ED 354 075

TITLE

INSTITUTION

PUB DATENOTEAVAILABLE FROM

PUB TYPE

EDRS PRICEDESCRIPTORS

DOCUMENT RESUME

PS 021 080

From Child Care to Family Care: The Parent ServicesHandbook.

Sa:1 Francisco Foundation, Calif.; Zellerbach FamilyFund, San Francisco, Calif.8625p.

PSP Coordination Office, 199 Porteous Avenue,Fairfax, CA 94930 ($3).Reports Descriptive (141) Guides Non-ClassroomUse (055)

MFO1 /PCO1 Plus Postage.

*Ancillary School Services; *Child Caregivers; *CostEffectiveness; *Day Care Centers; Early ChildhoodEducation; *Parent Participation; ProgramDescriptions; *Program Effectiveness

IDENTIFIERS California; *Parent Services Project CA

ABSTRACT

This handbook for child care centers that areexpanding their support to parents of children in their programsbegins by describing the Parent Services Project (PSP). The nextsection explains the many services available to parents and thevariety of ways these services are provided at the PSP centers.Services include fun family events; parenting classes; adult-onlyactivities; skills-building classes; peer group discussions; mentalhealth services; alternative forms of child care, includingsick-child care and respite; parent involvement; and services fornewcomer families. Subsequent sections cover the topics of: (1)minimum requirements for the parent services coordinator, child care,and food or refreshments; (2) the cost of services and ways to lessenthe cost; and (3) the impact of 1:SP in terms of savings to the -tateof California, long-term effects, and PSP's advocacy of California'sproposed Parent Services Bill: AB 2413. (HOD)

***********************************************************************Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made

from the original document.***********************************************************************

LLv

- ...m.o.." aim improvement

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIONCENTER (ERIC)

Points of view or opinions slated in this docuThis document has been reproduced asstewed from the person or organization went do not necessarily represent official

OERI position or policyoriginating it. MEE

L. minor cnanges nays beeirMlitle o improvereproduction wieldy

r1

0 _ANL Or :!:4,2:11AlkIEWL,_;1:ZO-

Lr

4

WO

414

"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THISMATERIAL HAS BEEN RANTED BY

0000TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) "

8

. .

2 BEST COPY AVAILABLE

From Child CareTo Family Care

The Parent Services Handbook

Published byZellerbach Family Fund andThe San Francisco Foundation

gl

I

1986, Zellerbach Family Fund and The San FranciscoFoundation

Portions of this handbook were previously published inevaluation reports prepared by Judy Pope, programexecutive for Zellerbach Family Fund.

Research and writing:Geoffrey Link and Marjorie Beggs,San Francisco Study Center/Community Graphics

Design:Geoffrey Link and Nancy Hom,San Francisco Study Center/Community Graphics

Cover photographs:All photos by Barbara Maggiani except upper left front byLakin Khan, Fairfax-San Anselmo Children's Center

PSP Handbook Advisory Committee:Ethel Seiderman, Fairfax-San Anselmo Children's CenterLinda Allen, Fairfax-San Anse lmo Children's CenterJanet Mars, Marin County Office of Education,

Child Development ProgramJudy Pope, Zellerbach Family Fund

Zellerbach Family FundPrimary Prevention Advisory CommitteeBeverly Abbott, Director, Community Mental Health

Services, San Mateo CountyChristina Cuevas, Program Executive, The San Francisco

FoundationGwen Foster, Field Work Consultant, School of Social

Welfare, UC-BerkeleyLillian Johnson, Program Director, Family and Children's

Services, S.F. Department of Social ServicesPatricia Jordan, Deputy Director, Community Mental

Health Services, San Mateo CountyBarbara Majak, Director, Mental Health Services Program

Development and Evaluation, Alameda CountyBalan Arakoni, Director, Community Mental Health

Services, Marin County

For additional copies of this handbook, send $3.00 percopy to: PSP Coordination Office, 199 Porteu.IS Avenue,Fairfax, CA 94930 415/454-1811

1

ForewordThis handbook is intended to encourage child care

centers to expand their support to the parents of thechildren enrolled in their programs. This support not onlydirectly benefits individual parents, it positively affectstheir childrenand can increase family involvement incenter activities.

The handbook explains the Parent Services Project,describes the many services to parents and details thevariety of ways they are provided at the PSP centers. Forfive years, through experimentation, PSP staff and parentslearned what works and how to successfully serve differentkinds of parent groups. We now are able to analyze costs,suggest practical means of offering services to parents andavoid implementation pitfalls, and document the impactPSP has had on the familiesand on the child carecenters.

This handbook reflects what we have learned in fiveyears of transforming our child care centers into familycare centers. It has been a challenging process that hasstrengthened the families and helped our agencies tomature. And it's a process that can work successfully inmost any child care center, including yours.

t.)

'I'm not alone'

When I decided to go tomy first PSP parent meet-ing, I went with the ideathat it would be relaxingand nice to have dinnerwith other parents, saysCarolyn Pavageau, a singleparent who has a 5-year-old child in after-schoolcare at a Marin Office ofEducation center and a 2-year -old at Sprouts Butthe meetings turned out tobe muck much more Wediscuss important thingsopenly, I've developedfriendships and I've learnedI'm not alone in my prob-lems. Meeting with othersis like having a familyaway from home.

ContentsThe Parent Services Project

The PSP centers

The ServicesFamily fun eventsParenting classesAdult-only activitiesSkills-building classesPeer group discussions and

mental health servicesAlternative forms of child care:

Sick-child care and respiteParent involvementServing newcomer familiesSample monthly activities

The Minimum RequirementsParent services coordinatorChild careFood, or at least refreshments

Affordable Services: Analysis of Costs

Measuring the ImpactSavings to the stateThe long-term effects of PSPThe Parent Services Bill: AB 2413

Parent Services, Step by StepServices and examplesTh, process

kfi

3

4445

6

'PSP addsjoy and zest'

Ethel Seiderman, director,Fairfax-San AnselmoChildren's Center Parentsgenerally have been led tobelieve that they need to

6 do it all on their own Butthat's virtually impossible,

7 particularly for single par-9 ents. The variety of roles9 parents have is enormous

10 To perform them right,you need to do them incooperation with other peo-ple. Not only that, workingivith other people in PSPadds joy and zest Thesefeelings have significancebeyond the moment orparticular activity and earn'into the rest oft our life

11

11

11

11

13

15151516

171718

The ParentServices Project

Raising a family, never easy, now seems more difficultfor more parents than ever before.

