1. Making Room for Family Leaders
Christine Griffin Kris Rydecki Ching Kristina Wendorf
May 4, 2017
Infant and Early Childhood Conference
Tacoma, WA

2. Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to define Parent Engagement.
Participants will be able to identify three levels of Parent Engagement.
Through critical reflection participants will determine strategies to engage parent leaders.
Kristina

3. Who we are... Christine Griffin, Guide By Your Side (GBYS) Coordinator
Kristina Wendorff, Parent Guide
Kris Ching, CDHL Outreach Director, birth-5
all

4. Let’s get started
Christine

5. The Quality Assurance Factor
•“Parents have been under-represented at the level where decisions are being made about programs and services for their children. But parents remain the consistent, long term “case manager” for their child; overseeing the programming and ‘watchdogging’ its quality.” (Wright,2001)
Christine

6. As professionals, we are satisfied when we know our clients and students derive benefit from our expertise, our concern, and often our love. Nevertheless, these benefits cannot begin to equal the power of determined parents whose love for their child causes them to be powerful advocates at all levels of our society. Parents can move mountains for their child….and they often do. They are frequently instruments of change in programs-for the better.
(DeGeorges, Kennedy, & Opsahl, 2010).
The Power of Parents
Kristina
Parents respond to invitation. People get involved because of relationships, first to their own child and then to systems. Advocates are nurtured, not born.

7. Activity: Word Cloud 3 words that describes Parent Engagement
3 words describing Parent Involvement
Go to
Type in to participate!
Menti.com
Kris

8. Parent Engagement vs. Parent Involvement Definitions
Merriam Webster’s Dictionary defines Involvement as “to enfold or envelop.” It defines engagement as “to interlock with; or to mesh.”
Parent involvement is often more of a “doing to”, while engagement is a “doing with”.
The distinction between engagement and involvement seems to be grounded in the act of reciprocity or mutual benefit.
Christine
When we are involvement parents organizations and agencies are leading the conversation and what they want the family members to do. When parents are engaged the activities are focused on what the parents are wanting to create, while the agency/organization listens and helps to create a space. In engagement the parent is considered the leader.

9. Parent Leaders in Action
Legislation:
Education for All Handicapped Children Act
Individuals with Disability Education Act (Part B)
IDEA to include Early Intervention (part C)
National Committees:
AAP/EHDI Leadership Team
AAP/EHDI Quality Improvement Team
AG Bell Youth Initiative
CDC Parent to Parent Committee
NCHAM Family Advisory Committee
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Alliance
Phonak Pediatric Advisory
Christine

10. Intercultural Mode of Parent Engagement
Christine
Intercultural Development Research Association: Parent Leadership Training Model
First parents represent their own family as they begin their journey. Next, as they become more confident and are involved they are able to represent other families. Parents can also represent others to improve systems that support and serve families. There are different levels parents can become engaged. In the next slides we will share what these levels are.
Intercultural Development Research Association: Parent Leadership Training Model

11. Christine
Why is Parent involvement and engagement important? Look at the many different roles that make up a team.

12. What are the Levels of Parent Engagement?
Christine

13. Levels of Parent Engagement:
Building a Culture of Respect, Inclusion and Equity
Level 1: Organization takes the first important steps in creating an organization committed to promoting racial equity.
Level 2: Organization goes deeper and takes more steps to foster racial equity.
Level 3: Organization excels at creating a racially inclusive organization for parents.
Christine
Annie E. Casey Foundation

14. Levels of Parent Engagement:
Coaching Parents on Competence and Confidence
Level 1: Organization works on solid ideas to build parenting skills and confidence.
Level 2:
Organization goes deeper in coaching parents and providing parent leadership opportunities.
Level 3: Organization excels in coaching for parenting skills and confidence.
Christine
Annie E. Casey Foundation

15. Levels of Parent Engagement:
Listening to and Forming Partnerships With Parents
Level 1:
Organization has several good practices and policies in place to listen to parents and community members.
Level 2:
Organization goes further to understand parent and community needs.
Level 3: Organization excels at building partnerships with parents.
Christine
Annie E. Casey Foundation

16. Levels of Parent Engagement:
Partnering With Other Organizations to Serve the Whole Family
Level 1: Organization effectively works across organizations to meet parent needs.
Level 2: Organization goes deeper to link services for parents.
Level 3: Organization works closely with partner organizations in the community to create change.
Christine
Annie E. Casey Foundation

17. Activity How to reach the desired level of parent engagement?
Christine

18. What does Parent/Professional Collaboration
look like in Washington State for DHH Families?
Christine

19. The BIG Picture Overview of Referrals & Connections to Services
Anyone can make a referral to either GBYS or CDHL
Early intervention services
Transition to preschool
Evaluation for Special Education eligibility
IFSP and IEP development
K-12 services, supports, and accommodations
Parent/family education, support, and resources
Training and professional development
Kris - scope of our services

