In addition, the Multicultural Principles for Head Start Programs also recognize the important role parents play. The second principle states: For parents who are coping with multiple sources of stress, just having their children enrolled in Head Start may provide much needed supports The respite Head Start provides gives parents a temporary break from child care responsibilities and perhaps gives parents opportunities to tackle and eliminate some of the sources of stress in their lives. For example, knowing that their child is well cared for at Head Start may allow a parent to work, attend a literacy class, enroll in a job training program, look for housing, care for a sick relative, or participate in a substance abuse treatment program. If families need full-day child care so they can work towards achieving their goals, the Education Services Component staff can work with other component staff to help the family find the necessary support.

At times, parents may have ambivalent feelings about Head Start. They may have control over very little in their lives and may fear that Head Start is trying to gain control of their children. Staff need to be sensitive to this concern and let parents know that their involvement in their children's lives and in the program are valued. In addition, parents may not be aware that Head Start is a program for the whole family. They may have heard only of the services that are provided for children. During the enrollment process staff need to tell parents about what Head Start offers children, what the program offers parents, and what parents can offer the program.

Some parents may feel pressured to be a volunteer. They may feel too overwhelmed by what is going on in their lives to devote time to the program. When parents are willing to become classroom volunteers, it is helpful to ask them to choose how they would like to be involved. At first, parents may need to spend time getting used to the class room. They may relieve their own stress by getting in volved in activities-making collages or using playdough. They may want to observe their child and others in the classroom or outdoors. When parents seem ready to do more, ask them what they would like to do or suggest a variety of tasks from which they can choose-from making name tags for a field trip to reading to one or two children. (Do not ask parents to read unless you are positive that they know how. It is a mistake to assume that all parents can read. Those who cannot may feel embarrassed to tell you and may not return to volunteer.) Remember, it is never appropriate to make parents feel that they have to volunteer. Some parents feel too overwhelmed by what is going on in their lives to volunteer in the program.

Home visits give parents a sense of the program's concern for them and their children. Head Start staff may be the only people who visit the parents in their home; most parents perceive them as helpful and nonthreatening. In addition, home visits allow classroom teams to learn things about a child and family that might take much longer to leam in other ways. For example, during a home visit a teacher might observe that a child seems to have a positive relationship with his grandmother. The teacher could let the parent know that she and her mother are both welcome to participate in Head Start-in the classroom or in other parent involvement activities.

Sometimes staff are reluctant to make home visits because they believe that the surrounding community is unsafe, particularly for strangers. In these instances, alternative home visiting practices are needed. Head Start programs could arrange for a community leader to escort staff con ducting home visits, encourage parents to meet visiting staff in the lobby of a high-rise building, or set up space at the program where teachers and parents could meet to talk and share information and ideas. The latter suggestion does not permit staff to view the home environment first-hand; however, teachers and parents can use the time to discuss the child's progress and make plans for continuing to support his or her development, at home and at the program.

The greatest support staff can give parents is to accept them, without passing judgment on their life styles or situations. Families coping with multiple sources of stress may need many things (e.g., housing, jobs, training, health care, counseling, substance abuse treatment). But what they need most is to feel that they can function as independent, com petent adults. Staff can show warmth, friendiiness, and concern, and listen to parents' thoughts and feelings. Showing respect for their viewpoints, even when you do not agree, can help parents feel competent in their parenting skills.

In addition to providing a respite, there are many things classroom teams and other Head Start staff can do to support parents. The following examples can be adapted to accommodate your program's needs.

· Give parents frequent updates on their children's favorite activities and examples of how they are growing and developing. Updates can occur during drop-off and pick-up times or in short notes home or tape recordings about a child's activities.

· Arrange for transportation to parent meetings. In some areas there is no public transportation or it is unsafe to use in the evenings when meetings often occur, If this is not possible, encourage parents to arrange car pools.

· Provide enough food at snack and meal times to feed parent volunteers. Parents may come to the program hungry. Homeless families usually eat at the shelter and aren't allowed to take food out of the dining room. Invite parents to participate at Head Start in family-style meals with their children.

