Family resource centers attempt to ease parents

Some parents are comfortable speaking to their child’s teacher or principal when they have questions or concerns. But others have never stepped a foot into the school, don’t know the names of the teachers or principal, and would feel awkward just stopping by.

Last spring Libby School District made a commitment to increase parent involvement and take the awkwardness out of the equation. This fall the district hired through a grant program a full-time family resource coordinator for each of the three schools to be a smiling face and a helpful liaison.

Coordinators are getting the word out about each school’s new family resource center, and receiving results from parent surveys about needs they can fulfill.

Kathleen Sheffield, Libby High School’s coordinator, learned through surveys that some parents want guidance in steering their seniors through college applications. Some want to learn how to best discipline their teenagers. Others want to be better equipped for parent-teacher conferences. 

“I don’t have all the answers,” Sheffield admitted, but pointed out that she has the resources to get the answers and to plan seminars.

Sheffield also discovered through the surveys parent uneasiness about visiting the building, which may, she said, stem back to when they attended school.

“A lot of them felt that they’re just not as comfortable coming into school,” Sheffield said. “They don’t know how to approach the school, so hopefully we (family resource coordinators) will be their bridge.”

Coordinators are making the finishing touches to their family resource centers, which are like a parent lounge within the school with coffee, a couch, parenting material and Internet access.

“It’s been a race to the finish to get the room set up and usable for parents,” said Amanda Fitch, Asa Wood’s coordinator.

Fitch examined the walls, which carved a new room from what was the corner of the computer lab.

“I’m working on a bulletin board there,” she said, pointing, “and a shelf and getting a rug.”

Fitch says that the coordinators’ first priority is to bring families into the schools.

“The main goal is to get parents in the community involved in the students’ education,” she said. “We received this job because we feel very passionate about that goal.”

Susan Berry, coordinator for Libby Middle School, pointed out that students achieve more when parents pay attention to their education.

“Research has found that when parents are more on board with education – part of that is at home, making it fun like playing Yahtzee or Monopoly or reading books – all of that helps that student get better and more confident in school,” Berry said.

Coordinators’ second goal, Fitch said, is to help families locate necessary resources. If a second-grader is cold because her family can’t afford a winter coat that fits, she may be distracted and not do well in class. 

“We hope to offer them information in locating a new coat so they don’t have to worry about, ‘How am I going to come up with the money for this?’” Fitch said. “… We want to help make day-to-day move as smoothly as possible.”

Coordinators have plans for future seminars on healthy communication, budgeting and meal planning, as well as family game nights, monthly newsletters and information on the school’s curriculum.

“We’re so new,” Berry said, “there’s still just a lot of things in the works.”

Coordinators welcome volunteers from the community, and will work to match volunteer skills and preferences with the schools’ needs.

The family resource coordinator jobs are AmeriCorps positions funded through Missoula-based nonprofit Women’s Opportunity and Resource Development and $16,500 from the district.