facing families. The delegates stressed that job stahilip and good housing are critical components of health. Parents need fatnih, sick leave policies and release time to obtain the senices thev need. Housing ordinances need to he enforced. Also needed are better clalcare set-rices and respite care srnices fix overburdened parents. Se\,eral regionsconsidered some untraditional~~a~s toitnpro~ecotntnLunications to facilitate transitions. Regiott 3 delegates made a umique t-ecoi~imcndatiot~: In\-olve parents in peer group lisitarioti programs. One mother told how her comtnunit~ solicits experienced parents to Gsit the homes of new parents and offer friendl!., nonthreatenitigad~ice about programs. set~ices. support groups, and ot-gani/;ations that are available to them. These Iisits, she added, are made to all ttew parents. not just parents of children with special health, education. or financial needs. The parentsfixn~l the southeastern States also pointed ottt the impot-tattce off;ttnilics' makittg timt for children hct\\ven trattsitions: e\w7`oLt(a needs ;I bt-wk. thevcaid, especiall\~~vhen a tt;tnGtion it1vol\x,sa cltxtge in marital \tatttb. li\ittg arrangc~nt~nt~. ot- hwltli caw. Some model programs cited by the Region 4 delegates ittclude Kentuck!,`s Family Resource and Youth Senice Centers. created as part of the Kentucky Educa- tion Reform Act and operated through the schools to benefit children and tamilies at risk; the Eastern Ken- tucky (:hild Care Coalition, a private resource develop- ment +genc\. that offers training and assistance to childcare pro\-idet-s and families; and Mississippi's Fatni- lies as Allies. a network of families with special needs children. The Florida delegation shared materials on several public and pri\ate progratns from their State: Infants & Toddlers; Florida's Interagencv Program for (Zhildwn and Their Families. which has established the Directol-\.ofEarl!-~~hildhoodSenices,accessihle through an 800 telephone number: Collaborative Adolescent Parenting Program (<:.\PP), an intergovernmental, in- tcragency. conlmttttit!,-based effort to support teenage parrnts: Faniil!.(:onnections, lvhich provides services to lowincome teenage ltarents, and Family Interaction Sow (FIS), a family support program for recovering pregnant and postpartum addicts, both sponsored b) the (Child Care (:onnection of Broward County, Inc., a prifittc, nonprofit organization that supplies Title XX childcare: Casa Madonna, an aftercare progratn for Hispanic substance-ahusing mothers, which is spon- sored by the Miami Mental Health Center, Inc.; The Bridge.sponsoredbVFalnilyHealthSe~ices,Inc.,which provides a mix of services to young mothers and their children; and Pro.ject MITCH (Model of Interdiscipli- nary Training for Children with Handicaps), which provides training to parents and other care givers, through fltnding from the Florida Department of Edu- cation to the Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System/South. In addition. the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Senices sponsors First Steps and the Community Resource Mother or Father Program. LMegates ft-otn Region 5 agreed that ILLINOIS INDIANA MICHIGAN MINNESOTA parenting skills should be part of -y every child's schooling and that re- i"<~, - r: 2. -$+: _ i sotwces should he available for the `/ ~~,L..~ c~ontitnting education of parents in j tht`se skills. Better parents will become a stronger and more effective presence in ; their communities. The?, will assUnte greater responsibilitiesin theirlocalschool OHIO s\`stems. both in policvmaking and in day-to-da, pat-ticipa- tion. to help counter the chaotic forces that act on WISCONSIN children as they enter adolescence. The Region .5 de]- egates complained that the middle class is excluded from set3ices. The!, stressed that e\.et-ytne needs access to adequate health care and that ottr Sation should protide "eqnal edttcation for all." Th e\ pointed OLIN that the goals of the Sttt-geon Genct-al's ittitiati1.e should go beyond the !`eat- 20(N). Other barriers to entq into the systems that / i%gion 5 ~`Jkconmxndations at a Glance :i~wareness and Entry *Provide training in 1 . * Don't exclude the middle class ~tot~t ~1 *IL.-J I i jr Continue the Healthy Children 7 to Learn Initiative beyond the Read) ' year 2000 : ' j, implement one-stop shopping i : jr produce a guidebook of services and include a director? of local services : in cOmmuniT telephone directories Participation i * A mparty services with education * pz$de m&hanisms for parents to get answers for questions or 10 voice L#i- complaints . --.-I....~~~+ in nob d~&onS * All04 greater parent tnvwvc3~~~zLG .