The Parent Aid Program

1. Parent Aid Program
Promoting safety, strengthening families,
empowering people through individualized
services, and fostering a meaningful quality of
life for youth, families, and the community.
Amanda Bush, LSW
University of New England

2. Importance of Parent Aid Program
Who needs Parent Aid Services?
◦ Families currently separated due to
previous removal of children
◦ Families at risk of removal of children
◦ Families in crisis, poverty, or struggling
with substance abuse issues
◦ Families needing knowledge, resources,
and support to improve their living quality
and health

3. Importance of Parent Aid Program
Why the Parent Aid Program?
Parents and Families Need
 Supervised visitations to reunify families
Restoration of parental family functioning
and assurance that children are obtaining
the care they are entitled to
 To gain knowledge of community resources
 To learn new, effective parenting skills
 To obtain household management skills

4. Importance of Parent Aid Program
Why the Parent Aid Program?
Community Needs
◦ Current increase in crime, violence,
poverty, and discrimination
◦ Current feelings of mistrust and defeat
toward Children Services
◦ Need for increased reconnection through
a multisector, empowerment approach
provided by the Parent Aid Program

5. Community- a
resource developed for families
Agencies & Programs are
redefining their conceptions of
family and community to explore
ways to strengthen the
community as a key resource for
families.
Sviridoff, M., & Ryan, W. (1997). Community-centered family service. Families in Society, 78(2), 128-139.
Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/230197470? accountid=12756

6. Importance of Parent Aid Program
Learning from History
My previous work within the foster care
system has shown me how detrimental
removal can be for children and their
caregivers
 The trauma that is endured by each family
that has this separation, especially for the
children, is tragic.
 Need for a more proactive approach vs. the
current reactive approach

7. Program Approach:
Empowerment
Clients’ strengths will be built upon to:
 Develop self-determination
 Learn to advocate
 Gain access to community resources
 Overcome barriers that prevent social
justice, equality, and health as a
universal right
 Families will be reunified and/or
stabilized
 Have improved quality of life for the
family

9. Implementation through Action
 Parent Aid Program is one of many
programs offered through a larger
agency.
◦ Current suitable administrative, accounting,
and management systems in place to support
the delivery of services from the Parent Aid
Program.
◦ One Program Manager
◦ One Full-time direct staff
◦ Two Part-time direct staff
 Current negotiations of funding through
Children Services Contract

11. Community Partners
The Parent Aid Program will be the
beginning, but the community must work
together for success!

12. Continued Quality Improvement
Evaluation Plan & Tools
 Community-level indicators of impact reports in collaboration
with Children Services
◦ Quantity of removals and reunifications within set time
frame
 Satisfaction surveys
◦ Administered to clients, children, Children Services
workers, direct service workers, and community partners
 Interviews with key participants
◦ Supervision from Program Manager to direct workers
◦ Any other identified key participants per supervision and/or
surveys
◦ Interviews from Children Services officials
 The semi-annual goal attainment report
◦ Action plan reviewed quarterly to produce goal attainment
report

13. Continues Quality Improvement
Analysis and Interpretation
 Monthly meeting as part of the agency’s already
scheduled time for continued quality improvement
 Meeting including management staff that will
compute, analyze, and interpret
◦ Plan for future adjustments as needed
 Various evaluation methods therefore various times
of completion
◦ Consistently reviewing with colleagues monthly
 Collaboration data with Children Services will be
provided quarterly and incorporated into the
monthly review meeting.

14. Conclusion
Help the Parent Aid Program assemble
an empowered community of strong,
stable families that thrive in a society
of equality, diversity, and overall
quality health;
Help the Parent Aid Program create a
community without barriers to human
dignity and resources.

15. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
TIME