FAMILY ADVOCATE TRAINING GUIDE INDEX

FAMILY ADVOCATE TRAINING GUIDE INDEX (Revised 5-13) The Family Advocate Role: With Families... 2 With Other Staff... 2 Within The Community... 2 Interagency Meetings... 3 Home Visits... 4 Intake Visit... 4 Second Home Visit... 4 Third Home Visit... 4 On-going Home Visits... 5 Additional Family Contacts... 5 Educational Handouts... 5 Parent Resource Library... 5 Family Literacy Kit... 5 Parent/Teacher Conference... 6 Parent/Teacher Conferences... 6 Change of Family Status... 6 Child s Application... 7 Release of Children... 7 Emergency Care Information... 7 Family Advocate Home Visit Report Forms... 7 Health Progress Sheet & Follow up Progress Sheets... 7 Family Needs and Interests Survey... 7 Support Offered Forms... 7 Referral Forms... 7 Family Partnership Survey and Family Action Plans... 7 Family Advocate File Maintenance Checklist... 8 Staff Schedules... 8 Center Check In/Check Out Board... 8 Center Team Meetings... 8 Time In Classroom... 9 Children s DCFS Files... 9 DCFS Individual Checklist... 9 Intake Home Visit Inkind... 10 Newsletters... 10 Positive Behavioral Support Plans... 10 Child Case Reviews and Family Support Plans... 10 Transportation Requests... 10

FAMILY ADVOCATE TRAINING GUIDE This training guide is not a complete training guide for Family Advocate position. The majority of the training is found in the first eight sections of the Work Plans. The Family Advocate Role: With Families Family Advocates are responsible for the delivery of social and health services to Head Start and Early Head Start families enrolled in the center based program option. The advocates also serve as a liaison between families and the other staff at the center and help to facilitate parental involvement in the Head Start program. It is important that Family Advocates develop trusting, comfortable relationships with the families enrolled in HS and EHS. Families should feel that they are able to approach the advocate and discuss personal/family issues without staff being judgmental or breaching the family s confidentiality. With Other Staff The Family Advocates are directly supervised by the Social Service Coordinator. However, the Advocates also receive feedback and direction from the other PACT Component Coordinators and the Site Supervisor at their center. Family Advocates must develop good two-way communication with the other center staff, including the Head Start/Early Head Start Teacher, Teacher Aides, and Transportation Staff. Families may share information with the Advocate that other center employees have a need-toknow. If families are to receive the most benefit possible from Head Start, it is vitally important that the center staff that delivers services to the child and family have a good working relationship and a team approach to working with families. The Social Service Coordinator will request Site Supervisors to complete a record monitor report for Family Advocates located at their centers. The Site Supervisor is responsible for knowing the daily activities of the Family Advocate. Within The Community Family Advocates are responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with the social service agencies, health providers, and other organizations within the community. Family Advocates should appear and act professionally when interacting with other agencies. It is important that information provided to agencies from PACT is consistent. Decisions about collaborative activities, sharing of agency resources, etc. should be made by the appropriate coordinator. Family Advocates should work to develop personal contacts within community organizations in order to facilitate the delivery of social and health services to families. 2