-- r -- . ' *Forge stronger links amo ng s&x&, socia serwce systems. and local * prioritize needs before spending funds and make programs accoUntable for how funds are spent * provide for unbiased evaluation of programs * Address he causes of families' problems and prOvtde healw. not "band-aid fixes" fife skills, beginning at an early' age, t0 prepare children t0 orks and outreach programs `$ "A;p,~~~~ ~r~~~~e;~ as the Administration's advocate for families cited are long waiting ,)rsenicesandinflexibil- ' the swtems. They rec- lended a one-stop-shop approach to services providers \Vho are in- ted aboitt a\,ailahle re- `-c-es. The!, suggested during a gUidebook of ices and including a di- tOI of local senices in 17' cot~lt~~Ut~ih's tele- one director-. .is f&nilies partici- te in programs, the `eadtes asset-ted. edit- ion should accompam. : set-\-ices rendered. tey; complained that e programs are not Inil!, centered, and at parents j\.ho act isertivel!, to haye leir needs tneC 211-e iolated. The social service sI9em ~2s criticized for ha\ing no bllilt-it1 mechanism by ~\~hich parents can get ~I~SNW~~ to theit- manv questions and a sympathetic car for their complaints. The sytems are genrrall~~ pcwt'ijwl as bureaucratic. rigid, and inseiisiti\.e. Parents ucwl to playagreater role in polic~~clrcisions alit1 act a\ ad\-isors to programs. For instance, manf. of' the delegate\ fc'lt that parents should \vork jvith their schools to explore the possihili~ofdresscodes and establish otherpolicieh. M'hen this group discussed the parental role of being an advocate, they commented that pareuts rived to take this responsibilitv to the fullest. The\. must be involved in the school or program, know evenone from school board members to administrators to teachers, and become a presence in their child's education. Schools, in turn, need to forge strongel linkswith the social sen-ice systems aud local businesses. Another important issue to the Region 5 delegates \vas that needs must be prioritized before money is spent, that programs must be accountable for how the moue\ is spent, and that programs should he e\aluated hi, unbiased parties. The delegates expressed that programs must address the underlying causes of problems families face and that sellices should pro\ ide healing as families participate, not give them just a "band-aid fix." The Midwestern delegates repeatedly said that par- ents need to begin at childhood to prepare their children for the ultimate transition fi-om child to parent. The) advocated reaching out to children to show them how to be parentsand to explain the responsibilities thatgo along with the role. The\, recommended that schools teach basic life skills, beginning at an early age, so that children b'ill be prepared to parent the next generation. These parents also stressed that communication among parents and betw.een pare'uts aud programs is kr~ to successful transitions. They stated that strategies to improve communication should include outreach programs to draw new families and to trulv affect the communitv. Region .T, delegates looked to the Surgeon (General to be more than a partner with them in making health~~ children ready to learn. They agreed that she must be the atlillinistration's advocate for families. She must he among the ranks of people who hold health, education. and social sewice systems accountable for ensuring that children and parents can make transi- tions btT\\WW progran1s smoothl~~. .\lodel programs cited by the Region 5 delegates include the Illinois Governor's Education Initiative, r\-hich iurwl\.es parents in school policy decisions. Cn- der thih program, % communities discussed the reallo- cation of funds to allow State agencies to coordinate their efforts and develop stronger ties with the school system. Another Illinois program, Families With A Future, funds prenatal care, home visits, a children's clinic. nursing care, and certified advisers who coach mothers as they enter the social semice system; \-olun- teers provide transportation. In Minnesota, the Leave No Child Behiud program funds learning readiness. Other programs in Minnesota include Challenge 2000, Parent Involvement, and Learning Readiness. The Ohio delegates cited Family and Children First, and Iudiana parents praised the Indiana University Medical Center's James M'hitcornb Riley Children's Hospital as a model for caring for sick children and supporting the familie\ during times of crisis. Michigan programs in- clude the IAatino Outreach Program in Detroit and Pl+Tt l'ptow ARKANSAS families should be a nationlrride priority. They also strongly adyo- LOUISIANA x ; ;..- ,r .,- r cated regulation of the insurance c .5 .' c ; industry. Insurers can raise rates. NEW MEXICO : den!. coverage. aud cancel policies arbitrarily, M'ith the result that families OKLAHOMA either cannot afford health care or have to enter the social senice sr'stem and TEXAS sometimes give up jobs and income to meet rigid eligibility criteria. The delegates also pointed to loo keels of priiate participation in health care senices, saying that if pro\Gders lvere reimbursed at competitive rates. the senices M'ould improve across the board. The providers need to be better informed about available sell-ices and IXSKI~ to pass that information on to fami- lies. X resource directo?, and a toll-free information hothnt~ iri each State Ivere strongl!