Many parents are raising their children alone, withoutthe traditional assistance of extended families that longago disappeared or never existed for the majority of youngparents today.

The number of refugee and immigrant families isgrowing and often these parents don't speak English,compounding the already considerable economic andcultural challenges they face.

With unemployment high and wages falling behind therising living costs, middle-class families also feel thepressures, which can create stress, resulting in child abuse,neglect or other mistreatment.

The social and economic trends of contemporary lifehave made child care a must for most young parents, nowthat both generally work outside the home. The child carecenter has become the place where parent(s) and child(ren)come together in the same nurturing environment. One orboth parents may be seen regularly during any typical dayas they drop off or pick up a child before and after work.

If child care centers offered parents more than drop-and-run contact, then the centers would be nurturing theparents as well as the children, and the entire family couldgrow stronger together. Child care centers would betransformed into family care centers, putting them in thevanguard for programming for families and children.

Not only the families would benefit. As parents getmore involved, they would become supporters of thecenter, join organizing committees and take responsibilityfor some program direction and fund-raising.

The Primary Prevention Advisory Committee ofZellerbach Family Fund wanted to develop that potentialwhen it initiated the Parent Services Project in 1980. TheCommittee had been formed earlier that year to adviseZellerbach staff and board about mental health and familyand children's issues.

The members of the Committee are managers of publicmental health and family services departments in Alameda,Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo counties, plusfoundation program staff and some consultants of Zeller-bach and The San Francisco Foundation. The Committee'smonthly think-tank sessions are convened by Ed Nathan,Zellerbach executive director.

Committee members felt that if parents could gain

'If we're happy,the children arehappier'Anna has been in theUnited States for six yearsbut her English is stillhalting. She only startedtaking English classes whenshe enrolled her daughterat Wu Yee in San Francis-co two years ago. In Tai-wan I was an accountant,and I'd like to do thatwork again when I'm donewith school and my Englishis good enough. Anna is asingle parent. She separatedfrom her husband four yearsago and says that PSPactivities provide a chancefor her to be with otheradults. All my family is inTaiwan, and I don't havemany close friends, so PSPhelps parents like me. Weget to know and talk withother parents, share prob-lems, exchange ideas andexperiences. It also helpsus get some rest and rec-reation and enjoy ljfe more,and this is good for thechildren. If we're happy,the children are happier.

1

I

)

confidence and competenceas people and as parentsthe whole family would benefit. They knew thatas parentsfeel stronger and more in charge of their own lives, theirparenting improves and they are able to pass that strengthand stability on to their children. Their children gain abetter chance to become secure, productive, independentadults. Meanwhile. the families would have less need inthe future for more costly social, medical and mentalhealth services. Through PSP, parents would:

Gain understanding and skills as parentsLearn practical skills such as first aid and fluency inEnglishUtilize alternative forms of child care such as respiteand sick child careReceive mental health and social services if neededDevelop leadership skillsEnjoy family activities and social events at whichthey make friends and exchange parenting information.

The key to the parents' participation would be to makethe services useful, convenientby providing child careduring PSP activitiesand enjoyable.

PSP was to be a collaborative effort between the publicand private sectors: The participating agencies wereselected from among the state-funded child developmentcenters and county mental health staffwere to be availableto PSP parents; Zellerbach and The San FranciscoFoundation would cover additional staff costs and expandedprogram needs. These resources would give the PSPcenters the freedom to experiment with service deliveryand develop cost-efficient programs.

PSP would be a prevention program that would savepublic dollars by building social support systems for low-income families. These systems would be flexible, humaneways to encourage the inherent strengths of parents,provide them with relief from stress, and help them buildsupport and friendship networks. In short, provide themwith resources to gain confiden - in their ability to managetheir own lives.

People who are emotionally and physically healthycreate more nurturing home environments for theirchildren.This reduces the risk of family violence and dependenceon drugs and alcohol. This in turn reduces the need forpublic services; in other words, saves tax money.

Keeping families intact would avoid expensive childprotective services and foster placements. Helping parentsfind jobs would keep them economically independent andoff unemployment.

To learn whether this concept could succeed in mostany child care centerlarge or small, in city, suburb orethnic communitythe Primary Prevention Advisory

2(.1

'Shoulders tolean on'Our goal has alwal s beento assist the parent as wellas the child says AdellaThomas, PCDCI projectcoordinator. We want to beable to respond to theirneeds. We want to get themhelp before they're in acrisis. We ask parents whattheir specific needs are.They mention assertneness,public speaking, they re-quest help with child rear-ing and enhancing personalrelationships. Also, dealingwith stressa topic theynever seem to get enoughof By sharing with staff,they have some shoulders1,, lean on, and then theycot more out of situationsthat may be detrimental tothem and to their children

Committee selected four centers: two in Marin Countyand one each in San Francisco and Alameda counties.Combined, they served about 400 families, the majority ofthem low-income.

One center served primarily black single mothers,another was predominantly Hispanic with many non-English-speaking parents. Another served many SoutheastAsian refugee families, and the population of the fourthwas mainly low- to moderate-income whites. Within twoyears, additional centers joined PSP, nearly doubling thenumber of families served. These were the sorts of peopleand programs found throughout the state.

The PSP centersThe four original Parent Services Project center in

1980 were:

Fairfax-San Anselmo Children's Center-79 families,mostly white, 57% single parents.Canal Child care Center-40 Families, 65% non-English-speaking, Southeast Asian and Hispanic.Fairfax and Canal are both in Marin County.Parent-Child Development Centers Inc., in AlamedaCounty-144 families, mostly black, 69% single parents.Companeros del Barrio in San Francisco-120 families,77% non-English-speaking, 74% in need of a job.

Two years later, these centers were joined by:Wu Yee Resource & Referral Center in San Francisco'sChinatown-78 families, 85% married, 78% don'tspeak English.Sprouts Infant and Toddler Center in Marin County-24 families, 50% single parents and 42% in need of ajob.Iniece Bailey Infant and Toddler Center in MarinCounty-32 families, 60% black, 60% single parents.7 Marin County Office of Education sites-169 familiescombined, 64% single parents.