· Provide a comfortable, pleasant place where parents can relax, drink a cup of coffee or juice, eat a healthy snack, and talk with each other. Furnish it with adult- sized tables and chairs and stock the area with books and articles on parenting; a typewriter, paper, envelopes, and other writing materials; information on community resources; bus schedules; grocery cou pons; newspapers; and whatever else would be of interest to parents.

· Provide access to a telephone (local calls only). Families may not have telephones, so use of a tele phone at the center will help them take care of tasks such as making a medical appointment, reporting a broken appliance to a landlord, and finding a new apartment.

· Include money in the budget for cameras, film, and photo processing so you can take pictures of the children engaged in indoor and outdoor activities and pictures of parents and children together. Give copies of the photographs to parents.

· Model developmentally appropriate ways to talk and play with children. Explain to parents what you are doing and why. For example, a parent might hear a teacher say to a child, "Please walk inside." The teacher could explain that this helped the child learn what to do, rather than what not to do-"Don't run."

· Help parents have successful interactions with their children. Step in and help when a parent seems to be getting upset. "Let me hold the baby for a minute while you help Rhonda put on her shoes."

· Provide written information in the parents' pri mary language. Try to find volunteer translators within the Head Start program or from other commu nity groups.

· Focus on the future and how the program can work with parents to counteract the effects of a child's developmental lags. Parents often feel that they don't know how to help their children and worry that their child will have problems in school. They usually are relieved to hear of the many ways that they can contribute to their child's development.

· Provide information on child development and parenting through spontaneous conversations and scheduled workshops. Be sure that workshops use an interactive, hands-on format and provide opportum ties for parents to talk to and leam from each other. Parent education can help parents understand the reasons for their children's behavior and leam ways to encourage their children's self-discipline.

Head Start classroom teams are hard-working, dedicated, and caring individuals who have the skills, interest, and knowledge to promote children's growth and development. At times, however, staff may be frustrated and over whelmed when they feel that there is nothing they can do to help a child cope with stress. They may feel angry with the family, pass judgment on a parent's actions, blame the parents for the conditions that are resulting in their child's high level of stress, or disapprove of the family's values or life style. As callous as they may sound, these kinds of thoughts can result when classroom teams feel that their efforts are not making a difference in the lives of children and families.

It is important to acknowledge negative feelings when they do occur and to get the support you need to "get back on track." If you find yourself "blaming" families for condi tions that are beyond their control or passing judgments regarding the decisions or choices that families make, you may need some help to reduce your own stress and to identify the many positive contributions you make to Head Start children and families. When classroom team mem bers do not deal with their negative feelings, children and families do not receive the support they need and the team members may become "burned out."

Sometimes staff feel so eager to assist a family that they think that through their efforts alone a family can be "rescued" from a multistressed environment. Staff may try to do too much for families, without allowing families to use their own strengths to develop coping skills. This approach is not only inappropriate, it is generally totally ineffective. Both the staff and the families end up disappointed.

Handout 7-1: Effective Parent Education Techniques 

The following are based on true stories from the experiences of Head Start teacher Anna Clarke-Brown. Read each one and discuss your reactions with your classroom team.
Sarah and Her Mother

Sarah, a child in my class, seemed to constantly hit and pinch the other children without provocation. When Sarah's mother volunteered in the classroom I noticed her hit Sarah. I explained to her that we do not allow spanking in Head Start and that there were other alternatives for discipline. I suggested several positive discipline techniques. When we planned a puppet show about how we use our words, we invited parents to attend. I extended a personal invitation to Sarah's mother. Sarah's mother seemed to enjoy volunteering, and she and Sarah both had some really great times together in the classroom. The hitting behavior soon diminished.
Polly and Her Parents

Polly used a lot of swear words towards adults and children. I told her that I like her, and that I did not like the words that she was using. One day I heard her parents in the hallway having an argument. They used a lot of profanities. Next day in circle time I told a story about a little girl whose parents were fighting a lot. The little girl thought it was her fault, but it was not. I explained that it was okay to talk about feelings. We identified different kinds of feelings and talked about appropriate ways to express them. Polly soon stopped using profane language. Her parents came to class and said Polly had told them that instead of swearing they needed to say, "I'm mad at you!"
Carlos and His Mother

Carlos was learning to assert himself verbally with his friends. One day his mother came to me and said, "Carlos keeps telling me to use my 'inside' voice when I yell at him. Did he learn that here? And when I spanked him, he said, 'Stop it, Mommy. I don't like that. You need to use your words!"' This was a great opportunity to talk with Carlos' mother about how to teach children to use words instead of hitting. I also gave her a pamphlet on positive guidance techniques that help children develop self-discipline.

