	Youth Development Services

Introduction

Administration and Management

Service Delivery Administration Standards

Service Standards

YD 10: Family Connections

Connections with families increase the ability of the organization to support youth.

Research Note: Literature highlights the importance of developing strong relationships and partnerships with families, schools, and communities; and recognizes the important role that family plays in youth development.

YD 10.01

Family members are treated with respect, and helped to feel welcome and comfortable.

Interpretation: Examples of ways to demonstrate implementation of this standard include, but are not limited to:

Personnel and family members greet one another by name;
Personnel use friendly voices, expressions, and gestures;
Personnel and family members are relaxed and not abrupt with each other;
Personnel and family members show interest in each other’s lives;
Respect is shown to all without bias;
Personnel communicate with families in a variety of ways;
Personnel recognize that some cultures like direct communication, while others prefer indirect; and
Personnel do not talk about confidential matters in front of youth or other adults.

YD 10.02

Personnel support family involvement by:

offering orientation sessions for the families of new program participants;
developing and distributing a handbook of program policies, procedures, and rules for families;
keeping families informed about program activities and events;
allowing family members to visit during operating hours;
encouraging families to give input and become appropriately involved with the program; and
accommodating the communication needs of families, to the extent possible.

Interpretation: Appropriate family involvement may vary based upon the characteristics of program participants. For example, while programs serving younger youth may encourage family members to participate in daily activities, it may be more appropriate for programs serving older youth to involve family members by seeking their collaboration on an ongoing basis and inviting them to recognition ceremonies or milestone events. Although family involvement may sometimes be difficult to achieve, at a minimum family members should have opportunities and be encouraged to become involved with the program.

Interpretation: Examples of ways to demonstrate implementation of this standard include, but are not limited to:

Personnel welcome families whenever they visit;
When possible, personnel interact with visiting family members
Personnel use newsletters and phone calls to remind family members that they are welcome to drop in;
Personnel set aside time to tell new families all about the program;
When youth move into a different part of the program (e.g., the summer program or a specialized program), personnel meet with families to discuss the change;
Each family gets a copy of the program’s written policies, including the hours of operation, fees, subsidies, illness policy, etc.;
Personnel send home notices and newsletters about program activities and events;
Personnel follow-up written notices with phone calls or personal contact;
There is a bulletin board that displays information for families;
Personnel ask families to comment on the program via notes, questionnaires/ surveys, and meetings;
The organization’s advisory group or governing body includes parent representatives;
Personnel urge families to share their skills, hobbies, or family traditions;
Personnel invite family members to special events (e.g., plays, field trips, picnics);
Personnel respect different cultural styles and try a variety of ways to involve families;
Whenever possible, personnel speak with families in their home language
Whenever possible, personnel offer orientation sessions in the home language of the families;
If needed, personnel ask translators or interpreters to help communicate with families during individual and large-group meetings;
Personnel avoid using youth as translators, if possible;
Personnel provide information written in the family’s home language and literacy level;
Written material is translated for families who do not speak or read the majority language;
Notices and signs are written in the languages of the families of program participants; andThe organization arranges transportation for special events and meetings.

YD 10.03

Personnel and family members share information to support the well-being of youth, and families are provided with information about resources and services that can help meet their needs, when appropriate.

Interpretation: Examples of ways to demonstrate implementation of this standard include, but are not limited to:

Parents or guardians answer questions about a youth’s background and history;
Families keep personnel informed of any major changes at home or at school;
Personnel inform families in writing about injuries, accidents, illnesses, etc.;
Personnel are happy to speak with parents or guardians about their youth’s experiences in the program;
Personnel and families meet to discuss youths’ behavior, health, friendships, accomplishments, etc.;
Personnel and families discuss any concerns about a youth’s development, and youth are often included in these discussions;
The organization arranges for experts to speak on a variety of topics (e.g., nutrition, youth development, conflict resolution, etc.) and families are invited to attend these sessions;
Personnel help parents form groups to discuss topics of interest to families;
Personnel and families meet to define policies for handling sensitive topics (e.g., violence, racism, sexuality, substance use, etc.);
Personnel inform families about available opportunities and resources (e.g., childcare subsidies, medical, counseling, and career services);
Bulletin boards and newsletters contain information about upcoming community events (e.g., free dental screenings, fire-prevention seminars, and parenting classes);
When needed, personnel are able to refer families to local agencies (e.g., health clinics, food programs, counseling services, language classes, crisis intervention, etc.); and
Families are contacted immediately in the event of an emergency.

YD 10.04

Personnel and families work together to make arrivals and departures go smoothly.

Interpretation: Examples of ways to demonstrate implementation of this standard include, but are not limited to:

Family members can easily find youth and their possessions during pick up; and
Conversations with family members do not take attention away from youth or their activities.

NA The program only serves older youth who can come and go independently throughout the day.

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	PURPOSE: Youth who participate in Youth Development Services gain the personal and social assets needed to support healthy development, increase well-being, and facilitate a successful transition through childhood, adolescence, and into adulthood.

RELATED FILES


	SERVICE One or more organization-operated programs or activities that have a common general objective and deploy the organization's material and human resources in a planned and systematic manner. An organization that publicly promotes or identifies itself in writing as offering a service, is licensed to deliver a service, assigns personnel and/or space to a service, or allocates financial resources to a service is considered to offer that service.


	FAMILY Two or more people who consider themselves family and who assume obligations, functions, and responsibilities generally essential to healthy family life. Child care and child socialization, income support, long-term care, and other caregiving are among the functions of family life. The definition of "family" will rest with an individual's indication of who plays a family member role, including current or former foster family, adoptive family, extended family members, fictive kin, or significant others. Organizations that believe family is the central constellation in a child's life, and that family attachments are of primary importance for human development, will strive to work with professional staff to develop a common understanding of "family."