Engaging Families in Home-Based Programs

Engaging Families in Home-Based Programs

Randi Hopper: Alright. So, welcome for joining the webinar today. We are really excited that you're here. And I've seen so many people from across all the regions and in so many various positions that are here to listen for our information today.

And so, here we go. We're going to start off our webinar. We're going to focus on Engaging Families in Home-Based. And so, my name is Randi Hopper. I'm a senior T&TA specialist with the National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching and Learning, also known as DTL.

And while I'm sharing this information with all of you, my friend and colleague Donna Ruhland, a senior subject matter expert at DTL, is going to be providing some answers to your submitted questions throughout the — throughout the webinar. So, let's get started by looking at a couple of the ON24 features that we have today. So, if you have any questions at all, you can select the purple Q&A widget that you'll see at the bottom of the screen. We'll be trying to answer those questions as much as we can.

And so, if you have any tech questions, please make sure to enter them into that purple box, as well. A copy of today's slide deck — and additional resources — are available in the resource list, which is the green widget. We encourage you to download any resources or links that you might find helpful. There are two handouts for today — one is the Foundations of Excellence, and the other one is a strengths-based attitudes and relationship-based practices handout — along with a copy of the slides today. So, you can make sure to download — download those throughout, and we will be referring back to those as we kind of share some content. So, throughout the session, you'll also be using the blue group chat widget to engage with each other.

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So, moving forward, let's take a look at our objective. So, our objectives for today are really to explore the expectation and benefits for families enrolled in the home-based programs. We're going to review how the alignment of program goals and family goals can increase family engagement overall, as well as identifying some possible barriers to family engagement and sharing strategies to reduce those barriers. And throughout, we'll also be talking about some resources that can support ongoing engagement with families.

Now, before we get started, we're going to go into a poll question. Now, those of you who have engaged with our webinars in the past, this ... We're going to try something new. So, your poll question now is going to pop up in a separate window, and you're going to have 30 seconds to select your answer. When you submit your answer, your — the pop-up box is going to disappear. And so, at the end of that 30 seconds, I'll be pushing us forward to look at the results for everybody. OK?

So, let's get started. Alright. So, which statement best describes you in your role? "I'm a home visitor and directly engage with families." "I'm a parent or guardian and directly engage in home-based services." "I am a manager, supervisor, or coordinator and directly support those providing home-based services." "I am a coach and directly support those providing home-based services." "I am an administrator or director and directly support home-based programs or program planning." So, go ahead and select which one really pertains to you. And we're going to wait our 30 seconds. So, we've been — we're about halfway through right now. So, you will notice that you — that box will disappear, like I said, and you'll be looking back at our objectives. But as soon as everybody's good, we're going to push forward.

Alright. So, here we go. We're gonna push forward to our results. And look at that — a majority of you are all home — home visitors and directly engage with families, and we're so excited that you're here. We do have a few parents. Another big majority being the manager, supervisor, and coordinator area. And then we kind of have an equal number of coaches and administrators. So, I am super glad that all of you are here, but it really helps us to see what — who our audience is as we go forward. Alright, so ... [Clears throat] Sorry. Without further ado, let's go. Alright. So, we're going to start here with taking a closer look, really, at the intention of home-based — the home-based program option, as well as the expectations and benefits to enrolled families.

Alright, so, here we look at the Head ... The Head Start Program Performance Standards really outline four program options. We've got center-based, home-based, family child care, and any approved variation. So, our focus, as it is with each home visitor's series webinar, is really, of course, on the home-based option.

However, in order to discuss the benefits and expectations of this option, we kind of have to start at what makes it really unique. So, here you see that the Head Start Program Performance Standards state about education and child development services and how they're delivered in both center-based or family child care and home-based. So, you see here on — on this frame that all programs must provide high-quality early education and child development services. And so, this includes children with disabilities, and that promote children's cognitive, social, and emotional growth for later success in school. Here's where we see how these are delivered in a unique way.