Next, think of a story based on your team's experiences working with children and parents. Be prepared to share your classroom team's story with the full group.

Handout 7-2: Accepting Families 

Think of a child and family whom you find it difficult to accept and write down all of your negative feelings toward them. For example, "He only wants to do what he wants to do." "She ran out of money before the end of the month, again, so her daughter comes to Head Start hungry." Nobody will see your paper. After you are finished you can throw it away.

1. What negative feelings do you have towards this child or family?

Nobody will see this paper. You can throw It away at any time. 

This activity is a first step in learning to accept rather than judge children and families.
Think of the same child and family and make a list of their strengths. For example, "He really enjoys the block area." or "She comes to all the parent workshops." The lists don't need to be long-two or three items are sufficient.

2. What are the strengths of this child and family?

Think of your own strengths and how they could be applied to working with this child and family.

3. What are some of your own strengths?

4. How do you plan to use your own strengths as you work with this child and family?


This activity is a first step in learning to accept rather that judge children and families. 
Follow-Up Activity 7: Maintaining Strong Partnerships 

Below you will find several suggested strategies for maintaining strong partnerships with parents. During the next week try some of these suggestions as you work with children and their families. Record your experiences-what you did and the parents' response. At the end of the week meet as a classroom team to discuss the effectiveness of these strategies and what else you can do to support parents.

Dates:

1. Respond to parents' concerns or questions even though they may seem trivial.

2. Try parents' suggestions, unless you think they will hurt the child, even when they differ from what you would do.

3. Help children and families feel good about belonging to the same family.

4. Tell parents about the good things that happen at Head Start each day.

5. Acknowledge events and transitions in families' lives.

6. Be sensitive to parents' feelings about leaving their child at Head Start.

7. Maintain confidentiality when parents share something private with you.

8. Add your own suggestion here:

9. Add your own suggestion here:

Strong partnerships between parents and classroom teams benefit children and support parents as prime educators of their children. 
Session 8
An Approach to Problem Solving 
Summary for Classroom Teams
Objectives

This session will enable you to:

· Use problem solving techniques to develop strategies for helping individual children.
· Establish ongoing support groups.

Materials

Agenda
I. Discussion of Session 7 Follow Up Activities (10 minutes)

As you discuss the Session 7 Follow-Up Activities, remember the following:

You will have an opportunity to ask questions and/or raise concerns before beginning the discussion.

II. Discussion Topics and Activities

A. Identifying and Addressing Children's Needs (1 hour)

During this discussion, refer to Reading 8: An Approach to Problem Solving, which shows how a classroom team used a series of problem solving steps to examine the reasons for a child's behavior and to develop strategies for helping the child. Handout 8-1: Problem Solving Format is a blank form you can use in the future.

B. Establishing an Ongoing Support Group (50 minutes)

Your trainer will lead a discussion on whether to continue meeting as an ongoing support group, facilitated by the Education Coordinator and/or the Mental Heaith Specialist (or other component coordinator as appropriate in your program). You will review Handout 8-2:
Support Groups and consider the following questions:

If you decide to continue meeting you will need to agree on when, for how long, how frequently, and where. At your first meeting you can review the ground rules and logistics.

If you decide to conclude your meetings with this session, congratulations for gaining new knowledge and skills for working with highly stressed children. The readings, handouts, and follow-up activities from these sessions can serve as an ongoing resource for your classroom team.

Reading 8: An Approach to Problem Solving 

To plan a program that addresses children's needs, adults need more than good instincts and intentions. They need time and encouragement to develop thoughtful strategies, try them, and evaluate to determine what works for a child and what does not. Problem solving skills can help class room teams identify and address children's needs.

