Engaging with Culturally Diverse Families

1. Engaging with Culturally Diverse Families Amanda Duffy Randall, PhD, LCSW Grace Abbott School of Social Work University of Nebraska at Omaha

2. Definitions and Meanings What is a diverse family system? Different from what? • Race • Class • Gender • Family structure

3. Commonalities and Differences Dimensions in which to view families include: Family structure: marital status, sexual orientation, age Relationship variables: marital-partner parent-child intergenerational (older child/parent/grandparent) kinship relationships /extended family Primary language used by the family

4. Additional factors to Consider • Structure of family system: intact, single parent, divorced, remarried, stepfamily, intergenerational parenting • Context of the family in the community • Immigration and legal status • Socioeconomic context of current family situation • Cultural community support • Religious/spiritual beliefs of the family • Out of home placement for children/foster care system

5. What is Cultural Competence? • Special knowledge about individuals, families and groups of people incorporated into standards, policies and practices • Process of becoming culturally competent leads to better understanding and appreciation of families and their unique backgrounds, • Increase in quality of services and programs • Better outcomes for families and providers

6. Why is cultural competence important in educational/afterschool settings? • Educational settings are culturally diverse environments by nature • On-going and continual process to adapt program practices to diverse families • Provides enhanced understanding of student behaviors that are culturally influenced (eye contact, voice tone, physical touch or posture, communication with adults) • Misunderstanding of behaviors can easily lead to confusion for child/family/caregivers

7. A culturally competent program needs to: • Have a set of values and principles that recognize diversity • Demonstrate behaviors, attitudes, policies and structures that enable effective cross-culture work and value diversity • Conduct self-assessment to ensure sensitivity to cultural characteristics and family structures • Be committed to manage the “dynamics of difference” • Learn about and incorporate cultural knowledge into practices • Adapt to diversity and cultural contexts of the community served

8. Things to consider ……. • What are the potential barriers families may experience working with your program? • What are the potential benefits of family diversity in your program? • What do you and your staff know about the diversity of families served by your program? • What are sources of information for your program staff?

9. Empowering families for participation • Families may not participate in the child’s after school programming for a variety of reasons: • Lack of language proficiency • Lack of experience or confidence in interacting with educational programming • Insufficient information about the program or family expectations • Work responsibilities • Perceived prejudice from staff or educational setting

10. Suggestions Respect the uniqueness of each family system Language, culture, structure, experience Develop a personalized relationship with each family Communicate in culturally appropriate manner speak to the correct person, use interpreters if necessary, send written information in usable language Recruit staff who view diversity as an asset Evaluate outcomes and review and enact needed changes