'A feeling ofownership'Having PSP saved my lifeemotionally, says LindaPratt, who has two children,3 and 6, and has been atIniece Bailey Infant andToddler Center in Marin fortwo years. I'm married, butmy husband's in prison. Hestars involved with the kidsthrough visits in a specialprogram, but on a dapto-day level, it's like being asingle parent. Linda worksfull time at a Head Startprogram, participates inmany PSP activities and ison the Iniece Bailey board.I got drawn into the boardbecause I'd had some ex-peience in planning atHead Start, and also I feltguilty about leaving thekids and working fill time.Getting involved helped mefeel strong and confidentabout my situation. Oneway to get parents to usewhat's available is to getthem involved in planning

if there's a feeling ofownership, parents will usethe services.

3

The FrvicesThe services PSP provides comprise a complete

program, scheduled frequently, well staffed, running thegamut from social events for the family to classes andworkshops and alternative forms of child care. The rangeand regularity of the services creates a presence for PSP atthe centers, and offers the parents who get involvedenough support to make a positive difference in their lives.

But it is not necessary to provide a full program ofparent services to be of benefit to your families. Oneservice at a time can help, and a reshuffling of resourcesmay be all that is required to get started.

PSP provides the following:

Family fun eventsThese are the most universally enjoyed of all the PSP

activities, and their importance cannot he overstated.These activities provide crucial social support.

When parents can enjoy good times with their children,they feel they are better parents. Guilt is reduced and self-esteem is enhanced when they are able to provide movies,trips or special events for their children. The laughter andgames of the family events relieve stress and promotegreater physical and mental well-being.

Family events also give parents opportunities tointeract with other parents, many of whom are isolated, farfrom their own families and too busy surviving work andchild rearing to have much energy left for socializing. Atevery family activity at every center, groups of parentsgather to discuss problems of child rearing. As one MarinCounty mother said fervently, "It's amazing how we allhave the same problems.

Family fun activities lead to peer support networks.Wu Yee staff noticed that as parents got together for bustrips to go pick fruit or pumpkins, they became morerelaxed with each other. made plans to have coffeetogether, and began to exchange suggestions about disci-pline.

Family fun activities can serve to entice parents intoPSP. At potlucks and zoo trips the parents becomeacquainted and get to know staff. As they feel morecomfortable, a level of trust begins to build.

Parenting classesParents of all backgrounds want to do the best job they

can to raise their children. They are eager for informationabout stages of development, what to expect as their

4

'The servicesare invaluable'I'm a single parent, andI've had a lot offinancialand emotional problems,says Lynde Ricketts. Shehas a daughter, 6, and ason who recently had toleave Sprouts Infant andToddler Center in Marinbecause he'd passed the 2-year-9-month age limit.Things were really bad

just a little while agomykids couldn't gel along atall, and I felt I had to getaway from my son. PSPrespite helped us get awayfrom each other for shorttimes and it helped me sortthings out. My son's livingin Oakland now, but I'mtrying to get him intoanother center here inMarinI hope it will beone with PSP because theservices are invaluable. Iguess thingv are lookingup now: I'm working asa.ssistant cook at a HeadStart program, I'm off wel-fare and it feels so good.Sprouts is an excellentschool. I can't tell you howsupportive the staff were.

children get older and how to respond effectively,As with the other activities, parenting classes must be

designed with specific parent populations in mind. AtCompaneros, the language and cultural context is Spanish."I learned at lot at the child development workshop," saysparent Cecilia Suarez, "like what to do when your childputs you on the spot by asking questions and morequestions. You should explain things as well as you canand not just ignore the child, My boy's very quiet now, butwhen he starts, I'll be ready and I'll be a better parent."

At Wu Yee, the parenting class was conducted by aChinese-speaking Asian woman. While some of theproblems of raising children are universal, the responses tothe frustration may be culturally instilled. "Sometimes mydaughter won't listen to me," says a Wu Yee parent. "Inmy culture, we hit a child that doesn't obey, but in the classwe learned that sometimes talking, not hitting, would bebetter."

Adult-only activitiesParents need time away from their children, and vice

versa. But that doesn't happen often in families in whichthe parents cannot afford additional child care or a babysitter, or in certain cultures where parents are reluctant toentrust their kids to anyone outside the family.

But by hosting events for adults only, and providingchild care to encourage attendance, PSP has been able tocreate settings that foster socializing and decrease thesense of isolation..

One of the most successful models is the Mothers'Club at Companeros del Barrio, a bi-monthly evening ofcooking, talking and salsa dancing that attracts about 40mainly Hispanic mothers to each event. For many of themothers, it is their only social activity. A Companerosmother put it this way: "I can come and laugh and be silly.For an evening I feel different, feel at home."

One reason these mothers feel free to treat themselvesto a night off is that their children are being cared for inanother room of the center by some of the center teachers.Having the parents' confidence that their children are ingood hands is a key to the success of the Mothers' Cluband other adult-only activities.

When they work, adult-only activities can providevaluable encouragement for parents to take some time tonurture themselves. Canal Child Care Center in SanRafael accomplished it by holding workshops to increasetheir awareness of good health and nutrition. The trickseems to be to start lightly and realize that social activitiescan be forums for support building, networking andreferrals and information exchange. County social worker

'The mostspecial times'Victoria Morales has eightchildren, the oldest 9, theyoungest 9 months. AtCompaneros del Barrio inSan Francisco for severalyears, she participates inMothers' Club, goes toclasses and workshops, usesrespite and attends familycvents as often as she can.The PSP staff really careabout the community andthey go out of their way tohelp us or find help for us.Sometimes when I'm justfeeling down, I can callIgen (Chan, parent coor-dinator) and she makes mefeel better. Once when Ihad an emergency, one ofthe staff took all my kidsfor the night. I think themost fun for me were thedriving classesU' I had acar it would really help meget around because of allthe children. The Mothers'Clubs, though, are reallythe most special times.They help me relax andhave the kids taken care ofand I can enjoy talkingwith other mothers.

5

4.

Rosemarie Moore gained the trust of Hispanic mothers atCompaneros by joining them at Mothers' Club: now she iswelcome in their homes.

