5.5.4

Family Partnership Process

The Family Partnership Process is the overall process of connecting with and learning about each family. This process includes FOIA, family partnership agreement, home visits or conferences, and any other interactions between staff and families. The Family Partnership Process is primarily completed by Family Workers and Home Visitors. The Family Partnership Process offers many opportunities for staff and families to have conversations that can strengthen their partnerships. Families often share important stories and information about themselves and their children. During these assessments staff learn:

• What matters to families and what they hope to accomplish
• Which services their family members already receive from other agencies
• What child and family goals they are already working on

Family stories contribute to the overall picture that helps guide the goal-setting process and inform future planning with families. As we listen to families, we learn what they want to focus on now and in the future. The family assessment process is an opportunity to build a positive, ongoing, and goal-oriented partnership with families. Staff, community partners, and peers can offer support as families decide what is important to them.

The Family Partnership Process

The Family Services Section of the child file is where staff document the steps they complete in the Family Partnership Process.

The Family Service Section consists of:

• Family Service Cover Sheet
• Family Opportunity and Interest Assessment (FOIA)
• Family Partnership Agreement (Family Goals)
• Initial Visit Form
• Follow Up Visit Form
• Contact Record
• Attendance Notification Letters/Contracts
• Documentation of PIR Data Entry

Family Services Cover Sheet

The Family Services Cover Sheet (form will print with the initial and returning child enrollment packet) is used to track activities related to the Family Partnership Process, visits with families, Attendance Process, and ChildPlus data entry. The Family Services Cover Sheet is the first page of the Family Services section (green section). The Family Services section is filed in the parent contact binder (Family Workers) or traveling file (Home Visitors). The Family Services section is added back to the child file upon mid-year termination or at the end of the program year when closing child files.

Completing the Family Services Cover Sheet

1. Enter the Child’s Name/Entry Date

a. Enter the child’s name and entry date at the top of the form. The entry date is the child’s first date of attendance (Head Start center-base), first day of the program year for returning children with State contracts or the first home visit (home-based).

2. Specify Dual Enrollment/Primary Family Services Worker (if applicable)

a. If a family has 2 or more children enrolled in different center-based options, the Family Workers assigned to the family will work together to decide who will be the primary worker. The identified primary Family Worker’s name is entered in Dual Enrollment/Primary FS Worker. The primary FW will complete the Family Opportunity and Interest Assessment (FOIA) and Family Partnership Agreement (FPA) with the family. The Family Worker that is not the primary does not complete a FOIA or FPA with the family unless the family would like to create a child specific goal involving their enrolled child. Each Family Worker is required to complete the Cover Sheet and maintain copies of the FOIA and FPA in the Parent Contact Binder.

b. If a family has two or more children enrolled in both home-based and center-based options, then the Home Visitor will take the lead in completing the FOIA and FPA. The Home Visitors name is entered in Dual Enrollment/Primary FS Worker. The Family Worker that is not the primary does not complete a FOIA or FPA with the family unless the family would like to create a child specific goal involving their enrolled child. Each Family Worker is required to complete the Cover Sheet and maintain copies of the FOIA and FPA in the Parent Contact Binder.

3. Populate the 60 day / 90 day fields

a. 60 Day – Enter the date 60 calendar days from the child’s entry date (including weekends and holidays).

b. 90 Day – Enter the date 90 calendar days from the child’s entry date (including weekends and holidays).

c. If 60 Day/90 Day date falls on a weekend or holiday, use the weekday prior.

4. Family Opportunity and Interest Assessment (FOIA)

a. Enter the dates that the Baseline and End of Year (EOY) FOIA were completed.

b. The FOIA must be completed within 90 days of the child’s entry date and entered in ChildPlus within 3 days of completion. The EOY FOIA must be completed by the end of the program year and entered in ChildPlus within 3 days of completion. (See SOP 8.1.2.4)

5. Family Partnership Agreement – Family Goals

a. Family Goals are developed by the family with support from the Family Worker/Home Visitor within 90 days of a child’s entry date. The date the family goals were created is entered in the “Date written by 90 days” field.

b. The date the family goals were entered in ChildPlus is the date entered as number 1 in the “Initial Input/Update in ChildPlus” field. The Family Worker/Home Visitor will check in with the family, document the follow up on their FPA form and document on the Family Services Cover Sheet the date follow up was completed. Follow up must be completed in January, March, May/June and upon termination of the child’s enrollment slot.

c. Family goals must be updated and closed in ChildPlus by the end of the program year.

