ERIC Number: ED398721
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1995
Pages: 5
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Strategies for Recruiting Family Members from Diverse Backgrounds for Roles in Policy and Program Development.
Brame, Kim
Early Childhood Bulletin, Sum 1995
Strategies are presented for recruiting family members from minority groups to be involved in the formation of policies and development of programs that affect their lives and those of their young children with disabilities. Organizational strategies, strategies to empower family members, logistical strategies, and process strategies are presented. Recommended organizational strategies include: fostering an organizational culture that understands the richness of diversity and what it offers to organizations; recognizing family members as assets, not as tokens; and recognizing barriers that inhibit diverse family participation. Suggested strategies to empower family members include: identifying individuals from local communities and supporting their growth as contributors and advocates; providing leadership training for family members; and training providers to work with family members. Among logistical strategies discussed are: holding meetings at community centers; developing innovative strategies to help families overcome transportation barriers; and evaluating child care and reimbursement issues. Recommended process strategies include: using alternative methods of evaluating parent meetings, such as focus groups or sacred circles; ensuring that each individual's participation is a positive and meaningful experience; and scheduling meetings so that working family members can attend. (CR)
Publication Type: Guides - Non-Classroom; Information Analyses; Collected Works - Serials
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Special Education Programs (ED/OSERS), Washington, DC.
Authoring Institution: North Carolina Univ., Chapel Hill. Frank Porter Graham Center.; Federation for Children with Special Needs, Boston, MA.; National Early Childhood Technical Assistance System, Chapel Hill, NC.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A