~ recommended. I commendations at a Glance o prevent arbitrary cancellation of in health care services by rrlmbursmg convenient locations `; J, ~~~~ parenw mOre crea&e input md pokv input and the opportuniy b7 i: : to evaluate programs ;! i lTransiti~~s !{ * Maintain effective communication between parents and careglvers, ii ;i -or Frovide mainstreaming for children with special needs in all a&ularIy for foster parents communities i: * ~~~~ partnerships among agencies that provide health and medical care ., 1 to better serve families In addition, health 1 providers should be ched and sensitized br, ents who are participat- in and have experience h the systems. ;\t fsent, families are not rceived as partners!vith otiders and do not feel spected. The delegates Irned thatparentsrvith gional accents ha1.e to ? careful that they are ot perceked as less in- rlligent merely be- ause their pronuncia- :OII is different or their peech patterns are lo\\er. The point of ontact for services both for parents en- ering the systems and -hose alreadv partici- pating) should be an individual who is representative of the local communit~~. Services are not oriented around family needs: families have to tral,cl long distances to appointments because of the limited number of providers in these States, and then they are forced to wait and waste time. Services should be located as near families' homes as possible. M'hy not set up on-site facilities so that parents can attend to other important family business. such as doing laundry? The delegates insisted that parents need more creative and poliq, input into the systems and should be gilwl the opportunity to submit evaluations of pro\-iders. There was national consensus that successful tran- sitions begin at home, but Region 6 delegates States added the advice that some situations demand special efforts. They commented that foster parents must be careful to validate their children's feelings at all times. Foster children have an extraordinary nevd to develop their self-esteem. Without this esteem. the parents said, children will not get the maximum benefit from transi- tions. Communications with children and caregivers has to be two-way. M'hile it is imperati1.e that parents be ~~0~11 acltocates for their families and rccogni/e thcif- ~ONW- as parents, thew dr~legates agreed. it is a1v1 critical that the\- listen to the children and the profes- sionals taking care of them. Parents in Region 6 also pointed out that mainstreaming is not available in all communities, but it is a w~iversal right ofchildren to be allou-ed to mainstream. Parents, thev said, need to demand this right for their families. The Region 6 delegates stressed that access issues must be addressed and that agreements are needed among agencies to form health and medical partnerships to better serve our Nation's families. The Children's Hospital in Arkansas, which al- ready has a hotline, was cited as a model program. Other Arkansas programs include Arkansas Better Chance, Child Find, Children's Medical Services, and Focus in Blytheville. Adult Learning Center in Shreve- port, Louisiana, combines infant care, literacy training, and a welfare office. Dallas, Texas, has a qualit!, infant care program for teenage mothers and helps them with the transition to Head Start. Another Texas program citedl1.a~ the Childcare Management System in El Paw. Oklahoma programs include the Illstilute fi)l (h&l .\~~()c;IcI. !%)~Jl~~l' bkll-1. ;Illcl oilSi% MISSOURI NEBRASKA among senices forces parents to make ; .- fi-equent Csits, compounding their dif- ficulties. Eligibility requirements are in- consistent from State to State, and par- ents \V~O relocate in neW communities have to repeat the lengthy application process. Because information on senices is tacking, in Missouri, some neighbors go door to door with flvers and other information. As families participate in pl-ograms, the Region 7 delegates recommended that parents seek an &who can be relied upon to supply accurate information. In turn, parents should share their knowledge of the programs J!ith othel-S. Parents also have a responsibilit\ to establish a positive interaction I\ith thecaser\-orker togive feedback L on the senices receilred. In deve ship: that first ha12 tier at a Glance areness and Entry duce distances that families nlUSt tTdVel fOr SerGceS %h *Improve consisteny Of ServicfzS from urban to rural areas -1 - r\y I * ImpTovc! cO0rchnanOn of services *Make eligibilit)r requirements consisW2lt from State t0 State loping these relation- s, however, theywxned parentsmustkeep their priority and maintain a mce between pdrticipa- 1 in program activities lfamilyiife. Theyfeared Itparentsmight fall in to ? tl-ap of trying to do