Observations of individual children and of the entire group are an important part of problem solving. When trying to develop effective strategies to solve a problem or address an individual child's needs, classroom teams may find it helpful to have another adult (a team member, a parent, the Education Coordinator, or another Coordinator) conduct an observation. The two sets of observation notes can be compared and the adults can work together to develop strategies.

The following example shows how a classroom team used a series of problem solving steps to examine the reasons for a child's behavior and to develop strategies for helping the child.
Andrew
Three-year-old Andrew often falls asleep at storytime, which is before lunch and nap time. When I wake him for lunch he is cranky and doesn't eat much. It takes him a long time to settle down for nap. It is almost impossible to awaken him when nap is over. When he does wake up, he is irritable and hungry. He asks me for something to eat.

Observe the child for several days, compare your notes, and answer the following questions.

1. What does the child do that concerns you?

He falls asleep before lunch and nap time. He misses free play and outdoor time and he doesn't eat much lunch. When he does wake up he's hungry, but lunch is over.

2. Why do you find the behavior challenging? For example, does the behavior disrupt the group or make it difficult for the child to participate in activities?

We don't know whether to let him sleep. If he sleeps. he misses important parts of the program. If he doesn't sleep, he's too cranky to participate.

We're not sure what to say to the other children. There's nowhere for him to sleep during free play time.

3. When and how often does the behavior occur? Is it every day? during transitions? during free play? Does it happen when he is tired, hungry, or frustrated?

This behavior occurs in the morning, about 3 times a week.

4. How long has the child been behaving this way? Is this something new or has the child always behaved this way?

Andrew started coming to school tired two weeks ago. Before that he stayed awake through lunch time and then had a two-hour nap.

5. What do you think the child is trying to communicate? For example, is the child angry, frustrated, confused, overstimulated, scared, lonely, sad?

It's clear that Andrew is tired and cannot concentrate on anything else.

Try to meet with the child's family to discuss the child's behavior at the program and at home. In addition, talk with the Social Services and Parent Involvement Coordinators to leam more about what might be talcing place in the child's life. Look for answers to the following questions:

1. Is anything happening at home that might be causing the behavior? Have there been any changes in the home enviromnent?

One of us talked to Andrew's mother. She said that Andrew's two older cousins moved in with his family three weeks ago. Andrew sleeps in the same room with them. They go to bed at 11:00p.m.

An 18 year old aunt takes care of Andrew at night while his Mom works. She lets him stay up with his cousins until 11:00p.m.

Andrew often wakes up with nightmares. Once he wakes up he has a hard time getting back to sleep.

2. What can the family do at home to address the prob lem? (Focus on realistic changes.)

Andrew's mom will ask the aunt to make sure Andrew gets to sleep earlier. Andrew will sleep in his mom's bed until she gets home. When she gets home she will move him to his own bed.

His mom will try to figure out what's causing the night mares. We will continue observing him to see if there are any clues about why he's having nightmares.

Think about what you and your colleagues do in response to the child's behavior. Are your strategies helping the child?

1. How do you feel when the child behaves this way?

Andrew's behavior makes us uneasy because we don't know which he needs more—to sleep or to participate in activities. Some of us feel confused and irritated.

2. What do you usually say or do? How does the child respond?

We usually say, "You need to wake up" or, "It isn't nap time, don't you want to play?"

He gets worse when we wake him up. He cries and fusses and we can't get him involved in anything. One team member spends so much time with him that she has no time to spend with other children.

3. Do the strategies you use now work?

No, they just make Andrew and us feel worse.

Consider whether each of the following program elements is developmentally appropriate.

1. Do you need to adapt the environment?

This doesn't seem to be part of the problem.

2. Do you need to adapt the daily schedule?

Yes, we could be flexible so Andrew could have an uninterrupted nap period when he needs it. The reality is that Andrew isn't getting enough sleep at home. Until his family is able to work through the problem, he needs to sleep for part of his time at Head Start.

3. Do you need to change the way you handle routines and transitions?

We can adapt the routines so Andrew can have lunch after his nap. Rest is so important for Andrew that it's best for him to be awake and alert for part of the day, instead of irritable and uncooperative for most of the day.