Skills-building classesGaining practical skills increases parents' competence

which, in turn, boosts their confidence and self esteem.Through PSP, they learn to sew, they learn CPR tech-niques, driver education, nutrition, auto repair, personalmoney management and many other things that are usefulday to day. The centers survey the parents for theirpreferences for class content, then contact communityresources for someone to lead the classes. Child care isprovided to encourage attendance.

Among the most important classes for centers servingnewcomers is English as a second language ( ,. JanetMars, parent coordinator for seven Marin Cc . .y Officeof Education PSP sites. had difficulty getting newcomerfamilies to participate in PSPuntil she decided to offerESL classes with child care. Not only were the ESLclasses well-attended, participation in other PSP activitiesincreased as the parents gained fluency in English.

Peer group discussionsand mental health services

Parents feel better about themselves and their situationswhen they know they're not alone, and they can learnabout themselves from the guidance provided by profes-sionals. PSP centers foster peer group discussions, andstaff can bring in mental health professionals to leadworkshops in reducing stress, disciplining children, sexu-ality, and other topics. These help parents gain perspectiveon their situations, insight into their behavior and ways tochange, if they want.

These activities arc often attended on the suggestion ofa center staff member. Most of the centers. seeing that theparents have such a need to share problems with otherparents. have tried some form of peer support group. Somehave succeeded, others have failed to attract enoughparticipants. The idea of such discussions, is not onlyfrequently frightening, it also is alien to many cultures.

Parents at most of the centers, however, have beeninvolved in peer discussions because the centers offernatural opportunities to encourage participation. Corn-paneros did it with Mothers' Club and then was able tofollow up with peer support groups in Spanish. Canal heldsome cooking classes that became sharing sessions,providing the Southeast Asian boat parents an opportunityto tell stories of their escape. Similar sharing takes place atmonthly parents meetings at each Marin County Schools

6

'it's hard todraw men in'1 got involved with PSPbecause 1 felt guilty aboutnot being with my son,says Charlie Zoemer, whose6-year-old is at Fairfax-San Anselmo Children'sCenter in Marin. 1 teas asingle father until twoweeks ago when 1 remar-ried and working for thecenter kept me closer tomy boy. Charlie is on thecenter board, does fund-raising to help ensure thatthe center's many activitieswill continue and is activein its men's group. Wehave a Fathers' Breakfastregularly where we cookand then eat breakfast withthe kids for the first hour,then hare child care so themen can talk. We hare agood time, complaining andsharing concerns aboutkids, wives, bosses, govern-ment. Men are often hesi-tant to get involved withgroups like this hecause itimplies that you need somehelp, some companionshipthat you can't get some-where else. Of course, that'strue for a lot of us, but it'shard w draw men in.

al,

e--

site. At one meeting, a mother said:"The last meeting was really good. We started talking

about birth, then marriage and divorce. It really relievedme to get out some stuff that's been there for years andyears. I wasn't expecting it, and I felt apologetic, but then Ithought I didn't have to apologize. It made me feel reallygood."

At Companeros a mental health worker from theCounty Department of Social Services has been workingwith the parents almost as if she is a member of theCompaneros staff. And PCDCI regularly offers workshopsin relationships, child rearing and stress reduction. Ade llaThomas, project coordinator, explains: We hold work-shops on the areas of parents' concerns 'Fair Fighting,''Sexuality,' Single Parenting,' 'How to Develop Inti-macy.' By joining a workshop, they don't have to personallytell anyone what's wrong. They can come and, as a part ofa group, learn quietly on their own. They can hearsomething that can turn their life around. The workshopcan help people put things into perspective; they realizethey're not alone. Also, they can get specific information.

"In one workshop, a parent said she wanted to go backto school, but couldn't. Someone in the group asked herwhy not. At first she couldn't answer that, but the groupkept her on the hot seat, until she confronted herself anddecided she would go back to school. She did. and earnedher degree, and she became active on PCDCI' s board anda further benefit to the program. The group had shockedher into realizing she could do more, they made her facewhy not and the answer was in herself."

Alternative forms of child careTwo PSP centers provide sick-child care and all have

respite on a regular basis.Fairfax-San Anselmo and Iniece Bailey provide sick-

child care, though Fairfax was providing care for moder-ately ill children years before PSP. It's not a service allcenters can offer, as it requires a room and furnishingsseparate from the well chidren, and many centers lack thespace.

To offer sick-child care regularly, you must draw froma large enough population of children to make it econom-ically feasible. Fairfax finds that on most days, about 5%of its 80 enrollment is moderately illwith maybe a runnyrunny nose and temperature of 102° or less, sick enough toneed rest and attention throughout the day, but not so sickthey're incapacitated or seriously contagious. Usu;.,:ly,four to six kids use Fairfax's Get Well Room eachworkday, about the right number for one child care workerto handle.

We have avoice inwhat happens'I'm a single, low-incomeparent, on welfare, andI'm taking 9 units in schooltrying to get my BAtrying to improve my lifeand earning capacity, saysPaula Stepp. Her 6-year-old daughter goes afterschool to the HamiltonChildren's Center, which isone of the Marin CountyOffice of Education ChildDevelopment Centers. I'vehad incredible crises. I hadto move three times in sixmonths. When I first cameto this center, I didn'tknow about PSP services,but they're a lifesaver. Mydaughter only seems to besick during mid-terms orfinals. And I use respitesometimes, even just to dohomework. Leisure time isa gift that benefits all ofus. The PSP parentingclasses, offered over a peri-od of three months everyother Thursday night, plusfollow-up sessions, are help-ing Stcpp enormously, shesays. I'm learning to bemore enlightened about howto raise my kid. The classeshelp me open upthey'rea doorway, a beginning.Poor people like me areused to being powerless,but we're learning we havea voice in what happens inour lives.

7

Iniece Bailey has fewer than 35 children enrolled, so itaccepts moderately ill children from other centers. Cen-tralizing a service for several small centers works whenthey all are nearby.

But the three-stage route taken by Fairfax toward asick- child care program, shows how a single center canoffer the service on an as-needed basis, which is also thecase with Iniece Bailey.

In 1973, a Fairfax center teacher whose home waslicensed for day care occasionally brought small groups ofchildren, especially those feeling under the weather, to herhouse for a break in the routine to bake cookies or playmore quietly than was possible at the center. "At the end ofz.he year," says Fairfax Director Ethel Seiderman, "therewas no question that the issue of what to do with slightlysick kids was something we had to address."

