DOCUMENT RESUME ED 375 210 UD 030 105 AUTHOR Chang, Hedy Nai-Lin; And Others TITLE Drawing Strength from Diversity. Effective Services for Children, Youth, and Families. INSTITUTION California Tomorrow, Los Angeles. SPONS AGENCY Annie E. Casey Foundation, Greenwich, CT. FUB DATE 94 NOTE 129p.; Funding also provided by Stuart Foundations and the Pacific Mutual Foundation. AVAILABLE FROM California Tomorrow, Fort Mason Center, Building B, San Francisco, CA 94123 ($18 plus tax). PUB TYPE Information Analyses (070) Reports Descriptive (141) Tests/Evaluation Instruments (160) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC06 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Case Studies; *Change Strategies; Community Programs; *Community Support; *Cooperative Programs; Cultural Influences; Disadvantaged Youth; *Economically Disadvantaged; Educational Improvement; Ethnic Groups; Governance; *Human Services; MinorityGroups; Needs Assessment; Profiles; Public Support;Staff Development; Training IDENTIFIERS *Diversity (Groups); Reform Efforts ABSTRACT This seven-chapter report explores in depth how issues relating to race, language, and culture can beincorporated into every stage of a reform process targetingsupports to disadvantaged children and families. The report draws on1993 research involving a survey of 98 collaborative programsin California, site visits to seven collaborative programs(six in California and one in Colorado), in-depth interviewswith individuals involved in collaborative reform initiativesnationwide, and a literature review. The report's chapters discuss:(1) the links between human-services reform efforts and issuesof diversity; (2) the use of community assessments to engagediverse stakeholders in identifying community strengths and resources toevaluate the cultural appropriateness of current services andto identify community needs and goals;(3) some strategies and approaches to the grounding of human services in an understandingof cultural, linguistic, and racial diversity;(4) staff development and other steps that agencies can take to equip themselveswith workers who are able to respond to the needs of diversechildren and families; (5) the institutional changes needed to promoteculturally and linguistically appropriate services;(6) governance strategies that support inclusive decision making; and(7) recommendations that apply to all groups to ensure that issues ofdiversity are addressed. Appendixes contain the research methodology end surveys.Contains 58 references. (GLR) *************************************4********************************* Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can bemade * from the original document. *************************************************************A********* Drawing Strength from Diversity GEPAITTMENT OF EDUCATION AllailmilwaraaprillaNtleallMallnaaammatilak as Improvement jar PERMISSION TOREPRODUCE THIS Office of Educattonsi Ressarcn and GRANTED BY EDUCATIONAL RESOURCESINFORMATION MATERIAL HAS BEEN CENTER (ERIC) g"This document has been reproduced as Effective Services for Children, I waived from the parson orofgarnzabon °Pc/mating ,1 finor chant's have bean made10 Improve ,t;'(/76' ftoroducnon qoahly Youth and Families 115sa0Cu- Potnts of 'new 0 contorts statedrepresent official RESOURCES rnent do not necessarily TO THE EDUCATIONAL OERI position or poticy INFORMATION CENTER(ERIC)." aFF Lt) ti 4441"1,ael V cry) a ."(1, : , BEST COPY AVAILABLE Drawing Strength from Diversity Effective Services for Children, Youth and Families A California Tomorrow Research and Policy Report From the Collaborative Services for Diverse Communities Project By Hedy Nai-Lin Chang, Project Director Denise De La Rosa Salazar Cecelia Leong 3 CALIFORNIA CALIFORNIA TOMORROW is a non-profit organization committed to making racial and TOMORROW ethnic diversity work in California, and to building a society that is fair and open for everyone, especially for the children and youth who are our future. Board of Directors Lewis H. Butler, Chair CALIFORNIA TOMORROW Lily Wong Fillmore Identifies and reports on the joys, challenges and problems that diversity Robert Friedman brings to institutions serving children and their families. Bong Hwan Kim Seeks out and reports on the people and programs that deal most successfully Martin Krasney with those challenges, and that build on the strengths of diversity. Stewart Kwoh Antonia '.open Delivers this news through publications and presentations to a broad Hugo Morales cross-section of people. Joyce Germaine Watts Brings outstanding community leaders and professionals together to share their experiences and perspectives on the challenges of a diverse California. Co-Directors Provides one-on-one consultation and assistance to agencies, schools and Laurie Olsen policymakers striving to create services and institutions appropriate to the