Family Advocates are required to attend Inter Agency Meetings in their communities: Adams County Inter Agency Meeting Adams Co. United Way Office 936 Broadway, Suite F, Quincy, IL 62301 Emily Robbearts, United Way, at (217) 222-5020 (This agency meeting meets on the 1 st Tuesday of every month at l0:00 a.m. at the above address) Brown County Inter Agency Meeting Brown Co. Health Department 120 E. Main St., Mt. Sterling, IL 62353 Sara Mixer, PACT, at (217) 773-3903 (This agency meeting meets on the last Tuesday of every other month at 8:30 a.m. at the above address) Cass County Inter Agency Meeting Elks Club 205 East Second St., Beardstown, IL 62618 Terri Vaniter, DHS, at (217) 323-4185 (This agency meeting meets every other month on the 1 st Wednesday of the month at l1:00 a.m. at the above address with lunch available for around $7.00) (No meetings in June, July, or Aug.) Hancock County Inter Agency Meeting Hancock Co. Health Department 671 Wabash, Carthage, IL 62321 Melita Finney, Hancock Co. Health Dept., at 217-357-2171 (This agency meeting meets on the 3 rd Wednesday every other month at 12:00 p.m. at the above address.) McDonough County Inter Agency Meeting McDonough Co. Health Department 505 East Jackson St., Macomb, IL 61455 www.socserv.org (309) 837-9951 (This agency meeting meets on the 3 rd Wednesday of every month at 9:00 a.m. at the above address) Pike County Inter Agency Meeting Pike Co. Farm Bureau 1301 E. Washington St., Pittsfield, IL 62363 Sara Mixer, PACT, at (217) 773-3903 (This agency meeting on the 1 st Monday of every month at 1:00 p.m. at the above address) Schuyler County Inter Agency Meeting University of Illinois Extension, Schuyler County 710 Maple, Rushville, IL 62681 Carrie Skiles, Schuyler Co. Health Dept., at (217) 322-6775 (This agency meeting meets the 2 nd Thursday every month at 11:30 a.m. at the above address. Morgan/Scott Counties Inter Agency Meeting Passavant Hospital 1600 W. Walnut, Mtg. Rm 5, Jacksonville, IL 62650 Christine Bacon, DHS, at (217) 323-4185 (This agency meeting meets on the 2 nd Thursday every other month at 9:00 a.m. at the above address with coffee/snacks beginning at 8:30 a.m.) 3

Home Visits Much of the Family Advocate s time should be spent making home visits with families. The families homes are the ideal environment in which to build a friendly, yet professional relationship with parents. Home visits should be scheduled at the family s convenience, including evenings and weekends if necessary. There is no minimum or maximum amount of time that should be spent at a home visit. The time allowed should be sufficient to meet the needs of the family and the program. Home visits and contacts are logged on the Family Contact Report and submitted to the Social Service Coordinator monthly. Intake Visit The Intake visit is the first visit the Family Advocate does with the Family. This visit should take at least one hour if not more and including viewing of the PACT Inkind DVD. The Family Advocate will follow the Intake Home Visit for Family Advocates form to ensure everything is covered and all forms are complete. The Activities handbook called Fun and Learning is also given to the child s parent or guardian on the Intake visit. The activities handbook consists of activities that are developmentally appropriate for 3 and 4 year olds. The Family Advocate will complete a Parent-Family Advocate Agreement with parents during this home visit and will read each item and check if the parent agrees. The Parent Handbook includes this agreement the parent may check each item in the Parent Handbook copy and sign along with the Family Advocate as their copy. There may be some that the parent cannot agree to do, and this is acceptable. This list is to only let the parent know what we expect of them. Second Home Visit The second home visit for each family is scheduled by the Family Advocate within one month of the child s enrollment. The following must be completed on home visit #2 and documentation must appear on the Family Advocate s Home Visit Report form: Parent Employment Opportunity Survey Family Partnership Survey Follow up on Social Service referrals Distribute written information and document on Family Needs & Interests Survey Follow up on Health needs (will be followed up weekly until complete) Follow up on attendance issues and review parent handbook if necessary Follow up on needs if requested by the Center Based Teacher Distribute and discuss: toothbrushes and tooth paste, resource directories, and parent resource library list In-kind training/review Contributions to PACT newsletter Third Home Visit When a parent agrees to set a goal on the Family Partnership Survey, a third home visit is scheduled and conducted within a month. The Family Action Plan is completed on this visit if the plan was not already written on visit 2. 4