The opportunity for stabilizing the staff of the sick-child care service came in 1974 with a CETA contract fora licensed family day care provider who lived near thecenter. The off -site provision of this service eventuallycomplicated matters sufficiently that bringing sick-childcare to the center was a necessary third stage of develop-ment of the service.

Off-site, Ethel says, things just didn't go as smoothly."The day care worker/teacher had to wait at home to see ifthere were sick kids and then corn° to the center to work ifthere weren't. If a child got sick in the middle of the day wehad to arrange transportation to the family day care home.It was awkward but it was all that was available to usbecause we had no space. Though not ideal, it let usrespond to the need and introduce the sick-child careconcept."

Regarding respiteAll of the centers have scheduled Saturday or evening

respite care so the parents can have time to themselves.Some centers offer respite monthly, some weekly, othersoccasionally.

Respite is a popular and beneficial service: it relievespent-up pressures on the parents, and the children usuallylook forward to it too. PCDCI, for instance turns respiteinto a fun time for the kids, such as by taking them to thezoo, or to get a pizza or ice skating while the parents shop,visit friends or do something else.

Providing respite during family emergencies is anotherinvaluable PSP service. Said a PCDCI parent: "When Iwas hospitalized for five days, PSP arranged full-timerespite care for my two children. Without it, the childrenwould have been temporarily placed in foster homes. I'm asingle parent, and PSP helped keep my family together."

8

'Sick-child caresaved our jobs'Michele Barni has 18-i, onth-old twins who'vebeen at Iniece Bailey Infantand Toddler Center inMarin since they were 3months old. She works fulltime as a legal assistantand her husband is a teach-er. I know we're a littlebetter off than many par-ems at this center, but westill have financial prob-lems and some needs thatPSP's helped with. Lastrear, both my husbandand I were sick, and thenthe kids got sick. Sickchild care literally savedour jobs. We've used respitetoo, just to have some freetime together to relax anddo errands without twotoddlers. PSP has been anextra added bonus for us.

Parent involvementGetting narents involved in these activities requires

patience and persistence, but the payoff to the center aswell as the person can make it worthwhile. All of the PSPcenters have organized a group of theft parents into acommittee that decides which parent activities to sponsorant how much to allocate for them. This puts theresponsibility for the success of tne parent activities on theshoulders of the parents rather than only center staff. Theadvisory body at Fairfax-San Anselmo is called Parents inAction. Mary Kielich, a parent on that committee, hassome advice and anecdotes about parent participation:

"Being part of Parents in Action brought out someleadership qualities I didn't know I had. It's very satisfying.But you shouldn't pressure parents to get involved, th -ighyou've got tc make sure to get the wDrd out aboutactivities. It is hard to get information to parents aboutservices without it seeming like charity, but we try.

The personal approach, with phone trees, sometimesworks. For example, we were having a family dinner tocelebrate Thanksgiving and we contacted one of ourVietnamese families, explained what the holiday is andinvited them to join us. They came and enjoyed itand Ithink they'll come to other events.

"To get parents to come to adults-only activities, likeevening workshops, child care is essential. Without it.participation would be zero, I think."

Serving newcomer familiesLisa Lee, director of Wu Yee in San Francisco's

Chinatown, has some practical advice for centers thatserve large immigrant populations. Of Wu Yee's 78families, 78% speak only Chinese.

Taking advantage of public transportation for outingscuts costs, encourages independence and, most im-portant, is a great teaching tool.Workshops should concentrate on daily living skills.Have lots of potlucks and bring in speakers like publichealth nurses or dentists or mental health consultantswho can donate their time. With immigrants, food isclose to their hearts. Having a dinner where parents cancook and socialize together brings them together in areally supportive way.Just having PSP pay for a staff member to be availableto talk to parents, answer their questions, listen to theirproblems about daily struggles and how hard their lifeis, calm their fears, is very unique. Staff at other childcare centers usually can't take the time to do that, andit's essential for immigrants.

'Parents inaction'Linda Allen, parent coordi-nator, Fairfax-San AnselmoChildren's Center:Some parents don't cometo any of the PSP activi-ties, and they're not neces-5-7rily ones who couldn'tbenefit from them. Thenthere are parents who seemto come to everything. Wehave an active core of 9 or10 parents who are part ofParents in Actiontheirgoal is to get parents outto use the services. There'sa phone treeeach parentcalls another 9 or 10 par-ents. We have a newsletterthat co nes out bi-monthlythat we mail to all parents,and hay, z bulletinboardone parent is put-ting a spotlight on it so itwill really show upthathas announcements of ac-tivities, a calendar for themonth and resource infor-mation. Also, I've startedmailing postcards out toannounce special events.The best-attended latelyhave been holiday dinners,like the Christmas dinnerwhere we also made or-naments. I've also paintedsigns about activities andput them up in front of thebuilding and in the halls.The parents like the waythey look and they do callattention to activities. Childdevelopment workshops,like the family events, arealways well-attended

9

Immigrant populations change and centers have to bealert to changing needs. Wu Yee still has many largeChinese families, usually extended families, with manyliving in small spaces. But Wu Yee is seeing a big jumpin the number of single parents. They may needdifferent kinds of services than those the center currentlyprovides.

Sample monthly activitiesThe PSP centers try to offer a variety of services to

their parents each month, giving them a range of alterna-tives to choose from. The types of services change with theneeds of the parents, the time of year and the availability ofresources. Following is a sampling of services provided attwo PSP centers during March and May 1985.

At the Marin County schools centers during May1985, PSP activities included:

Parent potlucks at five of the six centers for a total of 30parents. Child care for 43 children.Twenty parents went to see "42nd Street" in SanFrancisco. Child care for 15 children.One planning meeting attended by three parents. Childcare for 5 children.One day of respite at each of the six centers for a total of60 parents. Child care for 84 children.

In March 1985, Canal Child Care Center offered:

Ten ESL workshops with an average attendance of 5parents at each session. Child care for an average of 4children per session.Family movie night for 10 parents and 19 children.Day-long retreat for 13 parents at Dominican College.Child care for 10 children.One planning meeting attended by 8 parents. Childcare for 5 children.