elvthing and ydnled at pro\idersshould not .erwhelm parents with 10 much information td too manv activities the same time. Par- It involvement in pr* ram planning would lelp prevent these )roblems, they said, tnd parents also {ices is unet'en in urban and rural areas. The lack of coordination I 1 \\PmticiDation . -_--- I *Promote parent support groups I overwhelm parents with too manv activities 115 . . -.,, `Lx *Involve parents in program plannw *Provide more year-round prograr- *Provide f&&~ Head Start or locate Head Start together wm llue p or other childcare programs *Provide childcare for special needs children zation from parents about children's specific needs nest answers to parents' questions rather than "beating th, Of to a1 at er mod&d after the Nebraska Family Policy Act g h professional groups, cy-t-gew ~0UA-Q~~ . -7 F and State-to-State partnerships i ! The Region 7 delegates expressed a need for more year-round programs for their children. They also suggested full-day Head Start programs or collocating Head Start with providers ofTitle XX or other childcare programs. The\ would like to have childcare aLiilable for their special needs children so that they cm attend activitirs in lvhich their "normal"cl~iltlrc~~~ are imolvcd. They described ho\\, sprcial needs children are oftell denied acti\-ities simple. because the\ arc labeled as disabled, even though the parcllta think thrl are c;t pahleofparticipating..Foresample. 011c mother shared that her child leas not allo~~l to ride a horsr elan though her husbantl ~vas planning to ride \cith the child and take full responsibilit!. for the child's saf'et\.. The\- urged that MY "put label\ on cans. not o11 children." Like delegates from other rrgions, thcw parents said that, to ensure smooth transitions. they must be good recordkeepers and make s~tw their children's needs are communicated ~vhen records ;II-P transferred. Because those needs are not alw+-s pal-t of' a11 official record, parents must alert professionals to them. For example, health care professionals 111a. be proficient at doing C-tube-feedings. but a parent ma!`be the only one to know that his or her child needs to he fed for 10 minutes, then rested for 10 minutes, before finishing the feeding. Caregivers might know how to get a child ready for bed, but parents know which children won't go to sleep without their teddy bears in hand. At the same time, caregivers need to communicate fully with parents. These parents prefer honest answers to their questions. They insisted that caregivers should "tell it like it is" and not "beat around the bush," particularly when the information concerns their children. The delegates agreed that a model program would have a single point of entry even though a family might need a dozen or more senices. The model program would cover all needs and disabilities and be based on the philosophy that the systems should adjust to the needs of the farnil!,. There would be a single set of paperwork for all senices and a resource cowdinator assigned to each family to help the parents through the bureaucratic maye. Pt-escreenillg of infAnts and (Aild Find stwices should be made a\Glablc to all part'llt\. They cited the Nebraska Family Policy Act, which coor- dinatrsall set-\ices to need!-families, and recommended t1lat.a national policy modeled after this act be devel- oped. These delegates also expanded the idea ofparent support groups and partnerships to include parent-to- professional groups. professional-to-professional groups, agency-to-agellc~ partnerships, colllnlullit?i-t~commu- nit!. partnerships, and State-to-State partnerships. IGmsas model programs include Parents asTeach- ers, Healthy Start, the ParentTraining and Information (Ienter. and Keys for Networking, all in Topeka. In Omaha, Nebraska, the First Step Infant Health Care Prqject has prenatal programs and integrated services for low-income mothers living in public housing. t`n- der Missouri's First Steps program, resource coordina- tors come to the home and explain available senices to parents. In St. L>ouis, Missouri, the Human Develop- ment Corporation, Parents as First Teachers, and the Parent/Child Center were recommended. Missouri and Nebraska each have information hotlines: III ,Mis- souri the hotline is called Parent/Link. Kansas also has a Resource and Referral System hotline. The Nebraska Farnil!- Support Netlvork was cited as a model support program. Missouri's Parkway Ear-l!- Childhood Pro- grams and Earlv Childhood Organization (ECHO) arr successf1tl 1110drl p~-ogt~allls. Iowa has the Early (~hiltl- hood Special Edttcation p~-og~~~t~~~. the Pat-etlt Itthttt Surturitig (:cntcr. t]lts .\KP Respite (1;n.v Tl.;tining I't.c!jr.ct. ;tiicl I'p \\`ith F,niiilic\. Delegates from thesewestern States COLORADO were concerned about the availabil- \' --,--r-.7 -. it& quality, and cost of health care in `. .!