Bridges to Success

Hamilton Center
Family Service Workers’ Office
AM FSWs: (pictured from left to right) Jessie Smith, Dana Daniels, Jackie Verda, and Kim Shannon (not pictured).

I changed it up this week. Instead of a classroom, I spent time in the Family Service Workers’ office at our Hamilton Head Start Center. Our Family Service Workers (FSWs) have a unique job that does not readily compare outside of Head Start. Part of the job is registration, not unlike the staff at the hospital who gather all your information before testing or admittance. It also involves front-line advocacy. That role reminds me of the fitness staff circulating on the floor at a gym. The ones right there to show you the ropes and help you get the most out of your membership. The most visible part of the FSW’s job is enrollment recruitment. Anyone who has attended a school or training of their choice has encountered a recruiter; your experience with the recruiter was likely one of the deciding factors in making your application.

I worked at the meeting table just inside the door. Maria Vasquez, the supervisor, put me to work monitoring student files. She gave me a crash course on how to review and set me loose. The files are divided by requirements:  a section for enrollment and eligibility, a section on health and assessment, a section on authorization for student release. A complete file easily has 20 to 30 required documents. Most documents have multiple sections and fields with asterisks indicating leaving the spaces blank was not an option.

File-keeping and proper documentation are big deals in the Head Start world. Incomplete records result in findings by auditors and licensing authorities. Missing assessments or out of date records can also yield findings. When you realize that almost every piece of information is used daily in some way, you know this is not an unreasonable standard. Most importantly, this information is used to serve children and families in the best way possible. Its accuracy is important.

The FSWs are a study in task management and perpetual motion. They popped among phones and email and parents tapping on the door. There was a literacy event with fathers that had each FSW staying in contact with teachers. Attendance was done by the time I arrived, but attendance follow up was in progress. FSWs have responsibilities related to meal counts. We also continue to recruit. Two new placements were being processed which was the source of happy smiles. Giving a child and family a new beginning never gets old.

What I Learned

The morning held few surprises, but was valuable nonetheless. I hear from the Head Start supervisors and managers about the importance of family engagement. When one of the FSWs said that being accessible to parents is an over-riding practice for her, I was pleased to see how priorities are shared. That FSW said that she gets out into the hallways when parents are in the building just to make contact. I have been told in the past that helping parents set goals is all about understanding what they are dealing with on a daily basis. Being in the hallway is a very smart approach and provides a FSW ripe opportunity to be of service.

Linking It Together

Our administrative offices are in downtown Lorain. I drive over the lift bridge on Erie most mornings to get to work. This time of year it is rare to get stopped because the bridge is up. The center lift sections of the bridge are actually grated metal and driving over the metal makes your tires rumble. I think Family Service Workers act like that bridge. They help parents get where they are going. They reassure parents that stops and starts are to be expected and that you can still usually hear the radio over life’s rumblings. When turning up the volume is not enough, it is good to know that help is at hand to figure out what else to do.