Childcare Support Access Project

 

Meeting and brainstorming with Family Outreach Workers

Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House – October 31, 2001

 

  1. Where is better communication needed?

-         Between team

-         “How can I best share this information?”

-         When workers are not at their desk

-         Problem: multiple messages sent, an answer is mailing but faxes get lost

-         Faxes go to the main system not to the target person

-         If FOWs have a question they have to call a couple of different co-ordinators

-         Phoning takes lots of time

-         No access to computer

-         Don’t get all the information from Westcoast – hasn’t seen a Wave in months

-         A communication folder – something to go to (central information)

-         Big time constraints

 

  1. What information do you need to share regularly?

-         Accessible to read and add to information received

-         Other people’s ideas on professional development

-         Upcoming events

-         Workshops, training, neighbourhood events

-         Conferences

-         Newsletters from other child care resource and referral agencies

-         Information from own site

-         Handouts

-         Advocacy events

-         Debriefing

 

  1. What issues come up that need to be resolved?

-         Interpreting parent contracts

-         Discipline, health

-         Resources

-         Licencing daycare suspension

-         Dealing with childcare consultants

-         Timely information on full/vacancy state of workshops

-         Quick authorizations fro supervisors

-         Links to Child care community in BC

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  1. What would the ideal tool for family outreach workers look like?

-         Email groups

-         Need a system to use attachments – scan

-         Software to read (fax system that works as a scanner)

 

  1. What are the barriers to using Public Access Sites?

-         time limits – space and waiting

-         scheduling

-         other people are gatekeepers

-         Currently the terminals used by FOWs at Kiwassa, Colingwood and Mount Pleasant are not connected

-         Westside Family Place is connected for 5 hours per month

-         South Vancouver Family Place – limited connection – not a WC computer.