4. Do you need to change the way you interact with this child?

This doesn't seem to be part of the problem.

5. Are your expectations for this child's behavior and abilities appropriate?

This doesn't seem to be part of the problem.

Review the information you collected about this child and his or her family. Develop several strategies to help the child.

We will let Andrew sleep when he first arrives in the morning.

We will put down a mat in a corner of the classroom and tell him that when he is tired, that's where he can rest.

We will accept that it is better to have him awake and participating for part of the day, rather than tired and irritable for the entire day.

Try out your strategies for a week or more. Allow enough time for change to take place. Ask another classroom team member to observe the child, then discuss what you each have seen. Bring questions to staff meetings.

Andrew took morning naps on his mat for about a week. By then the changes his mother made at home took effect and he started coming to the program awake and ready to play.

If your strategies are effective, continue to use them. if not, look for other ways to achieve the same goal. For some children, even if the program is developmentally appropriate and you have made adaptations, it will not "solve" their problem. Change can be slow for many children-it is important to set realistic, short-term goals.

Handout 8-1: Problem Solving Format 
Identify the Problem
Observe the child for several days, compare your notes, and answer the following questions.

1. What does the child do that concerns you?

2. Why do you find the behavior challenging? For example, does the behavior disrupt the group or make it difficult for the child to participate in activities?

3. When and how often does the behavior occur? Is it every day? during transitions? during free play? Does it happen when he is tired, hungry, or frustrated?

4. How long has the child been behaving this way? Is this something new or has the child always behaved this way?

5. What do you think the child is trying to communicate? For example, is the child angry, frustrated, confused, overstimulated, scared, lonely, sad?

Obtain Information from the Child's Family
Try to meet with the family to discuss the child's behavior at the program and at home. Also, talk with the Social Services and Parent Involvement Coordinators to learn more about what might be taking place in the child's life. Look for answers to the following questions:

1. Is anything happening at home that might be causing the behavior? Have there been any changes in the home environment?

2. What can the family do at home to address the problem? (Focus on realistic changes.)

Identify the Way You Respond to the Behavior
Think about what you and your colleagues do in response to the child's behavior. Are your strategies helping the child?

1. How do you feel when the child behaves this way?

2. What do you usually say or do? How does the child respond?

3. Do the strategies you use now work?

Evaluate Your Program
Consider whether each of the following program elements is developmentally appropriate.

1. Do you need to adapt the environment?

2. Do you need to adapt the daily schedule?

3. Do you need to change the way you handle routines and transitions?

4. Do you need to change the way you interact with this child?

5. Are your expectations for this child's behavior and abilities appropriate?

Develop Strategies
List several strategies for helping this child.
Implement Strategies
Try out your strategies for a week or more. Allow enough time for change to take place.
Ask another team member to observe the child, then discuss what you each have seen.
Bring questions to staff meetings.
Evaluate and Refine Strategies
If your strategies are effective, continue to use them. If not, look for other ways to achieve the same goal. For some children, even if the program is developmentally appropriate and you have made adaptations, it will not "solve" their problem. Change can be slow for many children-it is important to set realistic, short-term goals.
Handout 8-2: Support Groups 

The purpose of a support group is to bring together people who are experiencing a similar stress. The group provides a chance to exchange and process information. It can help classroom teams:

· feel less isolated and part of a team;
· reduce stress by talking about how to address the needs of children and their families;
· enhance observation and problem solving skills;
· identify resources within Head Start and the community; and
· get new ideas from other people.

The group members select the topics to be discussed and decide when and how to conduct sessions. Several types of meetings are possible:

You may want to begin with meetings that have a specific topic. As members learn more about how the group works, you can move into open-ended discussions.

General guidelines includes:

· Participants sit in a circle.
· Meetings are held weekly, if possible, at the same time of day.
· Everyone who wants to has a chance to participate.
· There are no right or wrong answers or suggestions.
· Participants try to stay focused on the question or topic.

The facilitator's role includes:

· Reminding participants of guidelines.
· Providing direction when needed.
· Offering suggestions if appropriate.
· Evaluating the process and suggest changes if needed.




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