Parent Outreach in Action

As per usual, there have been many memorable moments during my last month at New York Center for Child Development, but I think one of the highlights for me was our Open House, in which NYCCD's preschool for special-needs children opened its doors to prospective parents who are sending their three-year-old's off to "real school" for the first time in the fall. I think everyone present was a little nervous--the parents were understandably concerned about finding the right fit for their child while navigating the complex special education system, the staff was hoping to set the parents at ease while selling the unique attributes of our school, and I in particular was nervous because my supervisor had asked me to "say something to the parents"--without providing much more guidance beyond this. As a natural planner who prefers to have everything laid out in advance when it comes to public speaking, I was feeling my share of the communal sense of nerves. What could I say to welcome these parents that the senior staff, all of whom had already spoken before me, could not say more articulately and more knowledgeably than me? Yet when it came time for me to speak, I was surprised by how easily the words flowed. I shared with them not only an overview of some of the projects I work on as Parent Outreach Coordinator--from PTA meetings to family events to parent satisfaction surveys to a parent email listserv that I have started this year--but also the overarching purpose of all of the work we do with and for parents. Namely, our goal is to ensure that all parents feel knowledgeable about their child's progress at school, equipped to support their child's development at home, and connected to the broader New York Center community. I didn't speak for very long, and I certainly did not say anything particularly groundbreaking, but I could tell by the look on the parents' faces that my words resonated with them and their hopes for their children. As I reflected on that moment, I realized how much I had learned about New York Center's work with families in the almost nine months that I have been there, and I was struck yet again the importance of our mission. New York Center works to better the lives not only of the children who enter its doors and benefit from its services, but those of the child's entire family. By engaging parents and ensuring that they feel supported throughout their child's entire early childhood, New York Center can transform a parent's outlook on the future of their special-needs child, and I am very proud to be a part of that work--and to be able to speak about it without stumbling over my words too much!