CHAPTER 3: THE VOLUNTEER ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Chapter HighlIghts Programs are encouraged to establish volunteer advisory committees to help increase the number of Head Start volunteers. Volunteer advisory committee members may include anyone interested in the Head Start program. Most programs find it helpful to select committee members from diverse groups and include at least one member of the policy council. Committee members should receive an orientation to the program. The volunteer coordinator is responsible for forming and supporting the volunteer advisory committee. This includes assisting with the committee's meetings and implementing its suggestions.

The volunteer advisory committee provides ongoing development, monitoring, and support to the total volunteer effort. Unlike many Head Start committees, the volunteer advisory committee is not required by Head Start policy. However, the committee may be critical to the success of a program's effort. It helps ensure parent and community involvement in the volunteer planning process.

The volunteer coordinator is responsible for establishing and maintaining the volunteer advisory committee. In addition to parents and staff, the committee may include the coordinator of hospital volunteers and representatives from volunteer and other community organizations.


RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COMMITTEE

The volunteer advisory committee develops meaningful opportunities for volunteers. To do this, the committee works to:


• Increase recognition of the Head Start program in the community and form partnerships with various agencies.
  
  
• Enhance the image of the program within the community.
  
  
• Support mutual respect between parent and community volunteers and the program staff.
  
  
• Identify and establish new linkages for services to children and families.
  
  Depending on the program, the committee may set objectives such as the following:
  
  
• Increase the number of parent volunteers
  
  
• Increase staff support program
  
  
• Provide ongoing review and monitoring of the volunteer effort
  
  
• Expand services to children and their families.
  
  

RECRUITMENT OF COMMOTTEE MEMBERS

The recruitment and selection of volunteer advisory committee members plays an important role in the success of the volunteer effort. All committee members should share a strong interest in Head Start adn its success. Committee members may include the following:


• Local center committee representatives
  
  
• Parents who are frequent volunteers
  
  
• Teachers, assistants, and component coordinators
  
  
• Sponsoring agency board members
  
  
• Volunteers from the the community
  
  
  

Suggestions for the Volunteer Advisory Committee In order to accomplish its objectives, the volunteer advisory committee may find it helpful to: Undertake a planning process much like that of each Head Start component> Design an evaluation and monitoring system and evaluate the program. Develop improvement plans based on evaluation results. Develop and involve itself in special projects and issues that impact on volunteerism in the program.

• Representatives from local community agencies with which the program would like to establish a relationship (for example, a volunteer claringhouse, United Way, the local chapter of Parents in Education, and church groups)
  
  
• At least one member of the policy council, to enhance communication.
  
  In addition, if a program is part of a larger agency such as a school district or community action agency, committee members may include the following:
  
  
• Local education agency (LEA) school-community partnership or volunteer coordinators
  
  
• Representatives from programs such as State funded preschools, child care centers, teen parent programs, or literacy projects.
  
  Selecting committee members from diverse groups enhances the program's ability to implement an effective volunteer effort. For example, including individuals who are not Head Start staff or parents expands the possibilities for volunteer recruitment, involvement, and retention.
  
  As in other aspects of Head Start program operations, the policy council should help determine the committee's objectives, help recruit committee members, and approve the final selection of committee members. Generally, the volunteer coordinator will provide the policy council with names of potential committee members and some background information on them.
  
  
  

ORIENTATION OF THE COMMITTEE

All volunteer advisory committee members should receive an orientation to the program. It is important that all committee members receive the same information. The orientation should provide information on the following:


• The national Head Start program and performance standards
  
  
• The local program options
  
  
• Cultural, racial, and ethnic composition of the families
  
  
• The language and acronyms used in the program
  
  
• The responsibilities and activities of the volunteer advisory committee
  
  
• Any restrictions on volunteer involvement that the program has experienced due to insurance or board imposed rulings.
  
  Programs may want to cover other topics in the orientation as well. For more information on orientations, see Chapter 9: The Volunteer Handbook, and Chapter 10: Volunteer Orientation.
  
  Some of the orientation information may be sent to the committee members prior to the first committee meeting. In this case, the information sent to the committee members should be reviewed with them at the first committee meeting or orientation session.
  
  

THE ROLE OF THE VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

In addition to forming the volunteer advisory committee, the volunteer coordinator is responsible for taking the committee's suggestions and developing a written volunteer plan for the committee's approval. (See Chapter 4: Planning the Volunteer Effort.)

PLANNING AND CONDUCTING EFFECTIVE COMMITTEE MEETINGS A written agenda should be prepared for each meeting. The agenda should include the date and a brief description of the items to be discussed. This keeps committee members focused on the topics and provides documentation of the content of the meeting as well as parent and community Involvement in the program. Sometimes the coordinator or a committee member will have written materials related to the agenda to share with other members. These documents should be mailed to committee members at least 2 weeks prior to the meeting. This allows time for members to prepare for the meeting. If some of the participants have limited literacy skills, arrangements should be made for someone to review the materials with them at least 2 weeks prior to the meeting. The committee officers (for example, chair, secretary, and parliamentarian) should be selected by the committee members. Committee members should assist the chair of the committee In keeping to the agenda and moving the meeting along. Except for working sessions, meetings should last no longer than 1 hour. The committee secretary should take notes throughout the meeting. Some committees record meetings so that the secretary may use the tape recording to prepare the mInutes. Minutes should be prepared carefully, as they will serve as the official record of the meetIng. Minutes should be mailed to members for their review 2 weeks prior to the next meeting and should be read aloud at the beginning of the next committee meeting. All committee members should have an opportunity to express themselves, and their input should be valued. The purpose of having a committee Is to come to an agreement about action to be taken. The committee's recommendations should be followed. The committee Is not a "rubber stamp" for anyone's private agenda. If volunteer members' time Is used as part of the agency's inking share, time sheets should be used. As in all Head Start activities, a signing sheet for participants at each meeting is important. It needs to be accurate and show the member's printed name and signature; date, including year; and purpose of the meeting. Both the director and policy council chair should indicate their strong support of the volunteer effort by attending the first meeting of this group each year.

The volunteer coordinator also:


• Assists the chair in developing the agenda.
  
  
• Supports the chair In running the meeting.
  
  
• Ensures that committee members are contacted and written materials forwarded to them as needed.
  
  
• Maintains all committee documentation (agendas, minutes, and signing sheets).
  

POLICY REFERENCES

Policy references related to the volunteer advisory committee may be found in the following sections of the publication, Head Start Policies: Volunteers and Community Resources:

Section 1: Authority for the Volunteer Program
Section 2: Recruitment of Volunteers

DOCUMENTATION CHECKLIST Recommended DocumentatIon: Committee roster Committee meeting agendas, sign-in sheets, and minutes Committee by-laws