On-going Home Visits Family Advocates will do a home visit in February or March to discuss dental health and an end of the year home visit in April or May. Other home visits will be conducted as time allows or as needed to ensure everything is going good for the family and to encourage volunteerism, contributions to newsletter, and for staff to hear input from parents about the PACT program and the services we provide. Visits should be scheduled for the following reasons: On going follow-up of child s health needs To make or follow up on social service referrals To assist family in completing their goals from the Family Action Plan. To follow up on a classroom attendance issues or transportation issues To follow up on missing Inkind To review information given from Needs & Interests Survey and/or Family Partnership Survey. To begin new goals anytime during the year Additional Family Contacts It may not always be necessary to make a home visit in order to complete follow-up. Family contacts may also be made by phone or by parents coming to the center. Educational Handouts Educational topics for all Head Start components are included in the monthly parent newsletter. Family Advocates also distribute handouts on the 2 nd home visit. Handout titles are documented on the Family Advocate Home Visit Report. Parent Resource Library The Social Service Coordinator distributes Center Parent Resource Library lists to Family Advocates in the fall of each program year. The Family Advocate is responsible for the inventory, and completes an LBS form when items are lost or damaged. All LBS forms are forwarded to the Social Service Coordinator. Damaged items must be sent to the Central Office with the LBS form attached. All Center Parent Resource Library items must be checked out through the Family Advocate. The Family Advocate tracks over due items. Resources are considered over due when not returned within two weeks of the check-out date. Family Literacy Kit The Family Literacy Kit provides materials for parents to make home-made books (birthday, book doctor, etc.) calendar, weather, feelings charts, rhyming games, with labels to enhance children s literacy skills. This project is used by Family Advocates and Home Based teachers to enhance the HB and CB curriculum and literacy in the home. The Literacy Kit strengthens parent involvement by providing parent-child interactive time, volunteer time to create literacy materials and ties home to classroom. The Literacy Kit includes books/projects for families to make and use with their children to assist in pre-literacy skills. All Family Advocates and Home Based Head Start Teachers will have access to a Literacy Kit. 5 Families will have the option of making it a Family Action Plan, making the items on a Home

Visit or taking materials, patterns, and making the project on their own. Or, a family may choose to not participate. Staff will document Family Literacy Kit on HVR, the date the kit is presented and whenever parents work on or ask for more materials for projects. Follow the instructions on the HS Family Literacy Kit Inventory at end of year to replenish supplies. The family advocate will receive this Inventory form from the Site Supervisor. Parent/Teacher Conference Prior to the scheduled conference month, the Teacher will follow the steps below to schedule a conference with parents/guardians, including sending a note home explaining the purpose of this contact. For foster children, DCFS caseworkers will also be contacted. The Teacher attempts a parent contact approximately every three months. Parent/Teacher Conferences The CB Teacher will plan and schedule the Parent-teacher Conference or Home Visit by: 1) Schedule & make appointments during Parent Meeting or Back Pack home a note to the parent/guardian to select a date and time of conference. 2) Assign a date and time for the conference and send the information by mail. 3) Involve the Family Advocate and ask Family Advocate to assist family. All attempts to contact and invite families to parent/teacher conferences are documented on the Education Contact Report. The Teacher will use the Child Plus printout to track contacts. Change of Family Status If at any time throughout the year family data changes, it is the Home-Based Teacher/Family Advocate s responsibility to notify the Assistant Director by filling out a Change of Family Status Form. Information to be noted includes: 1) New phone number 2) New address 3) New finding directions 4) Change in family name or insurance status 5) New marriage 6) New additions to the family (adult or child), changes or removing a family member (adult or child) 7) Change in medical card, ALL KIDS The completed form should be mailed to Central Office on the staff s next office day. The staff member should staple a copy of the completed Change of Family Status form to the front of the copy of the child s Application that is in the child s file. Copies also need to be given to the CB teacher, Transporter, and for the DCFS file. The Assistant Director will review the form when it is received and then forward so that the changes will be made in the ChildPlus computer database and forward copies of the form to the Health Coordinator if applicable. The original Change of Family Status form is then stapled to the top of the child s original Application located in the Assistant Director s lateral files. 6

