1. Representing the Family Voice on Committees and
Making an Impact:
Representing the Family Voice on Committees and
Advisory Councils

2. What is the goal of strong family voices?
Shared leadership
Families driving the system, not just commenting on it
Family experiences shaping the system from the ground up, not at the edges
Other reasons?

3. The Parents’ Voice!
Advisory Committees
Task Forces
Councils

4. Value of partnership
Think of a time when you had a successful partnership to accomplish your goals…
What did you bring to the partnership?
What did your partner bring?
How did you know it was working?
What were/are the benefits of working with someone as opposed to working on your own?

5. Why have committees/councils?
Provide specialized expertise that may be missing from staff
Serve as ambassadors, building bridges into the community
Survey the need for enhancing existing activities
Bring in resources
Conduct evaluation and oversight activities

6. Functions of Councils
Help maintain accountability or meet demands of external constituents
Bring in outside support and expertise, linking the program to everything from grassroots community concerns to celebrities and potential funders

7. Ground Rules for Participation
Focus on learning with and from each other
Be open in sharing with peers without fear of judgment
Stay curious; then move towards solutions
Identify yourself each time before speaking
Wait for speaker to finish before you speak

8. Token vs. Meaningful Participation
No preparation or information given prior to participation
No meaningful role in meeting or forum
Often one time only participation
Professionals talk “around you” using acronyms and terminology unfamiliar to you
Adequate notice of the meeting and material supports are provided to assist with your attendance
Materials and/or an orientation is provided prior to the meeting
Your input is valued and individuals work with you to clarify terminology, systems and policies that you may be unfamiliar with
Follow-up is provided

9. Common Pitfalls Lack of clarity of purpose, role or scope
Lack of awareness of overall mission
Unclear expectations of individual members
Lack of leadership, support from key staff
Improper or inappropriate composition

10. Common Pitfalls Haphazard recruitment process
Lack of clarity, interaction with the governing or appointing authority
Underutilizing of individual members
Advisory Council overstepping its role
Absence of orientation, continuing education
Others?

11. Roles Program creation & planning Development of program policy
Planning & implementing public relations
Funding leadership
Subcommittees

12. Other Roles Helping to write & review materials
Helping develop a strategic plan
Assessing organizational performance
Organizing special activities
Identifying needs & needed services
Cultural guides/brokers

13. Am I ready to serve?
• Am I able to set aside the needs of my own child and look at the “big picture”?
Would my feelings (such as anger or anxiety or sadness) make me less effective than I’d want to be?
Can I set aside my own
emotional issues?

14. Am I ready to serve? • Is it a good use of my skills and time?
• What talents or strengths could I bring to this group?
• Can I commit the necessary time?
• Could my participation make a difference for children
and families?

15. Becoming an effective participant
• Ask yourself if you feel welcome there. If not, what can you do to improve the situation?
• Be willing to listen at first. Learn about the people, the
issues, programs, and background information before offering advice or opinions.

16. Becoming an effective participant
Be willing to say, “I don’t know yet” or “I need more information to comment on that issue.”
• Ask questions about anything you don’t understand. If acronyms are used, ask if there is a list of acronyms and
definitions.
Ask where you can find information covered at a previous meeting.

17. Becoming an effective participant
• Learn all you can about your agency/institution’s structure, policy, and administration.
• Do your homework. Read materials provided to
participants.
• Come prepared to contribute.
• Develop an understanding of the “big picture” issues
facing the agency/ institution, beyond those of your own child and
family.

18. Opportunities to Learn
Helps keep Advisory Board/Committee members active & motivated
Improves the quality of their contributions
Gives them additional skills that can benefit them in other areas of their lives

19. “Rules for Governance”
How will the Advisory board/committee govern itself?
Will there be officers? Committee chairs?
How will decisions be reached? Consensus? Vote?
What to do if there are conflicts of interest?
How active must one be to remain on the Advisory Board/committee?

20. “Rules for Governance”
Application form?
Who sets the agenda? How do new items get added?
When & how are meeting notices & minutes sent out?
What is the impact of an Advisory Board/ committee decision?

21. Common Ground Rules
Encourage the group to look at its mission statement (if one exists) and answer these questions:
Does it provide direction for the group?
Is it clear?
Is there a need to write or rewrite a mission statement?

22. Common Ground Rules
Help clarify expectations. Do members expect only to give advice, or do some also expect the advice to be followed? How do members feel about this? Do expectations need to be examined or made clearer?
Be sure members treat each other respectfully. Do parents listen to each other’s unique perception and experience?

23. Common Ground Rules
Be sure that meetings are run in a timely, organized way.
Making and following an agenda is effective.
Support productive decision making. Are conclusions reached by consensus, or do discussions continue with no resolution or closure?

24. Common Ground Rules One person at a time Listen to others
No mocking or attacking
Be on time
Respect each other

25. Shared leadership is important because:
Multiple perspectives & diverse strengths and talents are combined to achieve goals
Families know how systems really work “on the ground”

26. We learn leadership in many ways
Learn from others who serve as role models
Learn from formal training
“Just do it”

27. Practices of Exemplary Leadership
I. Challenging the process
II. Inspiring a shared vision
III. Enabling others to act
IV. Modeling the Way
V. Encouraging the heart
How have you demonstrated exemplary leadership?

28. Your Leadership Roles
What committees, advisory groups, or boards do you participate on?
How have you already been working to improve systems for children and families?

29. Telling the real deal
Based on your personal experience with child & family-serving systems (education, health, mental health, child welfare)
What’s working?
What’s not working?
How do the systems intersect well?
How do they break down?
What one thing could make it better?

30. What can you do? Individual family capacity-building
Promoting community education
Educating providers
Fostering coalitions & networks
Changing organizational practices
Influencing policy & legislation

31. You as a leader in family strengthening
What are your strengths?  What is the one thing you can most contribute as a leader in family strengthening?
Think about your communication skills, your ability to develop team spirit, to bring people together, your ability to problem solve, to see new solutions, your capacity to inspire others. 
What will you do next week?

32. THANK YOU!