-cm --" ,\- Am I yip-~!jyyz$ erica. MONTANA I They pointed out that get- ting families covered with health in- 1' . ".,r$$ _ -4 NORTH DAKOTA -. ~, ~--- surance is a need and a solution. They __--,- , 4~ ,, . : cautmned that health insurance should _ 5. Are 4 SOUTH DAKOTA `. . ,- .-, not be confused with Medicaid, which is a limited resource. In comparing .Medicaid UTAH with health insurance, they pointed out that health insur- ante allows access to health care; Medicaid does not WYOMING gm-antee that access. Health insurance covers preventive care; Medicaid does not. Going hand in hand bith the probhn of health care costs is the concern that liability has become a real problem in the United States. The doctor's fear of being sued for damages is increasing costs for parents and communities, These more sparsely populared States have sev- eral problems in making families aware ofservices and at a Glance enkxing their participa- tion. Families livirlg in ru- ral areas often have to relv on word-of-mouth for in- formation on available ser- vrces: ~4 toll-free hotline `muld be a useful solu- tion+ Each State should halk2 a free clinic system art from local businesses for programs such as chileare With an interagency co- t ~par-ticipatiotl \i * Encotirage supp :i * Extend programs su& as Girl Scouts and 4-H Clubs to a11 communities ordinator to provide and prhde funds for fa&ies who can't afford to Participate Parents with informa- ;\ 2 I * involve parents in program design and planning \I -k lndve prents in pg-qpms to visit new mothers and nerve a6 their hn and help line up State Semites. 3s mentors i\$r Expand hosp ital funding to provide followup care Region 8 dele- gates also ttrged ii 3% I greater invol\;ement .; 2 L B is Transitions at the community and : h c h hfarmahn from F~~ about mechm that migger certain 6-p local level, not only h+ors in children ide uaining in Parent@ skills and IlUk~On as part Of ee basic for individuals but -1 ...:,,;,.,l,,m to conduct Parenting training and help alsO for local busi- _ ._ dve Parenting vision , msses. They recom- -- &^ kllrrrmp 2 nation of learners mended that local that and local funds to supPo* P'ogrms * Run programs as businesses are run, with measures to ensure &j&yes are being carried out their business leaders support childcare centers, for instance. They suggested that community programs such as the Young Slen's Chris- tian Association (YMCA), the Girl Scouts, and -l-H Clubs be extended to all commuriities and that fLmds be pro- vided to families who cannot afford these programs. The) recommended that parents lobby within theircommuni- ties to sensitize leaders to the importance of the farnil>- as the basic building block of the communi?. They stressed that parents should be involved in program design and planning. An example of veteran parent involvement would be to visit new mothers in the hospital and serve as mentors. They also stated that hospitals need to allocate funds for followup care. Like the parents from Region 7, the Region 8 parents said that it is their role to inform programs about their children's particular behaviors and needs that might not be part of an official record. These delegates talked about the importance of informing new senice and care providers, before the transition takes place, about trigger mechanisms that evoke certain behaviors and ways the parent has found to control behavioral problems. Tran- sitions can be difficult and become a monumental hurdle to a family's development. When a transition is made, these delegates said, families need to celebrate their mutual or individual achievement. The Region 8 delegates advocated that training in parenting skills and proper nutrition should be pxt of' the basic school curriculum. Furthermore, they main- tained that parental edllcation is a role that religious bodies should assume. Part of that education, regard- less of its source, should be to help parents develop a positive parentingvision. Itwould bewiseforeducators to remember that not every parent's childhood lends itself to such positive experiences and that not everyone has an instinctive vision about parenting. This group looked at education in America and declared that we must become a nation of learners. Parents need to redevelop their onm enthusiasm for learning if they are going to create such an enthusiasm in their children. The Region 8 delegates cited a neecl for more mingling of Federal, State, and local funds to support programs. The!, also added that programs should be run in a manner similar to businesses, with measures to ensure that those who use the programs are receiving the value that they are intended to provide. Existing model programs they cited were Partners in Leadership, Family Resource Centers, Effective Parents Project, Parent Education and Assistance for Kids (PEAK) Parent Center, the Disability Information and Referral Senice (DIRS) Hotline, Connect, and El Groupa Vida in Colorado; Ask A Nurse and First Steps in Montana; Track- ing in North Dakota; and Baby Your Baby in Utah. Region 9 and 10 delegates argtted forcefully that health care and so- ALASKA AMERICAN SAMOA ARIZONA CALIFORNIA GUAM HAWAII IDAHO MARIANA ISLANDS NEVADA OREGON I WASHINGTON ,/,; is . -A.._ cial service systems should recog- ~ ._.. I, Y ,"J <:-;,;i -`__ &,t - -2 nize and \,alue native language dif- i ---"-y; ferences, local customs, and family _; .