The center-based or family child care, they have to embed those responsive practices and really look at the teacher-child interaction, whereas the home-based program, we promote the secure parent-child relationship and help parents provide that high-quality early learning, because that is happening in the home.

So, here you see a very simplified representation of how positive child outcomes are achieved in center-based and family child care. So, you see that direct connection between effective teaching practices and child development. The child is usually in the classroom five days a
week, about six hours or more a day. So, you're looking at that direct interaction time of approximately about 30 hours. OK? So, if you look at them together, it's a big chunk of time throughout the week. But then when we look at, say, what makes it different for home visitors, we take a look at the fact that the difference really is that effective home visiting practices directly go into positive parenting practices, which then lead to child development. So, we're not seeing that specific connection between practices to child development like we did with the center-based. We see that our role, really, is to then promote that parenting piece, and we do that in a shorter amount of time. We're looking at the 90 minutes once a week. OK? So, when we take a look at the home visiting model to be effective, home visitors in home-based programs must have the knowledge of adult learning principles and the skills to work with parents to strengthen their parenting practices so they can support their child's healthy growth and development throughout the week. So, not just when the — not just when the home visitor is present.

So, what I want you to do is, I want ... I'm going to put up this little thing. I want you to read this quote and then share kind of what jumps out at you about this particular quote. Alright, and so this quote, as I tell you, this particular quote is from a 2014 issue of Early Childhood Research Quarterly, that summarizes the work of home visiting in this way. OK, So, "Home visiting isn't simply an alternative way to deliver services to children. Rather, home visiting offers a unique approach — in purpose, outcomes, and pathways — to enhance parenting behaviors that support children's early development."

So, this is what I want you to do. So, I'm — I'm taking a look at our group chat, and then I'm also taking a look at some of our other places. And this is what we're — we're seeing that it's not just an alternative way. It's a focus on children and how parents work with children. So, not focusing on the children directly, but focusing on how parents work with the children. And that's exactly it. So, what we want to do is, we're also looking at supporting families, empowering families to do their own work. These are all really great pathways. It's enhancing parenting. And that's exactly what the home-based program is all about. It really is working with those parents to then go forward.

So, this is where we're going to kind of move forward, and knowing this uniqueness about home-based programs really helps to identify the expectations and benefits for enrolled families. So, as we take a look forward ... Alright, so we take a look at the expectations. So, in expectations, this is how, really, home-based programs are communicating these expectations. And so, with that, there's many opportunities that they have to be able to do that. So, information that you provide to parents and families prior to completing their application, during the enrollment process, at their first home visit, and any other time during their enrollment period through the program, really, we want to continue to share those expectations with families. Because when you know what's expected of you, it's so much easier to meet it and participate and have the buy-in and build that relationship.

So, you see here ... We're going to elaborate on these bullets here.

So, for this first bullet, the actively participating in each home visit, we're really looking at parents being present and actively participating throughout the home visit in order to best support their child's ongoing learning. So, home visitors are only present for that 90-minute
weekly visit. That is only 0.09 percent of a child's week. So, families need to be present to support that continuation of learning, because they are the — they are the positive constant with ... Throughout the week, that's really going to support that child overall. So, when it comes to sharing information, home visitors work very closely with families to support the family and child goals. Families are expected to share that information, right? So, and things that happened during the week, and ... In order to provide that best support, this sharing does need to take place, but you have to build that trusting relationship, that part that forms between the home visitor and the family.

And knowing that you're going to be sharing information and this is a two-way street is definitely something to share with parents ahead of time. The same thing with paperwork.

[Laughing]

So, we really need to be very open about the amount of paperwork, as well as the frequency of paperwork that comes with families, right? So, we're talking about the well-child visits, the medical test results, the little odds-and-ends things that parents need to fill out — allowing parents to be prepared for those things and knowing ahead of time, as well as the parent handbook. This is all things that that really should be outlined there. So, this is where we come into knowing ahead of time is really important, and especially, even, how that information is going to be used is even important. Engaging in joint planning. So, this goes in hand-in-hand with being ... Actively participating and sharing information. The fact that parents are going to be a part of the planning process for a home visit and socialization activities ... This is — this is key.

