There are many agencies and organizations within my
community and state that serve children and families. For this blog post, I am
going to share three of them and state how I can play a role for each. There are
so many roles, positions, and paths us EC professionals can take on in our efforts
to advocate for and serve families in our community. This fact is exciting for
me.
The first organization I want to share is my local Alabama
Department of Human Resources (DHR). Their mission is to make sure that families
and children’s have all their needs met. They have many items they give for
free including diapers, clothes, and food. Parents can get all the information
they need about local child care centers and daycare homes, including if they
are licensed and/or accredited. They have disaster and emergency services for
families who have just lost their home or jobs. There are many current job
opportunities. They are hiring social workers, case workers, and financial assistance
workers. Most of these positions require a degree of some sort and at least 3
years of experience in the related field. Governor
Robert Bentley on Thursday announced the Alabama Department of Human Resources,
Child Care Services Division(DHR) has been selected to receive an Early Head
Start – Child Care Partnership (EHSCCP) grant from the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services totaling $8.3 million per year for five years.
This is very exciting for our state and I have am so glad that I can be a part
of how these services get to where they need to go—young children and families.
Another agency in my state is the
Parenting Assistance Line (PAL). The Parenting
Assistance Line (PAL) is a collaborative service of the University of Alabama
Child Development Resources and the Alabama Children's Trust Fund. It is
available for any parent or caregiver who is in need of support, advice, or
just to talk with someone who will listen. Parents can get resources for anything
they need whether it is counseling services in their area, books to read with
their children, or a confidence boost. I refer PAL to all parents and
caregivers who ask me for resources. The number to call is 866-962-3030 and they are available 8am-8pm Monday
through Friday. They have a few positions open for a Parent Assistance
Specialist. They require you have at least 2 years of experience in a childhood
field and training is provided.
I also like the local Alabama
Department of Public Health (ADPH). They aim to help prevent and control disease
and decreases health issues for residents of Alabama. They provide free supplies
and food to families in need, as well as professional services to help people
no matter their socio-economic status or health issues. This is a wonderful
resource for parents who need help with children with special needs or for
parents who have special needs themselves. They are currently hiring Public Health
Educators to develop and coordinate public health education programs all over
the state. The pay is anywhere from $31,000-$59,000. A bachelor’s degree in an education
field is required with preference to experience in a health field. I have a
second passion for healthy eating and natural living. I make my own soaps,
cleaners, lotions, ect, and eat as raw as I can in the hopes of being disease
and sick free. I share my handmade supplies with others so that they can be
healthier as well. This is a great organization that reaches ou to many people.
Jalice,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post and think that you have shared some great organizations. I was very interested in in the Parenting Assistance Line. This agency provides a unique opportunity for parents to gain information. Sometimes, as a parent, you can feel isolated, and believe that no one else is having the problems that you are having with your children. It makes all the difference in the world to be able to call and seek reassurance and assistance. After going to their site, I was very impressed with the comments that they made regarding judgment. Many parents may believe that they will be judged or believed to be bad parents. however, this agency makes a point on their main page to comment that it is better to talk things out with an adult and not take things out on your children. What a great resource for parents, thanks for sharing.
Amanda
Reference
http://www.pal.ua.edu/index2.php
I am very intrigued to read about the organization PAL as I feel far too often a child will get a little basic help but the family received nothing therefore not helping the situation for the long term just getting the child by. I believe that in order for children to excel the whole family most be helped. As educators we are taught to teach to the whole child and when helping the child we need to try to help the family find resources that they may need. Now if the mental health industry would get on board with the mentality that you can treat the child but you must counsel the family as the child needs the family as resource of understanding and support.
ReplyDeleteNice post
Mary harr
The Parenting Assistance Line seems like an excellent organization, Jalice. I am a firm believer that parents do the best that they can for their children. Instead of judging those who do things differently I believe we need to work with and educate families.
ReplyDeleteI had a family a few years ago that sent their Kindergarten son a bag of mini marshmallows, a can of Coke, and 2 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups for lunch each day. As I am not in the cafeteria with my students I was not aware of this until one of our lunch aids made mention of what she considered poor parenting skills. At conferences I asked the mother to tell me about what she sends for lunch. She explained those were her sons favorite things and he always asked for them. I pressed a bit further and mentioned that the lunch he requested may not be giving him the energy he needed in school. His mother looked completely baffled and asked me what other students bring for lunch. I rattled off a few healthy examples and she quickly grabbed a piece of paper and started writing. This woman was trying to give her son foods he liked and did not even realize that it was unhealthy. She happily took all of my suggestions and started packing healthy, well-balanced lunches.
Again, I think instead of immediately writing a family off as lazy or thinking of them as poor parents we need to really ask ourselves if we’ve provided the education to help them. Thanks for sharing your organizations this week!