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The Harvard Family Research Project separated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education to become the Global Family Research Project as of January 1, 2017. It is no longer affiliated with Harvard University.

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The cases in the Create Your Own Case Toolkit were developed by the Community Engagement Team (CET) outreach workers in the Department of Human Service Programs in Cambridge, Massachusetts. You can use the cases to draw inspiration for your own case writing or as a basis for discussions with others to improve your family engagement skills and knowledge.
    CASE 3: The Importance of Not Judging
Michelle Godfrey


THE BACK STORY:
Linda is a 32-year-old, American-born, Black, single mother of Darius (7) and Heaven (3). Since Linda works during the day, Darius attends full-day summer camp and Heaven attends a Head Start program in a nearby community. Linda begins to get phone calls from Darius’s camp to meet regarding his behavior. Darius has been attending this camp for two years and has never had any behavior issues. The camp staff is finally able to talk to Linda on the phone after leaving three previous messages. The camp staffer tells Linda that they notice some behavior issues during the afternoons with Darius and think that she should come in to meet with them. Linda tells the staffer that she will pick a day to come in and meet, but continues to put it off. Linda then receives a phone call from the director asking her why she has not set up the meeting and that, if she doesn’t come in, they are not sure they can continue to have Darius attend their program.

What the staff do not know is that Linda has just recently split with Darius’s father and is having a really hard time adjusting to being a single mother. She has also noticed some changes in Darius and knows he is struggling with not seeing his dad every day. Linda is really embarrassed about what is going on with the break up and has not even told her own family yet. She knows that some of the people who work at the camp are also from her neighborhood. In fact, she went to high school with one of them and is worried about them knowing her business. Linda tries really hard to avoid the director of the camp each afternoon when she goes to pick up Darius.


DISCUSSION QUESTION:

Was the camp justified in threatening to expel Darius from the program because of his behavior without having talked with Linda first? What are some ways that they might have communicated with Linda more effectively? 


THE FULL STORY:

One day, the camp director sees Linda leaving at drop-off time and asks her if they can talk. Linda tells her that she understands that Darius is acting up and is working on it and is running late for the bus. The director says she understands and asks if it’s ok if she walks Linda to the corner to meet her bus. Linda agrees and as they walk, the director tells her that she is concerned about Darius’s behavior but that he is a great kid and they won’t be putting him out of the program. She also tells Linda that she notices Linda hasn’t seemed herself these last few weeks and asks if there is anything she can do to help, even if it is just to talk. She also assures Linda that all of this is in confidence. Linda feels so relieved that they are not judging her, and she can finally tell someone what has been going on. The director is now able give Darius more support during the afternoon without telling all of the staff the details about what has been going on.


 

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