~r i L'dllles. %,foSt systems shobv a marked .~. ---., _ cultural insensitivitx. and fail to involve parents in decisions that affect their chil- dren. Social service workers need to be mot-e compassionate, and the)- need to encourage the growth ofcommunity-based programs. Eligibility crite- ria need major overhauling. The criteria are based 0:: artificial standards (income levels versus need) and lead to unfair labeling and inequities in services. Re- gional cost of living differences are not taken into account. They maintained that families rvho need the sen.ices most often cannot participate. Like parents in other reLgions, the.% delegates com- plained about the lackofcoordination offsenices; duplication of some senices co~h.Ses recipients and forces providers to compete forfitnding while gaps exist in the provision ofothet senices. Furthetmore, the)~n~aintined that the &shbtthon of.Xnices around he countn is ~llfAW1. Thev Aso voiced a desire t(~ paticipate i]l tile de `@* and planning for prcr gl~mts,itlclttdingi~~~o]vement `I1 cunictthtrn development, hi"lg.~ldbttdgetdecisiot,s. `At the same titne, parenh IllUS ensure tha&-nice pre \idersha~eafitllundentand- ingof~eirchildren'sneeds, They A0 tttaiIltiIled hat tO family problems such as divorce, substance or incarcet7ttiOn of a parent sibility to be advocates, not On&for tbeirchildren but ais0 for the pt-oograms in which they participate, and to lobby for these the Far \$`est and Pacific protectorates shared their concerns about the overwhelming responsibilities of being parents. The) said that parents need hope to get them through dail!. living and especially in situations when transitions are involved. To give families hope. Government agencies and other service providers need to help them fulfill basic needs, including those for housing. health rare. and nutrition. These parents also noted the lack of collaboration among agencies and the lack of consis- tency across agencies, both of jvhich make transitions more difficult. Thev cited a need for rtxferral pel-solar lvithill agencies to help families deal \vith transition issues. The Nation as a whole (especiall! all peoplr caring for its children) needs to comprehend the ef- fects of such family problems as broken honks and substance abuse: special concerns of parents 1vli0 art` incarcerated or unemploved need to be understood and taken into consideration when transitions are necessan.. Parents have a respoilsil~ilit~ to netrrork and to be team players in helping to provide senices, par- ticular-l!, during times of transition. Like the delegates from other regions, this group maintained that parents must maintain information about their children, and the\, must prepare their children for transitions. A model program would allocate funds for parent networks. especially among minority groups; involve local media, churches, and other community organiza- tions. including police, to disseminate information: involve greater parent participation; reduce paperwork for applicants: ensure that programs and senices are better coordinated; and respond to information re- quests in a timelv mamler. Examples of model pro- grams cited b!, these delegates include the Murphy School District in Phoenix,Arizona; California's Healthy Start Support Senices for Children; Even Start in Blackfoot, Idaho: the Slaternal and Child Health Pro- gram. Handicapped (:hildren's Resource Center, and Referral for Senices in the Mariana Islands; and the \\`ashoe Pregnanq Center in Reno, Sevada. Native American delegates iden- .- tified the search for information :," - &-ki , 2,` ~ . . - -.`1' . . , *. *+.:fg$y,-J;Y as their overriding issue. Parents I+(a[e s reguiations and policies, Federal programs also 1 f inj&ed workers benefits. 5 i * Provide controls over mistreatment oy `1 f Increase available health care and social se1 VKCJ ii * hcreae coordination of ser\`ke~ among State a $1 i $* provide resource materi& on each Stat{." nrnCT' I\ * Provide funding for support groups i bak-ticipation I e * Provide conveniently located facilities ! I* Address transportation problems H .I:,.,,.. 4 -. ' We, and I L.S. D epartments of Health and Human Ser- "migrallt" differently, 7 I! * Examine poli$=s and impkmentdon of food stamp aflomion leads to confLlsion i! * Make Food Stamps available for distribution through the Post Office \ ' * Address communication Problems by proG&mg more bhgd staff ;!, * Enforce child labor laws and keep children in school $I* Provide daycare services :a and causes denial ofben- for Lvigrant families jbransitions -J Actor ,,,h?mtcmc 70 h& ii * prov& improved access to pro@ :I $1 migrant families preparc r~ ~- &-^ 18 * Make tra&r of s&oO~ CredlB U~l~r*l ' Ii * Improve sensitivltJ I to migrant f;.