Parent Educators and Family Support

• Establish respectful relationships with families that support cultural diversity and the unique interests of children and families
  
• Plan activities with families to support their children’s social emotional development and learning through parent child interactions
  
• Coordinate medical, dental, vision, hearing, and developmental screenings and services
  
• Work with the parent and/or disability resources to address the child’s special needs
  
• Function as a liaison between the program, other program staff, administration, and parents to ensure continuity and consistency in children’s programming
  
• Facilitate parent conferences and promote family involvement in the program
  
• Assist families in locating resources such as housing, health services, education, employment, financial, and other supports and services
  
• Organize parent groups or educational classes: recruit participants, prepare brochures, invite speakers, facilitate meetings, present information, evaluate sessions
  
• Build parent leadership and advocacy skills
  
• Organize parenting and child development resource materials for lending libraries
  
• Offer opportunities for parents to connect with other parents, and
  
• Develop mentoring activities

Careers working directly with families require a positive attitude, respect for diversity, knowledge of child development, good communication skills, and an ability to relate to and support a variety of people. These positions require the personnel to be flexible, adaptable, and comfortable working in teams. The personnel must be able to focus on a whole family while being aware of what is happening to individual members, be respectful of privacy, and able to relate to a range of family strengths, personalities, and developmental levels. These positions are most often associated with specific programs, which require particular qualifications.

Birth to 3 Service Coordinator
PPersons occupying these positions are employed or contracted by county Birth to 3 agencies to coordinate the delivery of services for young children with developmental delays and to serve as a single point of contact in helping families obtain needed services. This position requires at least one year of supervised experience working with families with special needs, and knowledge of Birth to 3 laws and services. Service coordination requires strong verbal and written communication skills, and service coordinators should be comfortable working with families from a variety of cultural and social backgrounds. More information about the role of the service coordinator can be found at
www.waisman.wisc.edu/birthto3/SERVICECOORDINATION.HTML

Parent Educator/Group Facilitator
There are several programs that bring groups of parents together for support, information, and leadership development. These programs include Parents as Leaders (PALs), Wisconsin Family Assistance Center for Education, Training and Support (FACETS), Wisconsin Statewide Parent Educator Initiative (WSPEI), Family Resource Centers, and others. The agency sponsoring the parent group determines the experience required for each staff position. For example, the PALs Project typically employs a parent of a child with disabilities and a provider to co-facilitate. The FACETS and WSPEI programs also utilize parents with experience with children with disabilities. Staff typically has experience or education in a disability- related field, as well as experience in working with families of children with special needs.

Family Resource Center staff also provides parent group opportunities. They may have specific training or certification related to a specific curriculum series such as "The Nurturing Program". All staff in these positions is skilled in facilitating groups, planning training, and making presentations. Many of the professional/provider staff members have a Master's degree, but a person with a Bachelor's degree would be considered. Parents who have the experience required for these positions are considered, regardless of educational level. These positions may be part time or full time and the salaries vary based on employing agency training, academic degree, and experience.

Even Start instructors are responsible for providing parent education instruction to adult participants. Even Start parent education instructors plan and implement weekly meetings and work with other members of the Even Start professional team to provide families with the resources and training necessary for family literacy growth. Qualifications include a Bachelor's degree in early childhood, family dynamics, adult education, or elementary education; experience as a parent; and experience in teaching parent education classes.

Home-School Liaisons
Local Wisconsin schools districts may have positions that work directly to support parents and families. Home/school coordinators are often certified teachers or trained social workers; however, some schools are beginning to employ parents in these positions.

Many schools set up family centers in their buildings, or set aside rooms or space in the building to help parents feel welcome in the school. These areas provide parents and family members with a room or space for their own use at the school. School family centers are staffed by a wide variety of individuals. Some schools house parent involvement or community education coordinators in the school/family center. More often, however, volunteers, parents, senior citizens, or other community members staff them. Some schools pay a stipend to the family center staff person.

Local public schools and CESAs may also have positions that work directly with parents of children with special education needs. These positions may be directly funded by the local school district or through special education grants from the Department of Public Instruction. These positions work with parents and school district personnel throughout the special education process, supporting parent education and assisting in problem solving and communication.

Family Advocate/Family Outreach Worker
The family advocate/family outreach worker creates a partnership with families and helps families meet their basic needs while participating in the program. Head Start and Early Head Start programs employ staff with these responsibilities, other programs or clusters of programs may have similar positions. This position is important in developing relationships with families and supporting families' involvement with all aspects of the early childhood experience. The Family Advocate will also support the families in accessing other community services and in meeting family goals. Salaries and benefits vary but are competitive with comparable positions in each community.

Home Visitor
There are many models of home visitation programs that provide parent education, family support, and support for healthy parent child interactions. Examples of three home visitation programs and a description of the staff roles and experience follow.

The Parents as Teachers (PAT) parent educators identify with the families served and have prior experience working with parents and young children. They also have completed college course work in a field related to young children and families. Relevant course work includes: Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Home Economics Education, Nursing, Social Work and Counseling. The PAT National Center operates a certification and recertification program through the state's local affiliate, which is Parents Plus in Wisconsin (www.parentspluswi.org/PAT.htm). The certification process involves training in the PAT program and continuing education.

The Family Foundation Projects, formerly Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (POCAN) currently employ home visitors in ten projects, including one tribal and nine counties. The home visitors provide intensive services to first-time parents (and sometimes multiple birth families). Home visitors follow national standards outlined in the twelve Critical Elements of Effective Home Visitation Services (www.uwex.edu/ces/flp/homevisit/program/pdfs/critical_elements.pdf).

Home visitors participate in a Basic Skills Training curriculum as well as ongoing professional development sessions. Most home visitors are registered nurses, social workers, or early childhood professionals; some have Associate degrees in related fields. The Milwaukee Family Project is another example of a home visitation program. It is designed to serve high stress, Medicaid- eligible families in Milwaukee. Other communities have similar programs to provide support to parents.

The Head Start and Early Head Start programs may have a home visitation delivery model. In this model, the home visitor works in the homes of participating families, building an active partnership with them that centers on each child's learning and development. The home visitor must have a positive attitude, knowledge of child development, good communication skills, and an ability to relate to and support a variety of people. A high school diploma or GED is required; experience in social service, adult education, and/or early childhood education is preferred. Some programs may require a Bachelor's degree. Positions can be funded for a nine-month school year or a full year. Salary and benefits vary, but are competitive with comparable positions in each community.

Even Start Basic Skills/ English as a Second Language (ESL) Instructor
These instructors are responsible for providing Basic Skills Education or English as a Second Language Education (ESL) to adult participants. Even Start Basic Skills/ESL instructors recruit families and conduct initial interviews. Key responsibilities include providing basic skills instruction in the areas of writing, social studies, science, reading, mathematics, employability, and English as a second language to adult students with a variety of academic levels. Qualifications include a Bachelor's degree in elementary education or adult education. Candidates also must meet certification standards of the Wisconsin Technical College System and should have an interest in teaching adults.