Child s Application A copy of the child s application is kept in the family file. Refer to Eligibility Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment and Attendance section of the Work Plans. As Change of Status forms are completed, a copy is stapled to the front of the child s application in the family file. Release of Children The names on this form are adults over the age of 18 years. Staff will only release children to the adults documented on this form. Emergency Care Information The Emergency Care Information form is completed by Family Advocate on intake. Distribute according to directions on bottom of form. Family Advocate Home Visit Report Forms A Family Advocate Home Visit Report Form should be completed prior to making any home visit. The HVR should document anything completed on the home visit: forms, handouts, health and social service follow-up, activity reminders, etc. The Home Visit Report documentation should clearly show what all was done during the visit. Parents are encouraged to make comments and then sign the Home Visit Report. After the home visit, the Family Advocate sends the original to the Social Service Coordinator, distributes the pink copy to parent and keeps the yellow copy for family file. Transfer visits and visits conducted at the center are also documented on this form. Health Progress Sheet & Follow up Progress Sheets The original Health Progress Sheet & Follow up Progress Sheets should be kept in the family file until completed. A copy is sent to Central Office every week until completed, at which time the original is sent in. (Refer to Determining Health Status procedures in the Early Childhood Development and Health Services section of the work plans for specific instructions.) Family Needs and Interests Survey The original stays in the family file until the end of the program year. Copies of progress are sent to the Social Service Coordinator. Refer to Family & Community section of the Work Plans. Support Offered Forms Refer to Eligibility Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment & Attendance section of the Work Plans. Referral Forms The original stays in the family file until all follow-up is complete. Copies of progress are mailed to the Social Service Coordinator monthly. Refer to Family and Community section of the Work Plans. Family Partnership Survey and Family Action Plans Refer to Family and Community section of the Work Plans. 7

Family Advocate File Maintenance Checklist Use the File Maintenance Checklist to maintain children s files in the field. Staff use the File Maintenance Checklist, attached to the front of the child s files, when a child leaves the program in mid-year and for all children at the end of each program year. Staff will follow instructions on the form to shred form, retain form in the file, or submit form to appropriate coordinator. Children s files that drop in mid year will be hand carried by Family Advocate to Central Office at the next staff meeting. All children s files at the end of each program year will be hand carried to the Central Office, as designated in End of Year Checkout Procedures. Staff Schedules The Family Advocate Home Visit Schedule is completed by the Family Advocate weekly when visits are scheduled. A copy is given to the Site Supervisor each week visits are scheduled, starting with July intake visits. Advocates document date, times, names, addresses and phone # s of the families they are scheduled to visit. If a home visit is canceled, the Advocate writes canceled over the date and time section. Additional information regarding cancellations and/or schedule changes is documented on the back of the schedule. Family Advocates forward the original schedule with revisions noted at the end of each week to the Social Service Coordinator. Home visits and contacts are logged on the Family Contact Report and submitted to the Social Service Coordinator monthly. The Family Advocate Home Visit Schedule and Family Contact Report is important documentation as advocates are expected to spend no less than 50% of their time in family s homes. The schedule also ensures the employee is contacted ASAP should an emergency occur. Center Check In/Check Out Board When Advocates leave the building to attend meetings, visit other agencies, or go to other center sites, etc. the times and location should be documented on the check-out board as well as the estimated time of return. Any time off or deviation from the normal 8:00 4:30 work schedule must be approved by the Social Service Coordinator in advance. Center Team Meetings Family Advocates are expected to attend the Center Team Meeting at each of their centers every week. Team meetings are used to review areas of concern, upcoming events, transportation issues, etc. The meetings give center staff a chance to give input and receive information as a group in order to enhance communication and help build the center team. This is not the time to discuss individual children or families unless there is a need to know for every staff member attending the meeting. Family Advocates and Teachers should set aside additional time every week as necessary to discuss those issues. 8