This is definitely an area that's an expectation that we want them to know about. We want them to be a part of it, again, because they are supporting the child's ongoing learning. And then communicating — consistently communicating with the home visitor and other program staff. This is a big one that I've seen in programs that I've been a part of, programs that I've supported. Really, it is the part of ... Being a part of the communication system that allow home visitors to share what are communication tools, communication formats that the program is OK with using, as well as what our family is comfortable with.

So, these are the examples that we're really — we're really working on here. So, if a home visitor asks a family what is their preferred method for a home visit reminder.

So, a program may decide that they're OK with phone calls, text messages, or emails. OK, so those are the options they would give the family, and the family would decide to choose. Right? And so ... But they also let a family know that if they ever need to cancel, then they would really like them to call. Like, "If you're gonna cancel, please call the home visitor." So, the family decides they prefer text message reminders. So, a home visitor sends a text the day before to remind the family of the home visit. But once receiving that text message reminder, the family texts back and says they need to cancel the home visit.

OK, so, you've already set that expectation that they need to call, right? So, the home visitor can call the family directly to confirm that cancellation. Thank the family for letting them know, 'cause you definitely want to reinforce and encourage that — that positive behavior. But then you provide the reminder to then call you if you ever need to cancel in the future. So, it's kind of the same thing you do with children, right? You want to encourage that positive behavior and that expectation that you have. Now, this also kind of goes with families being hesitant to
talk to other program staff, and this goes back to the trusting relationship that we build as home visitors with families. They trust you, right? And so, anybody else coming in asking for information, sometimes they — they're a little hesitant about it. So, it's really helpful when the home visitor can be able to set that stage and be able to say that,

"You know what, based on our referral, the nutritionist" — and if you can provide a name, that would be great — "is going to call you in the next week. It's really important for you to return their phone call so we can get the — so we can get those resources that we discussed." So then, when Amy or Roberto the nutritionist call the next week, they're — they know that it's associated with you and that you're able to build some of that trust up there.

Alright, so let's push forward and talk about some of the benefits, right? We know the benefits of parents participating in this program, right? But we really want to be able to share it with them. So again, even some of these benefits are good to place into the — into your — your parent handbook. So, the benefits of it — consistent interaction and focus on the needs of the family, right? So, home visitors are assigned a caseload of families that they go out and they visit. That is your trusted, consistent interaction.

This also goes into the individualized support. You are supporting the parents in their role as the first and most important teacher, right? This is the parents' job all the way through. And so, you're supporting them at this time, but they continue to be that most important teacher throughout each educational setting. The benefit of activities that are focused on the parent and the child, and so this definitely comes from that research-based, home-based curriculum that's really focused on the parent-child relationship, that looks at the traditions, culture, values, and beliefs of that family, boosting the everyday routines and learning opportunities, as well as providing some weekly strategies and activities that really match the developmental progression of the child.

Again, we have joint planning, right? It's an expectation, but it's also a benefit. Being able to have them be a true part of this is great because then we're able to really see that they are ... they're learning about their child, and they're going to be able to take the things that we've learned and we've seen, and push them forward. OK. As well as having their own opportunities to expand their knowledge. So, we definitely expand knowledge on child development, but what about those other areas that parents might be really wanting to learn more about, like health and safety, nutrition, and other areas of interest. Those are all things that we give parents resources about, all things that we help them to really go and support with their own children, because when you have an interest in something, you're more likely to engage. Right?

So, what we're going to do is, we're going to push forward to a video. And so, this video is featuring Joanny Ruiz. She's a home visitor, and she's talking about her involvement with families and choosing to remain in the home-based option. She's also sharing her experience with extended family in the home and where all — they can all benefit from engaging with the home visitor. So, let's take a listen.

[Video begins]

Joanny Ruiz: And we ourselves were surprised because we have other families that are just dying to get in. We've had families we've transferred to center-based that want to go back into the home. And so, we try to really analyze that and say, "What's going on here?" What about it, more than just the work, is really letting them feel like this is something that they want for themselves? And I think it's just that the fact of the relationship, coming into your home, the natural feel of it, the way they can learn how to ...

