HFA Community Agreements / Acuerdo de Comunidad

As you are making connections with one another, work to build community and trust with your colleagues online.

Treat people the way THEY want to be treated. Use their preferred names, their correct pronouns, and with the value, respect, and care we all deserve.

We’re all here because we want the best outcomes for the children and families in our HFA programs, and for all of the communities where we are located. Let that purpose drive the way we communicate with one another.

Everyone comes in with a different set of experiences and knowledge. Seek first to understand and assume best intentions in all interactions.  Apply curiosity to things you think you disagree with.

Even with the best of intentions, it is possible to cause harm to our colleagues and friends. We will help to hold each other accountable for our words and actions, being mindful the impact those words and actions may have on others.

Set aside your assumptions about what you already know. Be curious about the things you hear and experience, and how those learnings make you feel. Learning can sometimes be uncomfortable, and that is okay. We all have things to learn and room to grow.

For those who decide to be brave, vulnerable, and share their stories with us, we will keep their stories in confidence. We also will refrain from disclosing any identifying information about families enrolled in HFA.

Reflect on how you are engaging, and be aware if you are taking up much more space than others. Are you holding others back from participating in the discussion? Are you holding back because you don’t want to step on any toes? We all carry the responsibility of including everyone in the conversation, including ourselves.

Refer to families as families, parents, participants, or Mom, Dad, Grandma, etc. Avoid using terms like, “MOB, FOB, MGM, families like that, or client.” These are labels that take away from someone’s identity and humanness. Even if only used when not in direct service with parents and families, the use of the word “client” and acronyms conveys a power imbalance rather than a partnership.