-"ip" 1"`1"~.3 p robleGs and show respect 1 i * Hold a followup conference igrant lvorkers who do participate in programs find that the!; often must travel long distances to ob- tain sen-ices and miss lvhole days of work. Transportation is often hard to obtain. Crew leaders often do not allow parents time off to attend meetings. Migrants are often subjected to illegal treatment regarding Food Stamps allocation. One delegate recommended that Food Stamp distribu- tion be alphabetized for pickup at post offices, so that recipients do not have to spend hours lvaiting in line. Communication is often a problem for Migrants hc- cause senice providers lack enough bilingual staff` or have no one who can speak the client`s language. Keeping Migrant children in school is a pressing issue. Child labor laws are not enforced: children as voung as 10 or 11 years are hired to work in the fields. Parents often have no recourse but to havr their chil- dren work; their family's livelihood depends on theit halTesting as much as possible, and each pair of hands adds to their production. This problem is compounded by the lack of daycare for Al&ant families. The result isthat small children are brought to the fields along side working mothers, or they are left in the care of children who are too young to work, and It-ho are not much oldei than their charges. Migrant families, their conference representa- tives pointed out, face transitions that are a!most ahva1.s double-edged; they. are geographic as well as develop- mental. Migrant families are constantly making transi- tions and that means new rules and new ernironments for their children without any mechanisms to prepare for the adjustment. This continuolls movement means continually losing friends and family support.- This delegation commented that it is particularI> important for their parents to he guardians ofchildren's records. It is common for Migrant families to complete and file all the paperwork necessan to receive public assistance, only to have the growing season change and force a move to another State before the assistance starts. M'hen they get to the new State, they added, the paperwork has to be redone. But guarding the records does not always guarantee that they lvill be transferred easily or correctly. These delegates said school credits do not transfer from State to State Ve1-v easill- or un- formly, especially when students enroll in a nc'\v scl~ool in the middle ofa term. Migrant parents ~-c~co~~~nl~nd~~l that the U.S. Department of Education devise a system that allows classes and credits- to transfer from other States. These delegates also called for improved access to routine programsasaway tomake transitionssmooth. The!- said that bad health conditions and no daycare, after-school care, or social semices are the norm for communities lvhere Migrant workers live. They urged tha.t employers of Migrant tvorkers be closely moni- tored regarding their employment practices, facilities, and use of pesticides. For .\ligrant parents, developing children's self- esteem often entails demanding respect for Migrant families in general from teachers and other caregivers or sell-ice providers. They complimented the confer- ence cosponsors for including Migrant issues on the agenda. sa!ing that more of these opportunities are needed. They urged the continued participation of \Iigrant families so that they can be partners in raising healthy children ready to learn. The families agreed that a model program should include classes in prenatal care, dental care, and En- glish as a second language; make Head Start available for all Migrant children; involve parents in policy deci- sions; bring mobile health clinics to rural areas; fund senior centers for care for the elderly; and sensitize social sewice staffers to the special needs and cultural differences of Migrant workers. Migrant families are subjected to exceptional stresses and strains, and model programs should take care to address the needs of the family as a whole, to help maintain family integrity. Among existing model programs, Washington State has a Migrant Council that works with the whole family; the East Coast Migrant Head Start provides continuitv of sewices; and overall, Head Start is an effective program because it is designed to seme the family as a unit. 4 Presentation of Findings Chapter 4 0 ii the final tlw of the (:onf~rencc, the mort than iO0 participants came together to hear the findings of the Parrnr L2'w.k (;roups. Thr fincl- ings were presented I~\, three parelIt rcpresentati\~es, ant' for each of the topics discussed: a\varrness of and entn into health, education, and social srn-ice sytcms: partici- pation