That their home is a learning environment, that they can use the things that they bring to the table to also help your child. It's like a partnership. We try to let them know that they're the first teachers, that what they're doing in the home, we just try to enhance it. And so, it makes them feel like they're the teacher, as well. And it brings the other family members to get involved in it, as well. I think that's something that sometimes in center-based can get a little lost.

But when you have, especially working with immigrant communities, whole families, different generations living together — you know, Grandma seeing what's going on, Dada seeing what's going on. And so, the mom is not on her own trying to say, "I have these new ideas. I have these new ways of thinking of ways to, you know, play with the baby." And the other family members listen to it, too, 'cause, you know, a child is raised, we think, by a village. So, in the home based, you can reach the entire family, I think, in a really broader way.

[Video ends]

Randi: Great. And I think that that's a great little video. And there are ... I'm gonna post it in the group chat right now, is that that is one of the videos — and there are many more — that are available on the updated Home Visitor Handbook. And so, I put the link into the group chat. Don't leave me now and go explore just yet. So, but it's definitely there for you to copy-paste and check out later. Alright, so, what we really want to do is, we want to be able to push forward. We're going to — we're going to take all this information that we just listened to and talk about intentional planning for increased engagement. So, we really want to take this knowledge and then see how it's going to be to then use it moving forward. So, really, it takes intentional planning. So, we really want to make sure that we align between the goals that families set for themselves and the goals that we set at the program level. So, to meet the needs of each family in the community.

So, this is where we're going to take a look. Now, if you haven't downloaded the resource already, this is ... We're going to talk about some things that are very much in the Foundations of Excellence. That is a big document, but I'm going to tell you where this information is so you can take note of where you can find it. So, where they talk about program goals is on pages six and seven of the Foundations of Excellence. And really, we talk about each program in collaboration with our governing body and policy council. You have to establish goals and with measurable objectives. So, each of these goals are strategic, they're long term, and they have to provide a framework for the program's mission, including the priorities related to education, nutrition, health, parent and family engagement — with these program services.

So really, we have to look at program goals being broad statements, OK, that describe what a program intends to accomplish. And we look, and you see "broad" really means, "Bold, responsive, organization-wide, aspirational, and dynamic." So, programs review these goals based on the — on the findings from their community assessments, their annual self-assessment, and the related child, family, and community data that they collect over time.

So, they also use the PFCE Framework. Now, many of you are probably very familiar with this. If not, that's OK. It really provides ... The PFCE Framework comes from the National Center for Parent, Family, and Community Engagement, and you can find it on ECLKC. There is a lot of information about it. But what it does is, it guides programs in how they plan for parent, family, and community engagement and really encourages programs to explore effective ways to design and implement systems and services to achieve the expected outcomes. So, programs will use the framework. They'll use the foundations, which is the yellow column, and the impacts, which is the pink column, to develop objectives and actions for parent and family engagement program goals.

Now, programs use a variety of data sources to track their program goals. So, for example, while working with individual families to set goals in the family partnership process, program staff may learn about family-specific trends and patterns that may then inform a program-wide goal. And that goal-setting and planning will happen with some community partners. So, the goal-setting process with families can provide another source of data to help then inform monitoring and decision making about what improvements to make over time.

So, we're going to take a look at the differences between program goals and family goals, as well as discuss a little bit more about how they support each other. OK, so here's what you can see is a kind of a distinction. So, in the upper box, you see you have program goals to support PFCE outcomes. OK, and we're also going to talk about individual goals that are developed through ... With the family through the family assessment and family partnership process. So, you see in that upper box, you've got the program goals. Right? So, these are program goals to support family outcomes and other things.

So, we're really looking to answer this question, OK? What should our program do to make a difference for children and families? So, these goals are designed for all families or for a specific group of families in a program. So, these — these goals might be for dual-language learners or for engaging fathers. So, we take a look at the trends and patterns that affect family — children and families. So, this may be the summary of family strengths, the needs assessments, the summary of individual family goals, a community assessment, annual self-assessment — so, things that are very big on the — on the program level. So, when we take a look at family goals, these are the individual family goals that reflect the strengths, needs, and aspirations and where progress is made toward one or more of the seven PFCE outcomes.

