FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAM

1
FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAM

• REPORT ON PROGRESS AND CURRENT STATUS
• Return to regular agenda

2
PROGRAM OVERVIEW AND GOALS

• MISSION STATEMENT
• to provide prevention and early
  intervention services that support childrens
  growth and development, strengthen families and
  promote school success through home, school and
  community collaboration

• Reduce out of home placements
• Prevent child abuse and neglect
• Improve school success
• Increase parental involvement in childs
  education
• Encourage strong communication between school and
  home
• Improve access to community services

3
PROGRAM EVALUATIONTIMELINES

• Fall 2001
• On-line database creation and collection
• Literature review
• Review of case files
• Formation of Steering Committee
• Meetings with stakeholders
• Initial analysis of abuse and neglect,
  financial and family contact information

• Winter 2002
• Review of student school records data
• Training on implementation of database
• Continue review of case files and other
  activities from Fall 2001

4
EVALUATION TIMELINES

• Fall 2002
• Finalize and distribute Literature Review
• Synthesize data from previous years
• Enhance reporting capacity of program
  administration

• Winter -2003
• Train staff on further application of the
  database
• Maximize ability to utilize the database to
  respond to program and community needs through
  continuous training

5
WHAT FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAMS DO

• The National Evaluation of Family Support
  Programs - April 2001
• multiple goals for the family and child
• provision of services for an average of 15 months
• address environmental and biological risk factors
• can be targeted and screen for entry

6
SERVICES PROVIDED BY FAMILY SUPPORT WORKERS

• emotional support to parents and children
• modeling and monitoring of developmentally
  appropriate parenting practices
• practicing communication skills
• parent advocacy
• information and referral

7
CONTACTS WITH FAMILIES

• Data from the Family Support Contact Log for
  October - December 2002 show the following
• Total Contacts gt2800
• Telephone Calls gt 800
• School Meetings gt 500
• Home Visits gt 400
• Letters/notes gt 200
• Other gt 150
• 70 of families received 6 or more contacts of
  any type per quarter

8
ECONOMIC/FINANCIAL

• Financial Risk (evaluation data reported on 145
  families)
• almost 2/3 of the families in the program require
  outside support to meet basic needs.
• 4 out of 5 families qualify for free or reduced
  lunch
• 1/2 receive food stamps
• 1 in 5 reside in Section 8 housing
• Currently, 68 of Family Support cases are at
  moderate to high economic/financial risk.

9
ECONOMIC/FINANCIAL OUTCOMES

• FAMILIES IN THE PROGRAM ARE MEETING THEIR GOALS
  AND LEAVING THE PROGRAM
• Among 50 cases closed between October - February
• (5) Improved Employment and Job Training
• (10) Eligibility for Benefit Programs
• (15) Assistance from Community Agencies
• (4) Scholarships for safe, reliable child care

10
ABUSE AND NEGLECT

• Child Abuse and Neglect Risk (data reported on
  210 children)
• 44 of the children had been referred to Child
  Protective Services either before or since the
  Family Support Program began
• 13 of the children were living in families where
  there was a removal from the home by the courts
  prior to the family coming into the Family
  Support Program.

11
ABUSE AND NEGLECT OUTCOMES

• Currently, 10 of children have CPS involvement
• 2 of case closures were due to children being
  placed in foster care

12
SCHOOL PERFORMANCE

• School Risk (data reported for 136 students)
• Nearly half of the students in the Family Support
  Program have Individualized Education Plans.
  This is higher than the County average of 16.
• Teachers reported that academics and
  social-behavioral problems were the most common
  risk factors leading to referral to the program

13
SCHOOL PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES

• Teachers reported improvement for more than half
  of the students who had exhibited problems with
  being withdrawn, fighting, getting along with
  others, aggressive behaviors, acting out,
  truancy, disruptive behavior, tardiness and not
  completing homework
• Teachers reported improvement for one third to
  one half of students who had exhibited problems
  with effort, attention in class, low scores and
  poor grades.

14
SERVICES PROVIDED TO SCHOOLS BY FAMILY SUPPORT
WORKERS

• Direct
• daily contacts with school staff
• attendance at school meetings
• home literacy activities
• homework planning and preparation with parents
  and children
• classroom observations
• distribution of school supplies, food, clothing

15
SCHOOL PERFORMANCE

• Teacher Survey - May 2002
• 81 of teachers surveyed felt that Family Support
  Workers helped to create opportunities or offered
  interventions that students would not have had
  otherwise

16
IF THERE WAS NO FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAM

• Home-School connections would be diminished.
• Principals and counselors would have more of this
  responsibility.
• Children would lose out on critical school-based
  support and intervention.
• CPS would be solely responsible within the Social
  Services system for providing on-going assistance
  to families with abuse and neglect issues.
• Children coming out of foster care would have
  only a 6 month follow-up with a social worker.
• The communitys most vulnerable families would be
  left on their own.

17
LOOKING FORWARD

• The trend that the Family Support Evaluation
  noted, toward improved social and emotional
  behaviors in school and increased effort and
  attention in class would be compromised.

18
STRONG FAMILIES, STRONG SCHOOLS

• One of the eight National Education Goals of the
  Goals 2000 Educate America Act states that
• every school will promote partnerships that will
  increase parental involvement and participation
  in promoting the social, emotional and academic
  growth of children
• Return to regular agenda