5.5.3
Parent Center Committee Meetings (PCCM)
Requirements
Family Workers/Home Visitors are required to plan and facilitate four Parent Center Committee Meetings (PCCM) per program year. For Home-Based programs, the PCCM or “Parent Meeting” is held during four socializations, see Home-Based Socials. If there are families who are non-English speaking, staff should schedule a Bilingual Aide for support.
Each PCCM is organized and facilitated by the Family Worker/Home Visitor and should include monthly planning ideas, Policy Council report, parent educational component and other announcement or miscellaneous topics (see Parent Center Committee Meeting Minutes). You may wish to include a parent/child activity – this is optional for Center Base and mandatory for Home Base. The activity should be documented in the other/parent/child activity section. Each PCCM should last for one and a half hours for center base and as part of the two-hour socialization for home base.
Parents can request childcare reimbursement if they choose to pay for childcare to attend the meeting (see Parent Reimbursement Policy & Parent Fund/Reimbursement Request).
Scheduling
PCCM should be planned when most parents can attend. The best way to determine this is to survey parents or ask directly for the best day/time and schedule the day/time that works for the majority.
Topics
There are three required topics (Policy Council, Transitions, and Summer Safety) that must be covered at least once during the program year. However, you can add an area of interest to any of the required topics as time permits. Look through the completed FOIA’s for family interest.
Note: Parent Cafés can count as one PCCM per program year.
Guidelines
First PCCM
Timeline: August (for July starts)/September (for August starts)
Topic Ideas: Focus on electing a Policy Council Representative and an Alternate. A short video you can be shown that explains the PC Representative and Alternate’s job duties.
Second PCCM
Timeline: November/December
Topic Ideas: Make-N-Take, budgeting, stress management, or parent choice.
Third PCCM
Timeline: February/March
Topic Ideas: Transitions – please collaborate with community agencies (e.g., school districts, programs that provide resources for at-risk families, etc.) as a guest speaker.
Fourth PCCM
Timeline: May/June
Topic Ideas: Summer safety, water safety, & community resources. The Health Department has information on summer and water safety. Locate community agencies that may provide summer programs for children and families (e.g., swim lessons, library programs, day camps, free food programs, etc.).
Materials
All PCCM’s should include:
- PCCM Informational Flyer – A flyer will be created to announce and advertise each PCCM details and distributed to all families via Learning Genie, text, email, mail, drop off or pick up prior to the meeting.
- PCCM Plan – Family Worker/Home Visitor will use the PCCM Plan as a planning tool for the meeting.
- PCCM Minutes – The Family Worker/Home Visitor will use the PCCM Minutes to capture the content of the meeting. Meeting minutes may be completed by the Family Worker/Home Visitor, Supervisor, or preferably a parent to keep them engaged in the meeting.
After the meeting, the completed minutes should be attached to the PCCM Plan, Sign-In Sheet, and the flyer then filed in the PCCM Binder/Socialization Binder. If there are any materials needed for the training, staff should coordinate with their supervisor to purchase. Materials could include handouts, objects needed for a presentation or game, etc.
PCCM Minutes Include:
- Date
- Location
- Staff members facilitating the meeting
- Monthly planning ideas – what parents would like the next PCCM to include (training ideas, etc.)
- Policy Council – PC Rep will give report of last PC meeting; if PC Rep is not in attendance the FW/HV can read the report that is emailed to them each month
- Parent Education – there are three educational requirements that must be presented each year (see guidelines section above); however, you can add an area of interest (look through the completed FOIAs for family interest) to any of the required topics as time permits
- Parent/Child Activity – Home Visitors will facilitate a parent/child activity using the Parents as Teachers (PAT) curriculum; Family Workers may want to provide a fun and engaging Parent/Child activity as well
All forms are to be filed in the PCCM binder after parent meeting or socialization/play group binder.
Implementation and Content
Please use the PCCM Plan as a planning guide and agenda. File the PCCM Plan in the Parent Center Committee Meeting (PCCM) binder (FW) or Socialization Binder (HB).
Resources:
Parent Center Committee Meeting Plan
Parent Center Committee Meeting minutes