OK, so that's the blue column on the PFCE Framework. So really, here, we're looking to answer the question, "How can we partner with this individual family to make progress toward the goals that family members set for themselves and their family?" So, if we look at just the difference between those two questions, the difference between what should our program do to make a difference on a larger scale, and then the family goals being, "How can we help this one family," right? So, we really want to take a look at the individualization, the intentional planning behind it.

So, all home visitors engage in the family assessment, family partnership process in some way, and they are identifying family strengths and needs related to those outcomes. So, this information really helps the home visitor to assist families in developing those individual family goals. So, we're taking a look at how we really want to take and view and help a family and provide them resources to meet families where they are. What are they working on right now, and then how can we help them to move forward? So, here's what we do. So, let's make some

connections, right? 'Cause we're probably going, "This is great information, but how do I know this is even important to the work I do with families," right? So, what we really want to do is, we really want to take a look at when we know — when we know why we do something and how it all connects together, we're better able to intentionally plan and meet the needs of families in the program. So, here's a graphic, and what you'll see is that the blue items are program-level planning items. OK. So, the developing a program goal and the action plan. So, the purple items are home-visitor level planning items — identifying family strengths and needs to develop a family goal and conducting home visits and socializations.

Now, the green items are actions that programs and home visitors have in common to determine the progress of different goals. So, this is collect data and make adjustments as needed. So, here you can see that even at different levels, you make those connections together because you are doing the same actions to then be able to report progress and make adjustments along the way. OK. So, understanding this connection is helpful for home visitors and programs because this is what helps you connect things together and increase engagement with families by making sure that you're using those intentional efforts. And so, you really want to make sure that this is — this is a good way to be able to connect those items together.

Alright. So, we also know that throughout this process, we want to give families a voice, OK? Programs engage families throughout the goal-setting process. And so, when families feel that they're making a meaningful contribution, they are more likely to engage. When they feel respected, when they contribute, when their voices are heard, we are more likely to have that family engaged more often. And so, this is where they — this is where that relationship with the home visitor knowing those expectations in advance, all of those things really help you to then have that respectful, meaningful engagement that allows them to contribute.

Alright. So, let's push forward a little bit more, and we're going to talk about barriers, right? Because these are all great ideals, they are definitely the way that we want to push forward, but we do want to talk a little bit about the possible barriers that do come up, right? So, even with the best planning and communication, there are barriers, right? We try our very best, but we want to make sure that we do address those. So, as you can see on the screen, these are some of the common barriers. And as we've gone through with DTL and several of the national centers, we've gone through, and we've had some regional trainings and conferences, and these are some of the barriers that keep coming up over and over again. And you can see that depression, substance misuse, anxiety, attention deficit disorder, custody issues — these are things we hear most often that home visitors are engaging with families. These are the things that they're discussing with families and providing resources and ongoing support for, OK?

So, we're going to push forward to another poll question because I — because I am very interested to know which of these situations are really impacting the families that you are working with. So, you're going to be able to have a minute, and when I switch over, again, that's going to pop up. After a minute, we're going to shift over to the results. But I do want you to be able to have enough time to read through them, think about it, and then we're going to be able to go forward. OK? Alright, so identify which of the following common challenging situations are impacting — are impacting you. And make sure you select any of them that are there. I do see that some people are putting into the group chat that ... Additional barriers, and that is definitely a question that we are going to put forth. If you want to address it now, you possibly can, but make sure that you select over the course of the poll. So, you've got depression, substance misuse, anxiety, attention deficit disorder, custody issues, incarceration, food insecurity, housing issues, and lack of parenting skills. And you will need to kind of scroll down to be able to see all the way down to the lack of parenting skills. But as you're done, once you submit your answer, definitely, if you feel that you would like to keep adding to that group chat, please do so. And we're going to have a little bit of time to do that also on the next slide. Alright, so I think we have ... We've run through our minute of people being able to submit the answers, so I'm going to push us forward.

