Community Resources and Social Networks for Families

COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND SOCIAL NETWORKS This chapter focuses on the various ways communities, institutions, and individuals support families and assist in their functioning. For families to effectively educate and socialize children, they often require resources beyond their own means. No family is entirely self-sufficient; interdependence is a fundamental aspect of human society. Educators must understand existing resources and accessibility to properly advise the families they serve. # SOCIAL NETWORKS AND FAMILY HEALTH One hallmark of a healthy family system, according to therapist and author Virginia Satir (published in $1972$), is the recognition of being part of a larger social network. ## Characteristics of Healthy Systems - Integration: Healthy families do not isolate themselves. They maintain a broad perspective that includes the external world. - Feedback: They utilize feedback from the community and engage in the mutual giving and receiving of help. - Global Interdependence: All families depend on community systems such as transportation, clean air, and water. Global awareness of this interdependence is increasing. - Basic Support: Beyond basic survival (peace and cooperation), families look for social support in kinship or institutional networks. ## Barriers to Connection - System Boundaries: Some families view seeking help as a sign of weakness and strive for total self-sufficiency. - Discomfort: Families may feel uncomfortable with formal institutions or outside sources. - Ignorance of Resources: Many families are simply unaware of the support systems available in their specific communities. ## The Dangers of Isolation Isolation can lead to: - Limited role models for children. - Feelings of hopelessness. - Child abuse. Early Educators as Catalysts: Schools and care programs can serve as the primary social network for isolated families. Professionals can facilitate connections between engaged families and isolated ones. # STRATEGY BOX 14.1: CONNECTING FAMILIES There are four primary ways to help families expand their social networks within a school or center: 1. Contact Lists: Provide contact information for all families (with explicit permission). 2. Interactive Meetings: Use icebreakers to ensure every meeting allows family members to get to know one another. 3. Personal Introductions: Make a specific effort to introduce those who tend to exclude themselves to other families. 4. Child Connections: Encourage families to arrange playdates outside of program hours when their children show a connection. # DEVELOPING A BROAD BASE OF SUPPORT: STROKES Every family member requires a broad base of support to maintain emotional health. - Definition of Strokes: Recognition, appreciation, and support. - Types of Strokes: - Verbal: Such as an acknowledgment or words of affirmation. - Physical: Such as a rub on the shoulder. - Intimate: A hug is considered an intimate stroke. - Internal: Self-recognition and self-support. ## The Stroke Pie Exercise This tool helps individuals visualize their support base. - Method: Draw a circle representing your total support. Divide it into wedges representing different people who provide support. The size of the wedge corresponds to the amount of support received. - The $25\%$ Rule: If more than $25\%$ of support comes from a single person, the individual is at risk for "stroke deprivation" if that person leaves, gets angry, or becomes unavailable. - Self-Care: One's own name should be included in a wedge of the pie. ### Comparison: Kim vs. Jennifer - Kim's Pie: Kim relied on two sources: her mother ($25\%$) and her boyfriend ($75\%$). When her mother developed cancer and her boyfriend left her simultaneously, Kim had no support remaining. - Jennifer's Evolution: Initially dependent on her husband and sister, Jennifer consciously expanded her network after becoming a parent. Four years later, her pie consisted of $19$ pieces, including friends from Lamaze class, neighbors, office mates, a parenting support group, and jogging buddies. Her husband's share dropped to less than $25\%$, which actually improved their relationship by reducing the pressure on him. # FORMS OF SOCIAL NETWORKS - Individual vs. Shared: Some families have separate networks for each member, while others share a collective network. - Extended Families: This includes relatives and non-blood relations. - Mexican Culture Example: The "compadres" (godparents) are treated as family members with special relationships despite lacking blood ties. - Aunts and Uncles: Non-relatives who serve in these roles for the younger generation. - Neighborhoods: Historically, neighborhoods functioned as mutual aid societies. Mobility in the American population has made these close-knit groups scarcer. - Religious Institutions: Provide worship, friendship, social services, counseling, and education. # COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS AND ADVOCACY ## Public Libraries Libraries have evolved past the "musty" stereotype. They now offer: - Extensive computer technology and high-speed communication. - Access to massive databases and specialized apps. - Community workspaces. ### Advocacy in Action: Julie Olsen Edwards During the "Week of the Young Child" (sponsored by NAEYC), the Cabrillo Children's Center in Northern California organized a parade. When local libraries faced closures and budget cuts, the center and parents organized a march. Children wore costumes based on book characters. A young child named Caleb famously stated, "I don't got truck books, but they do. They got lots and I love trucks." This activism helped save the libraries and taught families the power of collective action. # THREE ONGOING SOCIETAL TRENDS 1. Employed Mothers: Increasing numbers of mothers with infants are in the workforce. Welfare reform has pushed more mothers into the labor force, many as single heads of households. 