveys that they are NOT with Child Protective Services
- Have bilingual workers
- Send a thank-you note and $5 coupon post-assessment
- Give incentives to dads that participate
Tips For Engaging and Retaining Families:
- Be consistent and reliable - show up when you say you're going to, don't make any promises you can't keep. Be honest and down-to earth with families. Be judgment-free. All these qualities will help staff build a trusting relationship with families.
- Show enthusiasm for the program
- Utilize Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Listen closely and find out where the parents are when they enter the program. If you can accurately identify their needs and together develop strategies to address those needs, they'll be more likely to want to be part of the program.
- Provide resources and educational materials to address the family's identified needs
- Identify and praise parental strengths
- Be clear about what the program can offer - help families to set appropriate expectations
- Let them know you care about them and the baby
- Be flexible about mom/dad's schedules
- Offer free transportation when possible
- Model how to utilize and access social services such as WIC and food stamps. When possible, accompany families to appointments to help them navigate the system and provide support - particularly helpful if there are language barriers
- When possible, offer gift packets containing items such as: blankets, recycled clothes, books, pantry supplies, certificates to workshops, baby bucks to stores, etc. Parents so appreciate these gestures.
- Respect the family and their cultural boundaries and differences. Foster discussions with families when you're not certain, particularly regarding cultural issues
- Understand family may have had earlier bad experiences with "systems"
- Always offer the family choices and model a behavior they can utilize with their children.
- Plan meetings around food - take mom to lunch or dinner every so often
- Give a baby shower one time per year and use donated items
- Provide positive reinforcements. If parents keep X number of appointments in X amount of time, reward with a $5 voucher. If families are on time with immunizations, they earn a Golden Book. If they complete other assessments on time, they receive other awards
- Video-tape sessions or take pictures with disposable cameras or polaroids
- Plan picnics, graduations and other events
- Provide babysitting to moms so they can do an adult thing
- Provide a beauty session for moms
- Provide staff with comp time to enable them to have flexible hours and work weekend if necessary.
- Provide education credits for attending parenting/behavior management groups
- Self-disclose as appropriate so they know you are a real person (you may experience some of the same issues with your own children)
- Don't give up on the parents. Continue working with families even when the parents have an "attitude problem"
- Take videos of parents with children - even though it may be a little awkward for everyone, families typically like having the documentation
- These videos can also be used for families where the father is in jail - enables him to see his kids and fathers can also tape messages for their kids
- Adopt a Reach out and Read Program. Every month the home visitor will give the parent a book for their child. Parents look forward to getting their books and reading to their children.
- Utilize the Gifts-in-Kind website where you can order books, baby clothes, toys, and other gifts for families. It is a great resource.
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