OK, something that a lot of people are talking about — depression. Actually, our top percentage, at 78.9 percent, is lack of parenting skills. That — that is very, very common, with housing issues at 73.5 percent being a close second, and our third being depression. So, we are seeing that these are across the nation. All of you are in very different locations. And so, these are — these are things that are definitely going. I do see quite a few other examples that are coming up, so let's push forward to our next thing, which are potential impacts. So, what we see is ... I'm seeing a lot of other things that you guys are running into — housing, resources. Language barrier is definitely a big one that we do hear about. Counseling services. I think I said housing before. Lack of transportation. And all of these things that we're seeing — immigrants and finding work, grandparents raising grandchildren. OK, yes. I'm seeing — I'm seeing all of these, and all of those are definitely very common that we've had, that we've seen.

But, really, we're also going to talk about the fact that as families are facing these challenging situations, it does impact their ability to engage in a home visit. Right? So, it's very hard and very distracting sometimes. When you've got so much on your mind, having somebody come into your home and having to focus on one thing can be very, very difficult. And so, we do find that parents disengage from the home visiting sessions, right? Sometimes this is due to depression or substance misuse or other stressors, right? The financial insecurity, really, and other issues can cause overstressed families to move out of the area. Right, and so sometimes this can — this can be an issue because you either have the families moving to different locations within your service area, and so sometimes homes visitors then have to go extra ... Travel farther to meet the needs of that family, or they completely up and move out of the area completely, and then you have a new family that's rotating in.

Families are also sometimes reluctant to have the home visitor come into their home, especially if they're dealing with housing and other things because they have a concern for judgment. They have a concern for referral to social services or the courts or, you know, of their immigration status. Or, you know, all of those kind of things do become a concern. They're just reluctant to let people in. And then that low priority of engagement in home visits due to just pressing family issues. You know, families may feel like they just don't have time, they don't have the attention to focus, and so this makes it very difficult for them. And so, you know, we have to do those 90 minutes, weekly basis. You know, so it's really meeting those ... The intentional needs of the family by ... And sometimes building that relationship means that you — you have that understanding, that you're able to share with them, that you're not going to judge them, that you're there to help, you're doing those baby steps. And so, really, we
definitely shared that chat question of different, other, you know, other ways that challenging situations are present.

But I also want to know how ... What are additional ways that — that these challenging situations impact the home visit? So, we see that, you know, the ones that I put up here and some people have already been answering this, as well. It's really, you know, how are these potentially impacting, you know?

So, we're also seeing ... One person put up, like, how can they be comfortable at all, you know, with that — that lack of trust — that lack of a trusting relationship that's there, you know, when they're facing trauma, when they're facing, you know, things that are happening in their life. Now, we say lack of participation really is something that happens ... Social media, being on the phone, right? If you are constantly trying to get a hold of somebody, trying to be supported, things like that, you're on your phone, you are distracted. They're guarded. The attendance, you know, fluctuates. These are all key areas, most definitely. Lack of motivation, right? If you give all your energy to a challenging situation, how do you have motivation for everything else? Boundaries are crossed. Yes. And sometimes that's ... We do see families that go into, you know, being ... They want to just unload. They want to vent. They want to be able to tell you everything that's going on, and it's hard to turn that conversation around, you know?

So, let's put it forward. So, here's where we have those strength-based approaches, motivational interviewing, family connections. These are definitely big strategies that you can use about reducing those barriers. And so, as we push forward, we're going to talk about what other strategies you might think are important. So, we talk about strength-based approach. And so, this is a good place where, if you haven't downloaded that other handout, we have the strengths-based attitudes and relationship-based practices handout that if you haven't downloaded already, it's a good time to do so.

