Providing Child Care
Establishing Diverse Points of Contact
Establishing Strategic Marketing Plans
Being Community Friendly

One of the reasons residents may or may not respond to a community organization is access. Several factors can influence access: the program’s proximity; the quality of the organization’s outreach; the availability of public transportation; the accessibility of program facilities (for example, for disabled participants); the timing of activities; and the general openness and understanding of program staff. 

Quality child care is a pressing need for many families—especially low-income families-but often is not available. Lack of child care is not only an obstacle to employment and educational or training opportunities; it is also a barrier to community involvement.

Community organizations can increase family participation in their efforts by:

• offering family-friendly, flexible settings for meetings and discussions
• setting evening, late afternoon, early morning, or weekend meeting times to better fit work schedules
• hiring a multiethnic, multicultural, multilingual staff from the community
• involving parents in decisions affecting child care

Organizations and agencies that provide child care must meet certain standards. It is vital that they:

• ensure positive, nurturing interactions among caregivers and children
• strive to maintain a low ratio of children to caregivers
• strive to serve families from many ethnic, racial, cultural, and economic backgrounds
• accommodate children with disabilities
• use anti-bias curricular materials
• have safe, clean and pleasant child care facilities

Of course, they must provide appropriate nutrition and first aid for children.

Quality child care offers intellectual challenges. Providers should thoughtfully develop, obtain and use age-appropriate curriculum that prepares children for academic success; fosters pride, self-esteem and motivation; promotes development of communication skills, reasoning abilities, and creativity.

The quality of child care staff is crucial. Staff members should be well trained in child development, early childhood education and diversity training. This training encourages staff to assess their own cultural beliefs and biases, and develop a greater understanding of how culture has shaped them and the families they serve. Diversity also prepares staff to facilitate cross-cultural communications, and staff must regularly communicate with parents about their children’s progress, behavior and interests.

Many organizations have found that a wide variety of approaches helps them reach out to residents. For example, they may use community forums, town meetings, and school-based services, which all are effective, proven outreach tools.

Forums usually are gatherings where community members disseminate information, lobby, collect data, and facilitate decision making. At forums, residents advocate their own interests and become more familiar with community political life.

Town meetings help residents meet, interact and learn about community projects, events and resources. They also can offer residents the opportunity to provide input for community projects.

School-based service delivery offers programming for children from varied backgrounds. Such services are centrally located and provide accessible support for the emotional, social, and/or physical well-being of children.

Resident/neighborhood councils support and encourage participation, promote leadership development, and may convert residents into community activists.

Within organizations, consumer planning/steering committee groups encourage information-sharing exploration of mutual concerns, and greater input and participation in agency decision making.

Newsletters can also link stakeholders, residents, or any group. They can publicize events sponsored by the agency or other stakeholders, and offer information of interest to the community-at-large, such as program accomplishments and updates about the agency’s successes and challenges.

Marketing serves the following purposes for community-based organizations:

• it shapes how an organization is perceived by families and neighborhoods
• it promotes programming and services
• it is an effective fund raising tool
• it is an effective tool for communicating with
  stakeholders
• it helps to fulfill the organization’s mission statement

To set marketing goals, have stakeholders consider the following questions: Does the organization want marketing to produce specific results? (For example, increase the attendance at annual fundraising events?) Does it want greater visibility within the community? Or a deeper question: Is it trying to change attitudes or perceptions?

Next, conduct a marketing audit to determine strengths and weaknesses. What is it "known" for? Do current strategies emphasize its strengths? Whom does the agency want to market to? What populations are being underserved or overlooked by current strategies?

After this review, develop promotional strategies.

Program policies and practices that affirm the diversity of family structures and cultural heritages make it easier for staff and residents to learn together.

Some policies and practices that help build relationships between staff and residents include:

• hiring a diverse staff from within community
• offering programming and educational materials that represent different cultures
• correcting policies, structures, or practices that have
  been identified as racist for staff, board members
  and volunteers
• offering regular diversity training
• periodically assessing the organization's cultural
  competence
• providing access to residents, volunteers, and participants who may be limited or disabled in
  some way
• offering activities that bring different generations together

Also, your organization may need to review its commitment to asset-based practices, programs, and policies. Asset-based practices promote:

• teaching social and personal skills to residents
• building self-efficiency, coping, problem-solving skills
  in families
• community-building