20. Kris
Knowledge about available resources and about each other’s programs
Parent-to-parent support has proven benefits
Parents empower other parents

21. Roles of FRC, Parent Guide, and EI D/HH Specialist
Family Resources Coordinator- family point of contact for EI services, coordinates evaluations, facilitates the IFSP process, team communicator, manages budget, provides supervision, and many other duties!
Parent Guide - parent of a child who is deaf or hard of hearing with specialized training to provide unbiased support and share resources from a compassionate and knowledgeable parent perspective
Early Intervention DHH Specialist- supports EI team and IFSP development, provides education to parents so they can make informed decisions regarding their child’s language and communication development
Kris

22. How do we work together?
We support each other and complement our knowledge, experience, training and skills to best support families and ensure children grow and develop to their fullest individual potential
How do we make it work?
Ongoing relationship building
Communicate with each other and ask questions
Partnership in services supporting families
Joint meeting form
Kris - Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is success!

23. Real-life examples...from the field
GBYS & CDHL supporting children, families, and education programs
Tag-team in supporting and educating school district staff
Building & supporting parent advocacy skills - GBYS
Offering parent perspective and knowing parent rights
Supporting school district evaluation teams - CDHL Deaf Ed lens
Challenges
Kris
Kids who aren’t found eligible for SPED preschool
Kids who are Deaf/HH Plus - access to D/HH programs/professionals and D/HH peers

24. Parent Guide and FRC collaboration
FRC contacted the Guide By Your Side Program.
The parent expressed an interest in gathering information from a variety of resources.
Parent Guide made initial contact by phone.
The FRC invited the Parent Guide to a joint home visit with the service provider (SLP) and the family.
Prior to the visit the Parent Guide and FRC spoke about expectations of the meeting and it was decided that the Parent Guide would lead the meeting.
During their joint visit both the parent and SLP created a list of things to explore on the IFSP based on the Parent Guide’s conversation with the family.
Christine
FRC contacted the Guide By Your Side Program.
The parent expressed an interest in gathering information from a variety of resources.
Parent Guide made initial contact by phone.
The FRC invited the Parent Guide to a joint home visit with the service provider (SLP) and the family.
Prior to the visit the Parent Guide and FRC spoke about expectations of the meeting and it was decided that the Parent Guide would lead the meeting.
During their conversation both the parent and SLP created a list of things to explore based on the Parent Guide’s conversation with the family.

25. Preschool Transition Collaboration - Rural District
Parent contacted GBYS for support
Kristina contacts EI provider for background
Contacts family gather more facts - history, IEP goals and placement
Is there a Deaf Ed Specialist on the evaluation team?
Kristina contacts CDHL per parent request - incl
Find out who else is attending the meeting?
Parent invites GBYS and CDHL to meeting
Kristina
CDHL can make recommendations but really the parent advocates for placement.
HOod Canal - importance of Deaf Ed Specialist - district SLP,
Parent Guide helps parents speak up for what they want - strenghtgs and challenges. Caution of using standardized tests and having
PG guided parents to create document to preset5n to district team

26. Preschool Placement Changes - Deaf Plus
Christine saw parent posting on FB page about challenges with district (Special Connections from the NW)
Christine contacts parent to gather more info
Christine connected Kristina with family
Kristina contacts parent - gets the full story
Supports parent placement choice
Placement didn't match communication modality
District was more focused on other disabilities, not communication and deafness
Kristina attended several meetings in person, Kris attended both in person & by phone
Outcomes not ideal
Kristina

27. Parent Leaders & Professionals Together
Birth-3 Deaf/HH Specialists PLC Meetings
Statewide group of specialized providers who work in families home environment
Creates awareness of all specialized programs and services for D/HH
Building community network by getting to know each other - who works where and what we provide
Share information about events, trainings & professional development, conferences, research, websites & apps, services, and local, statewide, and national resources
Networking and support in our field - making connections across the state
Kris - Christine called me out when I asked her to present at our first meeting...

28. To Re-cap... Identified the meaning of Involvement vs. Engagement
Identified and Strategized ways to increase levels of parent engagement
Shared examples of partnership between Parent Leaders and Professionals
Kris or Christine

29. Questions? Comments?
All

30. References
US Department of Education, (2007). Engaging parents in education:Lessons from five parental information and resource centers.
Waters Boots, S., Romano, G., Hayes, G. (2016). Engaging parents, developing leaders: A self-assessment and planning tool for nonprofits and schools. Annie E Casey Foundation.

31. Thank You Christine Griffin and Kristina Wendorf Kris Rydecki Ching
Washington State Hands & Voices
Guide By Your Side Program
(425)
Kris Rydecki Ching
Center for Childhood Deafness & Hearing Loss (360) voice
(360) video phone