But we really talk about recognizing family strengths, because when families are in the midst of a challenging situation, sometimes they are ... It's very hard to find the strengths. It's very hard to find the confidence in themselves. And so, you also want to follow the family's lead and meet them where they are, because where they are is where they're still going to be when you leave the home visits. So, if you push them very far forward and then you leave, they're — they're not necessarily going to stay there, right? You want to make sure you have that communication, you connect the families to services when they're ready, but you're also giving them that constant reminder that they can reach out to you. And this is also where you have to draw that very professional boundary line of reaching out to you does not mean midnight.

[Laughing]

Reaching out to you is a way for them to be able to stay connected with you, but you will get back to them at a reasonable hour, you know, during your professional hours, because building a trusting relationship goes both ways. Building a professional relationship goes both ways, as well. So, let's go forward, 'cause I want to make sure that you definitely have some time to talk about resources. And so, motivational interviewing. We've talked about this before. We talked about this in June as a strategy to help families with reflection.

But today, we're really going to focus it on techniques for home visitors, who can use it to engage families, OK, in a conversation. So, just as a reminder for those who may not have — who may not have joined in June, motivational interviewing is a collaborative conversation. So, to learn about the — learn about and demonstrate the strengths of an individual's motivation to change their behavior, OK? So, we really want to look at these five strategies — OK. Asking those open-ended questions, listening reflectively, adding in where you can, you know, summarizing and affirming, affirming that that's an OK feeling to have, sometimes just affirming that being frustrated is OK. And so, ... And the same thing with the self-motivational statements. We want to meet them where they are. We want them to tell us and understand that we respect where they are, and that all we want to do is to help them in the best way that's realistic for them. And so, this motivational interviewing is really a key resource when it comes to that, about being able to have those conversations there. It's very helpful.

Another one is Family Connections, and this is such a wonderful resource. It is available on ECLKC. It has a link there for you. And this right here has components for families, but it also has components to help us as professionals to have those difficult conversations, to understand depression across cultures, to foster resilience. It also has components for self-reflection for professional tools, but also for parenting. So, being able to talk that ... Just a common ground, sometimes, for talking with families is being able to talk about reflecting in general, how self-reflection works for you, how self-reflection may work for them. Also, active listening. I've heard active listening mentioned several times in the group chat, and actively listening to somebody is definitely harder than it sounds, to be able to focus on an individual, to really hear what they say, and then be able to provide resources, motivation, support in a way that's really going to help them. It's more difficult than it sounds, and I really commend every home visitor that's out there doing it.

And so, let's push forward, 'cause we — we only have 11 minutes left, and I definitely want you to be able to see some of these resources. So, let's go forward, OK, and we're going to take a look ... Actually, before we move on to the resources, I want to take a minute to be able to see what else you think. So, what other strategies might be helpful? You know, what additional strategies would you like to share? I've seen a couple out there, but I really want to see what other — what other ones are out there. So, we talked about motivational interviewing. We talked about the Family Connections.

We talked about those strength-based approaches, or the strength-based attitudes, I'm sorry. And I saw some about active listening. I saw them about motivation. But what is other strategies do all of you have that you really want to share with others? And I'm going to go back in the group chat and see if I missed any here. Building trust with families was one that I missed, along with support — you know, very much so. Modeling behaviors, ACEs, definitely community events with families to build relationships. Reflecting with families and certain goals, modeling behaviors, consistency. Sometimes, just modeling consistency is a huge tool with families, especially those that seem so out of control or they — they just feel out of control. Just that ability to model consistency for them is really, really helpful. Empathy, reflective questioning. Oh, and we have a link for those who ... To a PDF, for those who can see it in the group chat, for reflective questioning. Someone shared it. Family-driven solutions. Really, it's all about making sure that whatever solution or strategy or resource that's being given or is going to be a goal or a method to step forward, it's really parent-driven, right? They're going to come up with it. They're going to — they're going to need it. Because if it's something that we strive for them and we say, "This is what we think is going to be great," that's not a step that they may necessarily continue with. It really needs to be brought up by them. And absolutely, keep ... Reflective supervision. And so, this is where we got into reflective practice. I believe it was in June, we talked about reflective practice and how we support families to have reflective practice and what that means to us by having ... Let's see here. We've got, sometimes families in crisis can build stronger relationships, and this is very true. Sometimes, families who are in crisis have a need to build stronger connections. And so, sometimes you do get the stronger connections with them. Not crazy at all. Alright, so let's push forward, and we're going to talk about relationship-based competencies. I think at this point now, I hope, every home visitor has taken a look at these. But if you have not, they are — they are wonderful.