6. Initial Visit/Follow Up Visit Form – the Initial Visit form is completed within 90 days of a child’s entry into SHS and the Follow Up Visit form is completed by the end of the program year or at time of termination. The Initial/Follow Up Visit is completed by the Family Worker (FW) and may take place in the family’s home, at the center, at an alternative location or as a last resort, over the phone.

a. The Initial Visit/Follow Up Visit form has a list of important items to discuss with each family. The FW will check all items that were discussed, and document additional items discussed as needed.

b. Initial Visit/Follow Up Visit form must be signed by the parent/guardian, FW, and Bilingual Aide (as needed). Child Development staff must sign both forms to indicate that they reviewed all the information that the FW discussed with the family.

7. Contact Records

a. Contact Records are used to document communication with parent/guardian. Contact Records are used by Family Services staff, Child Development staff, Site Supervisors, etc. SHS staff having communication with a family should document the communication and file it as a contact in the Contact Record located in the Parent Contact Binder

b. Documentation should include, the date of the contact, a brief description of the contact and initials of the staff documenting the contact.

c. Conversations to document include attendance issues, illness, family vacations, custody issues, family emergencies/non-reportable incidents, non-reportable disclosures made by family, parent concerns, etc. If staff have suspicion of child abuse, do not document this information in the Contact Record, instead see SOP 5.9.2 Reporting Suspicion of Child Abuse

8. Attendance Notification Documentation

A child’s Average Daily Attendance (ADA) must be calculated within 60 days of their entry date.

a. 60 Day ADA% – Document the 60 Day ADA percentage by using ChildPlus 2306 (COMING SOON) or the Attendance Module in ChildPlus (COMING SOON) in the Attendance Details section.

b. Reason for ADA below 90% – Document on the Cover Sheet the reason for absences when they fall below 90% and document the date the (SOP 5.3.10 Help Your Child Succeed) hand out has been provided to the family.

• If the ADA is over 90%, no follow-up is required
• If the ADA is below 90%, analyze the reasons for absences (excused/unexcused, vacation, medical issue, etc.) and provide education on the importance of good attendance (SOP 5.3.10 Help Your Child Succeed)
• The Attendance Process must be documented on the Family Services Cover Sheet. See The Attendance Process (SOP 5.3.10)
• If a child has an ADA of 80% or below, and the absences are documented as “Excused” due to illness, provide the parent/guardian with the handout (SOP 5.3.10 Healthy Mind & Body) and document the date provided to the parent on the Cover Sheet. This handout will provide information on preventative measures for staying healthy and well

9. Program Information Report (PIR) ChildPlus Input

a. PIR is an annual report required by the Office of Head Start. PIR data is associated with all content areas (health, family services, child development, etc.).

b. PIR data is entered in ChildPlus under “Family Services Information” tab within 90 days of a child’s entry date. This information is taken from the FOIA. The date the PIR Family Services data is entered in ChildPlus will be the date entered on the Family Services Cover Sheet (pg. 2) under “90 Day” field

c. PIR updates will be documented in ChildPlus and on the Family Services Cover Sheet in January, March, May/June and if a child terminates mid-year. (SOP Entering and Updating PIR data in ChildPlus) COMING SOON

10. Father/Father Figure Involvement

a. Document on the Cover Sheet with a checkmark, when father/father figure has been involved in or is present in the following ways:

• Family Assessment (FOIA)
• Family goal setting (Family Goals)
• Involvement in home visits, parent-teacher conferences, etc.
• Program governance (Policy Council or policy committees)
• Parenting Education Workshops or Parenting Curriculum

b. Enter PIR in ChildPlus under Family Services information tab SOP Entering and Updating PIR data in ChildPlus COMING SOON

11. Education and Employment

a. Document the highest grade completed at enrollment for Primary and Secondary Adults. Select Primary/Secondary Adult under Family members and then select Application tab

b. Document employment status at enrollment

c. Document employment status at present or end of year.

12. Parenting Curriculum

a. If Make Parenting a Pleasure or Teaching Pyramid was provided to parent/guardian, document the curriculum used on the Family Services Cover Sheet and enter in ChildPlus in the Family Services Module Entering Parenting Curriculum data entry COMING SOON