Circle of Parents Partners for Kids: United Hands Make the Best Families National Child Abuse and Neglect Conference At

1. CircleofParents Partners for Kids: United Hands Make the Best Families National Child Abuse and Neglect Conference Atlanta, Georgia April, 2009

2. Circle of Parents Working Together • It is a WAY OF WORKING that BUILDS the WILL of the “community” to work together to bring about a desired result. • The QUALITY of engagement reflects the QUALITY of our decisions and ultimately the QUALITY of our outcomes. • HOW we decide is as important as WHAT we decide.

3. Today’s Plan • Identify the principles of parent support, shared leadership & collaborative culture • Identify how those principles have been implemented to build a multi-level, multi-disciplinary system to serve families more comprehensively • Steps, Challenges & Tips

4. CircleofParents ® • Introductory Exercise • Get Up & Move • Introduce yourself to at least 3 people you don’t know • Greet the Person -  – I’m glad you’re here today! • Name • What you do • Agency/Program • City, State • What’s your experience been working with teams, partners, collaborations

5. CircleofParents ® • National Network – 26 state/regions, 12 National Parent Leaders; 5 National staff; Board of Directors • Mission – Prevent child abuse and neglect and strengthen families through mutual self-help parent support groups.

6. CircleofParents ® Diversity – The Art of Thinking Independently TogetherMalcolm S. Forbes • PCAA Chapters, Private Non-Profits; Public Agencies • Mission Statements • Staff Structure • Organization/Agency Structure • Funding Streams • State Partners – HV, DV, Fatherhood • Political Climate • State’s Geography • Families

7. Mission Statements • IL – ‘to give children help, hope, and opportunity; • NH – ‘advancing the well-being of children by providing an array of social services to strengthen family life and by promoting community commitment to the needs of children’; • TN – ‘preventing CA/N of TN’s children by working with other organizations & individuals to development programs, services & resources for the prevention of CA/N’. Perhaps the most necessary key to the achievement of community is the appreciation of differences. Scott Peck

8. Circle of Parents ® • MOUs, Membership Fees, BPSA • Standards, core tenets, principles • Standing Committees • Systems for free flow of information • Continuous Feedback/consensus building • Participatory Training, Materials & Evaluation design & implementation

9. PRINCIPLES • Parent Support Groups • Shared Leadership • Collaborative Culture

10. Principles– Parent Support Groups • Trust • Reciprocity • Leadership & Personal Accountability • Respect • Parenting in the Present • Shared Leadership • Responsibility • Non-Violence

11. Principles – Shared Leadership • Parents/Practitioners are equals • No one has all the answers • Mutual respect, trust & open-mindedness • Collective action based upon shared values, ownership & accountability • Consensus building

12. Principles Collaborative Culture • Commitment to the success of other members, rather than just one’s own • Valuing of truth and truth telling • Commitment to continuous improvement of the whole group/org. • Active learning • Personal responsibility

13. Principles-Collaborative Culture • Trust & respect in everyday interactions • Egalitarian attitudes among members at all ranks • Shared leadership where all members take initiative • Valuing of diverse perspectives • Celebrate successes

14. CHALLENGES to keeping our Collaborative Culture • Job Responsibilities • Monitoring our feedback/consensus process • Care & Feeding of the Network Members • Meeting Times – Coordinating Time Zones • Unfamiliar w/Language, protocols, system • Phone, not face to face • Might not feel safe • Uncomfortable/untrained w/teleconference calls • Sharing Leadership – where are the parents? • New Network staff & States (mentor) • Develop relationship • Getting them to take a risk

15. Conducive Skills & Behaviors • Patience & Persistence • Shows a ‘win-win’ state of mind Shares knowledge, resources & common goal • Willingness to set aside personal or organizational agenda • Willingness to take risks • Effective group facilitation skills • Continuous feedback/consensus building

16. Conducive Skills & Behaviors • Being accountable for one’s own actions & responsible to the group • Coaching & nurturing the development of others • Perseverance when facing difficult issues • “Living with’ and being accountable for the outcome • Celebrating success

17. Creating a Collaborative Culture National Circle of Parents Office State Network Members (Group-based) Local Home Visiting Services Fatherhood Domestic Violence

18. HV PROGRAMS • Healthy Families America • Parents as Teachers • Nurse/Family Partnership • Healthy Start • Early Head Start

19. Partners for Kids: United Hands Make the Best Families Responsible Fatherhood Project Funding for this project was provided by the US Dept. of HHS, ACYF, OFA, Grant No. 90FR0098, CFDA# 93.086 Promoting Responsible Fatherhood Community Access Program

20. PROJECT GOAL • To increase the capacity of local community and/or faith-based home visiting programs to provide education and support groups that promote responsible parenting among expectant and new fathers of babies up to age 12 months.

21. OBJECTIVES • Prepare local, community-based HV programs to successfully engage & help fathers become responsible parents; • Prepare expectant & new fathers to be involved in the healthy development of their children

22. PROJECT OUTCOMES • Organizations will become more FF by increasing the # of fathers involved • Increase father-child quality interaction • Increase father’s knowledge of child dev • Increase father’s knowledge of community resources • Improve in father’s role as a family provider and partner with the mother of the child

23. FF Organization/Program Domains Measured for Local Programs: • Leadership and organizational philosophy • Program management/program policies and procedures • Parent involvement program/service content • Recruitment and retention strategies for fathers • Program physical environment • Staff training and development • Resource networking and community outreach

24. Father Involvement Domains Measured: • Parenting/Parent-Child Relationship • Father-Mother Relationship • Self-Management Skills • Community Resources