And I think ... Oh, and Ms. Donna put up there, engaging with families is key. Thank you, Donna, for putting that up. It was in the Q&A box. The relationship-based competencies really are ... There's an overview and then three resources for specific tools, and these are — these are things that home visitors can use to reinforce and extend the efforts of families to increase family engagement. And this also helps them to reflect on their own professional growth. So, these are wonderful things to review and see what you — what you know and what you don't know to be able to extend your own learning, but then also to facilitate those conversations with families.

We take a look at the "Understanding Family Engagement Outcomes: Research to Practice" series. This is another one that really focuses on those items in the blue column in the PFCE Framework, and this really helps. There's — there's a pamphlet on each single one, and so you really have ... It gives you some research, it gives you some interventions, it gives you some practices, it gives you some strategies, for each one. They're very, very helpful. The same with "Building Partnerships" series, and you'll find that there are links in each one. This is going to also go into ... You also have these slides, so you have access to these links. These are all on ECLKC. And so, this series, you're able to go into developing those relationships with families and exploring that positive, goal-oriented relationship, and — and how you can effectively engage. OK? So, this really supports communication and relationship-building.

Foundations of Excellence — you have this as a handout — but the link is here, as well, to share with others. This really goes over gaining a deeper understanding, OK, of the steps that go into developing program goals and how your program can align program goals and family goals. And so, this is a step that's usually done above home visitors. If you're a home visitor and you are engaged in this process, that's wonderful. If you're not, please speak to your supervisor and see how this process happens within your program. It's a fascinating process of being able to align these things, and the more you know, the easier it is to be able to do it.

We have our Home Visitor Handbook. I already gave you the link, but you have it here, as well. Most of these ... I see someone says they can't copy the link, but that's OK. In the ECLKC, if you put the titles of these things, generally they pop up within the search bar. They're easy to find if you can't do the link. But the Home Visitor Handbook is there, it's updated. It provides the latest and greatest information, along with some of those fascinating videos. So, let's put this all together, OK?. So, throughout our conversation today, OK, we explored the expectation and benefits of families, right? We reviewed how matching program goals and family goals will increase family engagement, and this is done through that intentional planning and data collection. We've identified some possible barriers, those that are ... Those are also being put up in terms of the regional outlook. Every community is going to have some of their own barriers, but we're also going to be — it's also going to be a regional outlook, so MyPeers is a good place to also talk about those. And then reviewing some resources, many of them for ECLKC, their presence in there.

And so, we really want to push forward to make sure that we're on time. And how we stay connected together, right, and expand our knowledge. Well, many of you are probably members of the Home Visiting community within MyPeers. If you're not, please, please join. And if you are, then please make sure that you continue to do a fabulous, fabulous job, like you guys already are, of posing questions and answering and providing resources for each other.

Within ECLKC, you also — we also have the iPD. This is your individualized professional development portfolio online. It is individual, so you do need to have an account. It is free to sign up, if you haven't done so already. And it does track all of your progress, all the CEUs you earn, as well as attendance certificates. We have an amazing new resource, our Text4HomeVisitors. And feel free to sign up by texting "home" to 22660. We look forward to being able to send everybody wonderful messages and practices throughout the year.

So, as we go, we're also ... We've been answering your questions throughout the webinar, and so I'm not seeing any questions that are being posed to us to be able to share with the group, but that's OK 'cause we only have like two minutes left in our webinar today.

And so, but I do want to say, you guys are wonderful. I'm getting lots of thank-yous and great resources, and you guys are so sweet. I also do want to post this up here, that says ... This is our contact information. Contact us at any time. We would love to hear from you. We'd love to communicate with you on MyPeers.

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