Time In Classroom Family Advocates should have enough knowledge about the enrolled child to enable them to answer basic questions from the family about classroom activities and interactions. In order to do so, the Family Advocate should spend some time in the classroom interacting with the children. Meal time may be a good time to occasionally join the children and talk informally to them. The Family Advocate may either observe or join in the activities planned by the classroom staff. Family Advocates should only be in the classroom as their schedule allows. Direct services to families take priority over time spent in the classroom. Any problems with a child s developmental progress, classroom management, etc. should be communicated to the family by the teacher, however, the teacher may at times request that Behavior issues be addressed by the Family Advocate on home visits. Children s DCFS Files Family Advocates are responsible for completing and copying forms for DCFS files, copying forms for teacher/transporters after intake visit. The DCFS files located at each center are started and reviewed by the Family Advocate, who also completes the Children s Record for DCFS by classroom. This form is kept in the Site Supervisor s office with the children s DCFS files. The Site Supervisor will discuss with Family Advocate or Teacher, if applicable, about missing information. Throughout the program year, when families change or up-date information on DCFS paperwork, copies will need to be made and placed in DCFS file by the Family Advocate or forwarded to the Site Supervisor to file. Children s DCFS files contain the following paperwork: 1) Physical Exam Form 2) Immunization Record 3) TB test results 4) Lead screening results 5) Vision & Hearing Screening 6) A copy of the child s Health History 7) Emergency Care Information 8) A copy of the child s Application 9) DCFS Verification of Receipt 10) Family Advocate Intake Visit Form 11) Permission and Consent from Parents Form 12) Release of Children 13) Copy of Certified Birth Certificate DCFS Individual Checklist This form is completed by the Family Advocate with the DCFS folder. The FA will review the Children s DCFS files and complete the Children s Record for DCFS by classroom. The Site Supervisor will discuss with FA or Teacher, if applicable, about missing information. 9

Permission and Consent from Parents On the Family Advocate s Intake visit, the Permission and Consent from Parents form is explained to the parent/guardian, completed, and signed. The form is copied for the child s DCFS File and the original form is mailed to Central Office. If a parent states that they do not wish their child or family to be photographed, the Teacher is responsible for making Managers, Supervisors, and classroom staff working with that child aware of this. The teacher will make a copy of NO to Permission for Publicity and place the information in the classroom Health & Safety Notebook. *If a foster child is enrolled, the Family Advocate will note this on the form. Foster Parents or DCFS Caseworkers cannot give PERMISSION FOR PUBLICITY. THE PERMISSION FOR PUBLICITY FOR FOSTER CHILD LETTER/FORM MUST BE MAILED TO THE AUTHORIZED AGENT OF THE DCFS GUARDIAN FOR PERMISSION FOR THE CHILD TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED FOR THE NEWSPAPER, ETC. This form must be filled out according to the instructions on the form. In the event the press is present to cover a field trip or class event or if someone other than a PACT staff member is taking a picture/videotaping activities and the Foster Child OR ANY CHILD does not have permission to be included-that child should be kept out of the picture, etc. Intake Home Visit Inkind The Family Advocate documents Intake Home Visit #1 Inkind on the yellow, ½-sheet Home Visit Inkind form for HS and EHS. The parent s time used to complete Intake paperwork is donated, as well as the space in the home (if the home is used). Newsletters Family Advocates are required to turn in newsletter articles to the Parent Involvement Coordinator on a monthly basis. Articles are due into Central Office by 4:30 of the due date on the program calendar. The Family Advocate will include updates regarding Social Service Agencies in their community. Positive Behavioral Support Plans Family Advocates are required to attend Behavioral Conferences. The CB Teacher or Disabilities/Mental Health Services Coordinator will notify the Family Advocate of conference. Child Case Reviews and Family Support Plans - See Section I, Early Childhood Development and Health Services, 1304.20 (f) (1). Transportation Requests Anytime a child or family needs transported by PACT Staff, the FA will complete a transportation request and forward it to the Central Office if they cannot transport the family themselves. When the FA provides the transportation, send the original form to the Parent Involvement Coordinator after transportation has been provided. 10