10

'Better ways toteach mychildren'I'd like to hare more childdevelopment classes Iwant to learn better waysto teach my children, saysSue. For example, in oneclass we learned not toignore children when theyask to be told stories,because they're curious andthat's one war to teachthem. Sue has two children,3 and 6. She's been a WuYee parent for one year, isa member of the parentcommittee that helps planPSP activities and attendsas many events and work-shops as she can. Sand-wich-making class was alot of fun. We learned tomake ham and tuna sand-wiches so the children cantake their lunches toschool. But the children,she explains, laughing, onlylike the ham, and only withlettuce and mayonnaise. Inthe nutrition class welearned the value of rawvegetables that's clifferent for us, because theChinese almost alwayscook vegetables.

4iD

The MinimumRequirements

Parent services can cost a little or a lot. But, unlikemany businesses or products, putting more money intoparent services doesn't necessarily make them better.Quality is in the level of participation.

PSP's funding has been sufficient to experiment withstyles of delivery and, through trial and error, staff havebeen able to determine the minimum requirements for aneffective program and develop guidelines to achieve cost-efficiency:

Parent services coordinatorThis needn't be a full-time position, but somebody

must coordinate the activities, make sure everything runssmoothly, and act as a sounding board and source ofinformation for the parents. Canal's, Sprouts' and PCDCI'scoordinators work half-time; the other programs have full-time coordinators.

Child care for all parent activitiesMost parents can't afford a baby sitter to attend events

at the center, and if they could, few would be willing to doso regularly. These services should be convenient forparents to receive, and cost them as little as possible. Forfive parents, each with one child, to attend a two-hourclass at the center might cost them collectively $30 to $45for baby sitters at $2-$3 per hour including travel time.Whereas, it would cost only $8 to $13 for a child careworker at the center. PSP centers pay their child careworkers $4 to $6.60 per hour, and they staff this off -hoursservice at a 5 -to-1 ratio of children to child care worker.For many activities for parents, child care is the center'smajor expense.

Food, or at least refreshments,at all parent activities

This does more than feed the hungry. The preparation,presentation and tastiness of the food adds to the ambienceand encourages conversation as it engenders good feelingswithin the group. Thus the popularity of potlucks. But anhourlong parenting class may call for only coffee andpastry, while a full meal is the focus for the merriment atCompaneros' Mothers' Club.

The bi-monthly evening PSP Steering Committee

'Certainlyhelped me'

Felicia Demann has adaughter, 2, who's been atSprouts Infant and ToddlerCenter in Marin since shewas 4 months old, and an8-year-old who was atCanal Child Care Centerwhen the PSP program firststarted there. I'm on theSprouts advisory board andI help plan PSP activities,The services have certainlyhelped meI've used sickchild care several times,and its hard to sat' is hatwould have happened if itwasn't available I workfull time as a secretary forDel Monte and I surelywould have had to stayhome, which they wouldn'thave appreciated

11

meetings, which often are well-attended by parents of thehost site, have featured some memorable meals, includingdelicious ethnic dishes. Examples have been Nicaraguantamales, Vietnamese chicken, Chinese roast duck, creamyvegetable quiche and tangy barbecue beef. Fairfax-SanAnseimo, oldest of the PSP centers, hosted annual holidayfeasts for its families years before PSP, but that tradition atThanksgiving and Christmas has started at some centerswith the addition of PSP.

Food need not be expensive. Food for Fairfax'smonthly Fathers' Breakfast costs only about $25. To feeda dozen fathers and that many kids as well as serve as thedrawing card for such an unusual gathering makes it seema pittance, although in actuality resources at the centerwould be reshuffled if necessary to ensure continuingfunding for the breakfasts. Fairfax-San Anselmo is theonly PSP center that has been able to maintain an on-goingprogram for fathers.

Monthly food budgets for PSP activities range from$20 at 'niece Bailey to $30 per center at the Marin Countyschool sites.

Among PSP's most efficient, effectiveand enjoyableuses of food funds is for the annual picnic that bringstogether families from all the PSP centers for a multiculturalexperience. For $600, PSP feeds 500 parents and childrenhamburgers, hot dogs, soda pop plus interesting ethnicdishes from each center that help flavor the event with thefeel of a cultural sharing that is rare, especially forso largea gathering.

Food can play a role in other ways. Fairfax parentshave cultivated a community garden from which theyharvest vegetablesfor themselves and for PSP activities.Also at Fairfax, parents formed a food co-op throughwhich families can purchase produce for about one-thirdless than in grocery stores.

12

lovethe cookingclasses'I love movie nights, butmost of all I love thecooking classes, says PilarZalderama. Her 4year-oldnephew, who lives withher, attends Canal ChildCare Center in Mann. Eachtime we have a differentparent cooking. I've doneit twiceonce I made flanand the other time a Peru-vian meat dish. There'salways a lot of people whocome, about 15, and wehave a very good time,cooking and talking andeating foods from all overthe world. Now we've start-ed celebrating birthdays atthe cooking classes andit's wonderful. I hope theseclasses continuethere'slots of good feelings andfood brings people together.

0

Affordable Services:Analysis of Costs

Some centers may be able to afford a full program ofparent services with a coordinator and frequent activities;if not, a limited offering is a good way to get started and canbe effective.

Many services for parents can be offered one at a timefor relatively little cost per parent. For example, Fairfax-San Anselmo, Wu Yee and Companeros pay $1, $2 and$3, respectively, per participating parent to provideclasses and workshops. And the cost of family activities atall the centers averages $5 per family, which includesfood, transportation and child care if needed.

Two factors significantly affect the cost of parentservices: the necessary cash outlay and the number ofparticipants. 1 he more parents attending an activity, theless it costs to serve each one.

With good participation, even respite can be providedat a reasonable cost for an all-day activity. The MarinCounty schools centers, for instance, during 1985 hosted arespite day about every two weeks that drew, on average,10 parents and 14 children at a cost of $10 per participant,including child care, which is the major expense of respite.

Mental health services can be extremely inexpensiverelative to the costs of other private and public providers.PCDCI averages 10 parents at its mental health workshopsand, by keeping costs low, spends an average of $4 perparticipant for these activities, which can be so meaningfulto parents. And, if you contact your local Department ofSocial Services, you may be able to establish a workingrelationship with a county social worker, as Companeroshas done so successfully, to whom you can refer yourfamilies when necessary, with services provided at nocost.