25. Circle of Parents national office: Leads and coordinates project activities Circle of Parents state and national networks: Help the project connect to the needs of the local organizations. Ensure local groups receive sufficient training and technical assistance so that father education & support groups are: a. implemented according to the model; b. are operated effectively; c. meet the needs of the families; and d. are sustainable over time. Multi-Tiered Approach Local community & faith-based orgs: Establish Partner for Kids programs Each serve 50 dads/year

26. Project Guidance • Nat’l Fatherhood Advisory Committee • Network Committees • National Grant Review Panel • Consultants • Federal Project Officer

27. MULTI-PARTNERSHPS • Home Visiting Programs • Parent Trust for Washington Children • National Fatherhood Initiative • Domestic Violence Consultant • Prevent Child Abuse America • Network States & Parents as Leaders

28. ROLES & EXPECTATIONS Multi-Level Process • National • State • Local

29. NATIONAL • Provide grant oversight • Issue & Award RFPs yearly – 5 years • Provide T & TA & Resources • Conduct Site Visits • Direct Evaluation Efforts • Coordinate an Advisory Committee • Utilize Consultants – NFI - DV

30. STATE MEMBERS Support implementation in 2 local sites • Provide training in support group model • Provide ongoing T/TA & Networking • Provide materials • Site visit • Work with local sites on sustainability Coordinate FF state training Partner with DV Consultant Promote & advocate for fatherhood

31. LOCAL HV PROGRAMS Provide education & support services for 50 expectant and new dads • Complete FF Check-up Assessment • Create Plan for Becoming More FF • Offer Conscious Fathering™ classes • Offer Circle of Parents groups for dads • DV Partner/Create DV Protocols • Seek resources to sustain fatherhood • Participate in evaluation – submit reports

32. EVALUATION PROCESS National level: - Training & TA Call Evaluation Forms State level: - Self-Assessment (pre/post)- FF Check-up + worksheet Program/site level: - Self-Assessment (pre/post)- FF Check-up + worksheet - Satisfaction (staff focus groups) Participant Level: - Retrospective post-then-pre surveys - Conscious Fathering & Dads Groups • Satisfaction (surveys & focus groups)

33. STATE OF THE PROJECT • States • Locals • T/TA • Resources • Results

37. Training (National) • Training • Project Training 3 days (state & local)(52) • Recruiting & Retaining • Domestic Violence • FF Best Practices & Creating FF Programs • Conscious Fathering Program (local) (67) • Creating FF Programs/Organizations (147) 1 training within state (state & local)

38. Technical Assistance (Nat’l) • TA Teleconference Calls • 30 calls • Marketing Do’s & Don’ts • DV & Fatherhood – Developing Protocols • Father-Friendly Best Practices • Understanding F/M Parenting Styles • Outcome Evaluation & data collection • Program Sharing – Learning from Each Other

39. Training/TA/PA (State) (07/07 – 09/08) • Training & Technical Assistance • 59 Training Events • 1,090 Phone Calls, Emails, Site Visits, Materials • 493 Public Awareness Activities

40. Evaluation/Data CollectionJuly 2007 – September 2008(Year 1) • 250 education & group sessions • 101- Conscious Fathering classes • 149 – Circle of Parents groups for dads • 321 new & expectant dads served • 47% married; 35% unmarried/living tog; 11% living apart • 40% expectant; • 42% household income <$20K • 39% education some HS, or less than HS; 25% HS grads • 71% employed full time • 62% ages 29 and younger • 35% Hispanic; 49% Caucasian & 11% African-American • 51% had no other children; 24% had 1 other child

41. Collaborative Culture Recognition that no one person has the solutions to multifaceted problems that a group or organization must address. Leadership requires a set of principles that empower all members to act & employ a process that allows the collective wisdom to surface. Leadership is based on an understanding that people have the knowledge & creativity to respond to the problems they face. Supportive collective action based on shared vision, ownership and mutual values is encouraged to develop.

42. Creating a Collaborative Culture National Circle of Parents Office State Network Members (Group-based) Local Home Visiting Services Fatherhood Domestic Violence

43. CHALLENGES to creating a Collaborative Culture • Each has own unique history, language, funding streams, focus & approach • Missions can sometimes be at odds • Families interacting • Families separating • Testing Conscious Fathering Program in community-based setting • New way of working together – national, state & local

44. CHALLENGES to creating a Collaborative Culture • Circle of Parents/SL – lack of knowledge or experience • HV Programs all different • Staff get trained and then leave • Funding decreases in other areas • Don’t know each other • Little or no experience w/teleconference calls

45. CHALLENGES to creating a Collaborative Culture • Don’t know each other – operate in silos • Misunderstanding & Stereotyping • Fears & Concerns • Safety of women and their children • Safety of children • Encouraged to stay in abusive relationships • Don’t acknowledge men are sometimes battered

46. Saginaw County Protection Council • Common Group • Open Communication • Respect for each org’s role in the community • Fair Play • Trust • Positive Experiences Communities of commitment where people are continually learning how to learn together. Peter Senge

47. Saginaw County Protection Council • Sum of whole is greater than any one part alone • Supportive Environment • It’s all about the families – not me – or my organization Mary Ellen Johnson, Div. Dir. Teen Parent Services

48. Does your Organization have a Collaborative Culture? • Commitment to the success of other members, rather than just one’s own • Valuing of truth and truth telling • Commitment to continuous improvement of the whole organization • Attention to relationships • Active learning • Personal responsibility

49. Does your Organization Have a Collaborative Culture? • Trust & respect in everyday interactions • Egalitarian attitudes among members at all ranks • Shared leadership where all members take initiative • Valuing of diverse perspectives • Celebrate successes

50. TIPS – Building Collaborative Culture • Get to know each other first • Don’t jump into your agenda • Creating a trusting relationship • Be intentional and strategic • Mtgs. must include strategies to encourage open & constructive dialogue • Build your collaborative skills • Identify Common Ground