in the systems; and transitions fi-om one program to another within the systems. The parents prepared their presentations of the findings by working with the Ivork group facilitators, recorders, and rapporteurs to deter- mine a national consensus based upon the thorough it-ritten notes of the work group sessions. After the parent representatives presented the findings, the issues theI. raised were addressed 11~ the Responder Panel, composed of directors of key Go\.ernment agencies that pro\icle services to families. This dual panel composed of the Parent Representatives and the Rry~onder Panel ~vx moderated b~RearXclmiral~]ulia Plotnick. (:hirf`Surse of the U.S. Public Health %-\-ice. Awareness of cm02 EntrJ into He&h, Education, and Serial Service S\;stem Hi. She [Rear Admiral Plotnick] told \OII I`m from Clinton count?. I liw in a VCI>. rural part of Xl-kansas, and so that's the background I come f~rom. I have t\vo children. I have a l+.ear-old who is normal, hralth!-. and looks like she's 1X. and an X-year-old who has spina b&da, a neuralgenic bladder, severely dislocated hips, club feet, hydrocephalus, and growth hormone defi- cienc!. and tvho must take injections daih.. I'm a mllltidegreed individual, and I think I'm \\~a11 educatul. bllt I have to tell \oiI that rwtkiugin ni) lifl prepared my fix being the parent of a special needs child. But then. nothing prepared me for being the parwt of`;1 tanager. either. So,!x)u knoiv, youjust have to Iwrn as 1011 go. \I\- X-war-old daughter. \\ho has spina hifida, has txwl inwlvcd in programs like Head Start, \vhich \vas a blesillg to nn f':miil\,. I'rvxwtl~- she is on TEFRA,' \vhich. as m;un~ of \`OII ma\. knolv, is the Katie Beckett uai\x*r. and. again. that's been a Godsend to rnr. f:,lniilv. It can he \rl?' frustrating Iv-hen you are lvorking imtl ti3ing to do good for \vitr famih~, and just because 68 Parents Speak Out for America'~ Children you are lvorking and tying to do good, \-oil don't ha1.e any more ofan idea whew to go for sellices than people who aren't working and \vell educated. I mean. .just because ~OLI have a college degree. doesn't giw you an!- great insight into how to deal uith children. That's,just something u'e all ha1.e to learn. It's my task today to summarize to !VU the wports fl-om the groups on a\varene~~ and elltr\. and 1 \\-ish to let ~OLI knon- that I am speaking to !ou in a collaborati\~ wice, and not as a singlr illdi\iclual. The Parents' Roles and Responsibilities The groups felt that the parents sho~~ld first btw)mc inf'c~rmrd abotit their olvn cllildrc11'5 needs, ant1 that they need to he informrd about 1\4~at wr\-ict+ :IIN' available. It's ~el~ important to remember that I\noul- eclge is polver. A1nd \ve n~td to kncnv \vllat 0111 right4 a\ parents are. Parents should be thril- childrt3l's adw~catr~s;. and in order to do this, theI mllst first haw a belict in themseh~es. They've got to be ably to newt their ow11 needs in order to be equal partIlers with p~~olC~ssio~~al~ and sewice providers. Parents sliould nct\\.oi-k Gth other parents because there is great strength in num- bus, but NY have to keep in mind that net\~orking can be just one person Ivith allother l~~w~n. Issues of Concern There's just too much red tape and paperu,ork in systems that a;.e not people oriented. It's ye17 diflicult to get into the systems, and once IULI get in. VOII don't want to stay. An example of this is problems lvith the Medicaid program. Medicaid sa!`s that they will pa!' for senices for children who are indicated b!. screenings. hut they are un~villing to pay pro\idrrs eno~~gh mane! to make it worth their while. And the end result is the same: the child still gets no sellices. The system is not set up to meet thr needs of people whose first language is not English and who ha1.e a different culture. Their hours are inflexible fi)r working people. If \.ou'w got a <)-to-S.job, a lot of times You can't take off \\,ork to get VOLII' child's inimuni/a- tions \+.ithout rndangrrillg \.otII` 01~11 job. That's ;I problem. There are bat-l-iers for physically impaired people. There's a lack of transportation to providers, especially in remote rural areas. There is no account- abilit!. in the system, ancl if'you have a problem, there is often no one to ~vhoni ~011 can complain. Our s!.stem fosters dependency. Generations are growing alp on a lvelfare svstem. and it's becoming the oiih \~a\' of life that they know. In some cases, single parclits making minimum Irage cannot afford private llc.alth instu-anre to coyer their children. =\nd thus, in n1;u1~~ USC\. it's easier to he dependent on the system than it is to get a~job. 1l'elfAre programs, such as AFDC, cause f;unilies problems; families are unable to get a\sistancc* a lot of timrs unless the father is willing to lea\ e the honle. thus bre;Aing up the family. Thtw artw't rnough tas dollars to go around. T~~cw art.n't ~n0~1g1~ ri01lu1:~ to go around.