Family activities, from potlucks to picnics, are popularat the PSP centers, and Companeros has developed a cost-efficient approach. It sponsors few family activities, butselects them appropriately so that the majority of familiesjoin in and attendance averages 120-150 per event.Family activities include an annual excursion to AguasCalientes, which necessitates chartering buses for thegroup. But with such a crowd, the per-unit cost of service is$3 to $4, quite reasonable for so special an activity.

Also significantly affecting cost-efficiency is the expenseinve.veck less cash outlay results in lower per-unit costs.The $1-a-person food costs for the Fairfax men's breakfastsis one example. The $1-a-person cost of hosting monthly

'A visiblerole model'Mary Davis has threechildren at Fairfax-SanAnselmo Children's Center,a 1-year-old and 61/2-year-old twins. She works fulltime as a nurse and herhusband is in real estate.The center and its activi-ties have been my lifesupport. I use respite allthe time the eveningrespites are the best,because they let me and myhusband just go out alone.And I use sick child carewhenever I have to. I knowsome parents don't use sickchild care. Maybe theythink their kids will getsicker with all those sickkids around, but that's notreally the case. If otherparents see me in mynurse's uniform putting mykids in sick child care, I'llbe a visible role model.They might think, 'Hey,she's a nurse, so it must beOK' I try to promote PSPservices whenever I can.

5 13

t

planning meetings for Canal Child Care Center's PSPparents committee is another.

Sick-child care can be expensive if available daily, butthe way that Iniece Bailey does it, it's affordable and couldcost less with greater participation. Iniece Bailey providedsick-child care on 28 occasions during the first half of1985 at a cost of $15 each time. Only one child had beencared for on each occasion; had five children been caredfor, the per-unit cost would have dropped to $3.

There are many ways to lessen the cost of the services,but the first step is to decide parent services are importantand start reallocating resources to sponsor these activities.Once parent services become a priority, there are ways tomake them affordable.

Negotiating with other providers is one way. Com-paneros' relationship with the San Francisco Departmentof Social Services has resulted in many hours of free,professional assistance for parents. Local YMCAs sponsorfree legal assistance clinics that you could get for yourparents. Safeway donates all the sodas for the annual PSPpicnic because the Picnic Committee asked.

Donations from parents is another way to spread thecosts. If your center decides to go on a weekend campingtrip that costs $25 per family, a donation from the parentsof half the cost makes the activity affordable.

For respite, if parents made a donation of 50 cents perhour, a $4 donation from each of 10 parents could pay allchild care costs for an 8-hour respite.

PSP parents have been willing to do a lot of fund-raising to help pay for the PSP activities. Companerosparents raise $5,000 or more every year through bakesales, food booths at street fairs and other fund-raisers.Iniece Bailey parents pitched in and voluntarily refurbishedthe center. Canal parents have kept a regular flow of fundscoming in through various benefit events.

The question is not whether a center can provideparent services, but when will it prioritize such servicesand reshuffle its resources to embark on a program.

14

' )

feel morein control'Elvernetta Elebee has achild at PCDCI. The PSPworkshops have been inval-uable to her. I attend lotsof classes, and they've allbeen very good. We recentlyhad a Mace class, taughtby a police officer. I learnedhow I've been taking mysafety for granted Now Ihave a license to earn'Mace, and while I'm moreparanoid when I'm out,especially at night, I alsofeel more in control. Thatclass was very well-attend-ed about 15 or 20 pecple,and the room was full. Wehad to schedule anothersession.

Measuringthe ImpactSavings to the state

It costs to regularly offer parents respite from theinexorable routine of raising kids, to give them a chance tosocialize with other adults and families, or the opportunityto take an exercise class or a workshop in child developmentor nutrition. It costs, but it's cost-efficient.

It costs more to provide crisis services to families.A full program of preventive services to parents can

save $240 a year in public funds for every family served.That is the finding of a study of PSP by W. Paul Harder,director, Center for Human Services at the San Francisco-based research organization, The URSA Institute.

Harder analyzed the costs of providing mental healthand social services to high-risk families such as thoseserved by PSP. By preventing emotional stress, illness,substance abuse, child and spouse abuse and other costlyfamily problems, PSP could save the state an estimated$630, which is $240 more than the approximately $390per family per year it costs our model PSP program to offera full program of services.

And these are the short-term savings on the costs likelyto occur during one year.

"There are longer-term savings which can only beguessed at," the study says. "These include the savingsassociated with keeping a family intact rather than allowingit to shatter under the pressures of everyday life. The costsof long-term family dissolution, welfare dependency,substance abuse and other criminal activity are astronom-ical. Even without considering these costs, and the savingsthe state is likely to realize over time, the short-termbenefits of PSP are clear. Within a year of operation, PSPcan generate significant cost savings. For every familyserved, over $400 in crisis intervention, social service,mental health treatment and health care costs can besaved."

The long-term effects of PSPTo measure the impact of PSP on the families served, a

three-year evaluation is under way under the direction ofAlan Stein, coordinator, Evaluation and ManagementInformation Systems, Alameda County Mental HealthServices. Stein and his research team are interviewingPSP center parents, gathering evaluation of every PSPactivity at every center, and will compare the findings with

'PSP can .supplya fullnessto life'PSP gives parents thechance to do exciting andheartwarming things withtheir families that theyordinarily wouldn't haveeither the finances or thefreedom of time to do, saysCanal Child Care CenterDirector Barbara ZeavinThere's so little of that tobe had by parents of lowincome. PSP can supply afullness to an area of lifethat for many of our par-ents simply isn't there.

15

results from a control group to learn whether the impact ofparent services over time is measurable.

How long does it take to perceive change? Is thechange temporary or lasting? Which services are mosteffective? These are some of the questions the Steinevaluation hopes to answer at the end of 1987 when theresearch is complete.

It is an ambitious study, sufficiently broad, method-ologically sound, consistently administered over a longenough period of time that it could prove to be a majorcontribution to the literature of human services evaluations.

The Parent Services Bill: AB 2413Believing in the preventive nature of a full program of

services to parents, PSP advocates passage of AB 2413, abill authored by Assemblyman William Filante, R-Greenbrae.