rich Hedy Nai-Lin Chang diversity of our peoples. Staff and Project Through the media and other public forums, offers informed analysis of diversity Affiliates issues in California, both the challenges and the successes, to counteract public ignorance, skepticism and fear. Nancy Belton Denise De La Rosa Salazar Cecelia Leong CALIFORNIA TOMORROW May Li Fort Mason Center, Building B Zaida McCall Perez San Francisco, CA 94123 Gregory McClain (415) 441-7631 Amy Muchelroy Dora Maria Pti lido Drawing Strength From Diversity: Lisa Raffel Effective Services for Children, Youth and Families Editor: Katherine Kam Design and Production: Alison Wood, Woodland Graphics Cover photograph by Ted Scott Ill: Staff and children at New Helvetia Housing Project Photographs on pages 5, 8, 45, and 65 were taken by Ted Scott III. All Rights Reserved Photographs on pages 16, 27, 33, 43, 62 and 91 were taken by Cecelia Leong Photograph on page 87 used with permission of the Vaughn Family Center Funding for the Collaborative Services for Diverse Communities Project and for this publication was generously provided by: The Annie E. Casey Foundation The Stuart Foundations The Pacific Mutual Foundation Copyright © 1994 CALIFORNIA TOMORROW All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced without permission. Printing in U.S.A. by GRT Book Printing Contents 2 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 4 INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1 9 Human Services Reform within a Diverse Society CHAPTER 2 17 Community Assessment: Identifying Resources and Needs of Diverse Populations 19 Profile: Everett Middle School 27 Profile: Casa Loma CHAPTER 3 32 New Strategies for Working with Diverse Children and Families 41 Interview: Khatib Waheed, Caring Communities CHAPTER 4 44 Equipping Agency Staff to Work with Diverse Populations CHAPTER 5 62 The Implications of Diversity for Institutional Change 65 Profile: Sacramento County Language and Culture Job Classifications 69 Profile: Family Mosaic CHAPTER 6 78 Who Makes Decisions? Involving the Community in Governance 82 The Real Significance of Making Cupcakes (Yuba County, CA) 83 The Razalogia Parent Empowerment Program (Denver Family Resource Schools) 87 Profile: The Vaughn Family Center 91 Profile: San Diego New Beginnings CHAPTER 7 94 Conclusion and Recommendations 102 APPENDIX A: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 105 APPENDIX B: COLLABORATIVE SERVICES ORGANIZATIONS SURVEY 118 APPENDIX C: SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY 123 CALIFORNIA TOMORROW PUBLICATIONS J ACKNOWLEDGMENTS first and foremost, co-authors Cecelia Leong and Denise De La Rosa Salazar deserve thanks for pouring their dedication, talents, and hard work into this project. From the beginning, Cecelia has been instrumental in shaping the scope and depth of this work. She was invaluable for her ability to synthesize information whether it be about outcomes or governance while maintaining an eye toward specifics. An organizer par excellence, Cecelia deserves special recognition for managing the development, dissemination and analysis of the collaborative survey. She always made sure we never lost a project file or paper. Denise, who joined us soon after the project started, helped to ground us in the politics of community-based organizations and in the importance of building the capacity of community members to be active decision-makers. Denise also assumed primary responsibility for the literature review. This report truly bears the mark of both these colleagues' ideas and inspiration. I will never forget their willingness to spend day after day writing and revising various chapters to ensure that we achieved a coherent voice and a clear message. Other California Tomorrow staff and consultants were also instrumental to the development of this work. As with any California Tomorrow activity, this project drew upon the wisdom and vision of Co-director Laurie Olsen. A careful and critical reviewer of every draft, Laurie constantly forced the project team to be clear about our assumptions and precise in our thinking. Project Associate Greg McClain was also an important member of the research team. Gifted with strong interpersonal and inter- viewing skills, Greg participated in several site visits, helped to facilitate the project retreat and reviewed the draft report. Consultant Laura Sakai undertook the painstak- ing task of crunching the data from the collaborative survey after it was carefully entered into database form by Avon Leong, who is greatly appreciated for his willing- ness to fill in during times of need. Editor Katherine Kam deserves special thanks for taking on the mammoth task of editing the final draft. A talented journalist, she took final responsibility for ensuring both flow and readability. Finally, I would like to acknowledge the contributions of our