2. Economic Challenges: Many families face acute distress due to low wages or inability to work. This results in lack of food and shelter (homelessness). 3. Feminization of Poverty: Women are the group most in need of financial support. Statistics show $1 ext{ in } 5$ children live in poverty; of these, $9 ext{ out of } 10$ live in female-headed households. This shifts the demographic of poverty away from the elderly toward women and children. # CASE STUDIES: FAMILIES AND RESOURCES ## Sara's Family Sara, $21$, is a nursing student and a survivor of homelessness. - Resources Used: College financial aid, state-subsidized on-campus child care, WIC (Women, Infants, and Children), support groups for parents of premature babies ("preemies"), food co-ops, and teen parent programs. - Challenges: Dealing with budget cuts to WIC and support groups; anxiety regarding TANF and the fear of Child Protective Services (CPS). - Giving Back: Sara serves on the financial aid advisory committee and volunteers at the child care center. - Future Outlook: She is currently navigating the special education system for her sons (ADHD and aggressive behavior) and hopes for "inclusion" programs where children with special needs learn alongside typical peers. ## Roberto's Family - Culture and Pride: Roberto was initially suspicious of government aid and resistant due to pride. - Head Start: Enrolling his daughter Lupe led to hearing and vision screenings. - Barriers: Roberto faced language barriers at a clinic where no one spoke his language. He felt weak for needing help. - Social Support: He found comfort speaking with his compadre, Juan, and his priest. The priest referred him to a bilingual volunteer clinic. ## Junior's Family (Refugee Status) - Survival Mode: Facing culture shock and language barriers. - Resource Conflict: The family uses a home health nurse for their sick Great-Grandma. - Medical Disconnect: They experienced trauma when the hospital excluded the family from caring for the grandmother during a two-day stay, a practice they did not understand. - Strengths: They pool resources and support each other through shifts of work and eating. ## Michael's Family (Same-Sex Parents) - Institutional Rejection: Beth and Margaret have faced difficulty getting loans and job-related medical benefits. - Legal Barriers: In an emergency room, Beth (the non-birth mother) was originally denied the right to authorize treatment for Michael until the birth mother arrived. - Marriage Equality: The $2015$ Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage provided a path for legal rights. - Therapy: Beth hesitates to seek therapy for her anger regarding their treatment, fearing it signifies something is "wrong" with her. ## Courtney's Family (Blended & Recovering) - Legal/Rehabilitative Systems: Courtney is a graduate of a drug rehabilitation program and uses restraining orders against an abusive ex-husband. - Native American Heritage: Her husband Richard finds support in tribal systems and religion. - Housing Support: A social worker provided a "strength-based" approach, teaching Courtney how to fix her own windows and plumbing rather than removing the children to foster care. ## The Jackson Family (Stable but Isolated) - Specific Needs: Their child has spina bifida (a spinal birth defect). They use school district services and a specific spina bifida support group. - Isolation: Despite stability, Mrs. Jackson feels isolated in a neighborhood where people do not reciprocate social invitations. - New Resource: They are moving their aging, feeble father in and utilizing a local senior center for classes and hot lunches. # SUMMARY OF RESOURCES AND BARRIERS ## Common Resources - Emergency Services: Police and fire. - Enrichment: Parks, museums, community colleges. - Education: Head Start, public/private schools. - Welfare Shift: AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) became TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) in $1996$, adding time limits and stricter training requirements. - Crisis Intervention: Child abuse hotlines, respite care, and substance abuse programs (e.g., Overeaters Anonymous). ## Finding Resources - Phone books, libraries, and internet/smartphone searches. - Word-of-mouth (often the most common). - Referral agencies and crisis centers. ## STRATEGY BOX 14.2: ACCESSING SERVICES To help families, programs should: - Designate a staff member to be knowledgeable about tax credits, food stamps, and Medicaid. - Identify early intervention special education services. - Team up with domestic violence and mental health agencies. - Advocate for improved state/local funding. ## Factors Limiting Availability 1. Funding: Stretched resources lead to competition and service decline. 2. Eligibility: Rigid qualification requirements. 3. Barriers: Lack of transportation or language services. 4. Mismatch of Values: Services may be culturally insensitive or use a Deficit Model (looking down on clients). 5. Goal Conflicts: Example: Planned Parenthood (focus on varied family planning options including abortion) vs. Birthright (focus on providing support to avoid abortion). Families should ideally understand an agency's mission and value system before seeking support.