A similar version of AB 2413 was approved by theLegislature in 1984 but was vetoed by Gov. GeorgeDeukmejian as too costly and duplicative.

Reintroduced in 1985 by Filante as AB 2413, theParent Services Bill is scheduled to go to the Legislature inMarch 1986 and, hopefully, pass through both houses andbe signed by the governor in September 1986.

If AB 2413 becomes law, $486,000 will becomeavailable to state-funded child development centers toinstitute programs of parent services, and $60,000 will beallocated to evaluate these programs. The centers thatapply for the funds will be required to come up with a 10%match. The approximately half-million dollars involved isnot a lot of money for the more than 600 state-funded childdevelopment centers, but it's a good start.

We hope you will join our effort on behalf of parentservices delivered at child care centers.

The numbers from the long-term evaluation may betwo years away, but after five years of this programming atour centers we are convinced that services to parentsstrengthen the entire family. PSP has broadened ourperceptions of our roles as child care providers andincreased parent involvement at our centers. And, webelieve the benefits we are experiencing at our centersreflect the benefits of PSP on the 700 families we serve.

16

'Free time is areal luxury'Faye Piper uses respiteevery time it's offered atNovato Children's Center,one of the Marin CountyOffice of Education ChildDevelopment Centers Shehas two boys, 4 and 9, andhas been a center parentfor three years. I'm a singleparent and I get no supportfrom the boys' father, sofree time is a real luxuryOn respite days, maybe I'll

just clean the house or goout for a while. I find thatone day a month saves mementally I look forwardto it all the time and thekids love it.

Parent Services,Step by StepFamily fun events

These are activities that include the entire family;some may take place at the center.

Examples: Trip to the zoo, movie night, arts and craftsnight, camping trip, attending a sports event.

Adult-only activitiesThese activities give parents a chance to socialize with

other center parents without their children present.Whether this activity takes place at the center or elsewhere,child care is provided.

Examples: Mothers' Club, Fathers' Breakfast, trip to apizza parlor, night on the town and other entertainment.

Alternative child careThese services can be of utmost importance to parents.

Respite can relieve stress and burnout, sick-child care cansave a parent's job if they otherwise would have to misswork when their child gets ill.

Respite can be offered during the day or at night,regularly or occasionally.

Sick-child care requires a space separate from the wellchildren. This service should be provided only to moderatelyill children. It works most cost-efficiently in centers with80 or more families, or as a service for several smallercenters in cooperation.

$kills- building classesThese activities give parents skills in practical matters

and, as the parents gain competence, they build self-esteem. Parents can decide which topics to cover; theclasses can be provided on a one-time basis or as a series.

Examples: ESL classes for newcomers to becomefluent in English, sewing, driver education, CPR, legalmatters, aerobics, nutrition, household budgeting, autorepair.

Parenting classes and mental healthworkshops

These services, which can be offered one time or as aseries, can increase parents' understanding of themselvesand their relationships with their children and others. PSPhas been fortunate in having a resource at Fairfax-San

'Getting intothe mainstream'Lisa Lee, director, Wu YeeResource and Referral:Our parents' greatest needswhen they first come hereare related to language.They may have come hereand started working im-mediately, and what withworking and taking care ofkids they've had no timefor anything else, not Eng-lish classes or any socializ-ing. Many start Englishclasses as soon as theirkids are enrolled Mosthaven't been out of China-town and are afraid to goanywhere else in the citybecause they can't readstreet signs. PSP helps ustake them on outingsaround the city, show themplaces where they can taketheir kids, like to GoldenGate Park, so they don'tfeel so hemmed in. And wetry to take them on publictransportation, not specialbuses, so that when they'reready to try it on theirown, they can. It seems toworkparents have goneon these outings and notlong after, a few will gettogether and try it on theirown. I'm sure it gives thema big boost of confidenceto be able to do that. Justthe support we can givethrough workshops and byproviding info on resources,in person and on written,bilingual materialsprob-ably fills one of their great-est needs: getting into themainstream.

17

Anse lmo Children's CenterStan Seiderman, the socialworker/associate director therewho has expertise in thisarea and has presented a range of parenting topics at manyof the PSP centers.

Parenting class topics include: limit setting and disci-plining your child, toilet training and the stages of childdevelopment.

The mental health workshops also provide insight andinformation that can change parents' perceptions aboutthemselves and, as a result, alter their behavior.

Mental health workshop topics include: stress reduction,sexuality, intimacy, avoiding burnout and others.

The processThe process for providing services to parents is similar

for each type. You follow the same steps whether hosting afamily fun event or providing respite. To illustrate, here'swhat to do to sponsor a family outing to a sporting event.

1. The parents decide which event to attend and when.Participation increases when the activity is planned attheir request.

2. Contact the promoter of the sporting event to negotiatefor a group rate, Tickets to baseball and basketballgames often can be obtained at half-price as cantheatrical events.

3. Get the particulars to the parents through phone trees,bulletin board announcements, newsletter story, wordof mouth, etc.

4. When you know how many families want to attend,arrange for adequate transportation.

5. Go, and have fun.Other events may require child care and food. If so,

make the appropriate arrangements so that everythinggoes smoothly.

2

18

'The PSP model'

The PSP model is replica-ble from California to NewYork, says Ethel Seiderman,director of Fairfax-SanAnselmo Children's Center.Parents everywhere want todo a good job raising theirkids, and PSP simply saysthat to do a good job foryour kid you need to getresources for yourselfWe're found that to givethose resources to parentsmay simply mean reshuf-fling your center's resources.First look at what yourfamilies' needs are, whatwould be useful to them.Then figure out how torealistically meet thoseneeds, using what you haveand what you can readilyobtain. The main questionto answer is: Do you wantprograms that make a dif-ference in the children's andparents' lives, or do youwant to take the cheap wayout using shortcuts thataren't effective? And I don'tmean just in terms ofmoney.

4,44W14000 04.*Ow «Q.; 3 e

S./a.

, , .1.. - .

....%, i pi . 0 - A 1..._

, 1.:. .... 1! . 7. 6,..:... 1% . L .

4/r41ir 4.--'4,

t4

1

,L. fter.

7.77/.7.97117'

`.,(its

BEST COPY AVAILABLE