In our new series of blog posts, A Day in the Life, we are pleased to take you behind the scenes at Home Start to introduce you to members of our dedicated staff that are committed to building resilient children and strengthening local families. Step into their shoes for a moment as they serve on the front lines to prevent child abuse in San Diego.
Meet Carin:
What Home Start program do you work for?
Community Services for Families– East County
What drives you to do what you do?
I believe that children deserve the very best we have to give and my passion for working with children and families runs deep. Knowing that I am actually making a difference helping parents understand the value of spending time nurturing their children through respectful, responsive care-giving is what inspires me.
What does your typical day look like?
The most integral part of my position is helping families through their visits, after kids have been removed by CWS. Most of my time is spent helping parents set goals and teaching them a variety of skills in a variety of locations—the park, library or even Walmart, which we all know can be a challenge to navigate with a child. I model for parents through play and thoughtful conversation, to show them what respectful engaging interactions with children look like. Some of my time is spent writing notes and imputing the information into our database. I also spend part of my days coordinating visit schedules with parents, the transportation company, caregivers, kids and social workers. A portion of my day is spent in the office to prep activities to bring to visits, such as art and craft projects or specific games and materials to help parents engage with their children.
Tell us about a memorable experience you had with a client?
Working with a tough biker dad and watching how he ditched his rough exterior and became the loving, kind, soft and compassionate father his baby needed him to be was very rewarding. I will always remember this client’s transformation and enjoy hearing from him from time to time letting me know how well they are doing.
What is your favorite parenting tip or advice?
In these times where technology plays such an integral part of our lives, I believe that encouraging parents to put their phones down and really try to be present in the day to day moments with their children is one of the best ways parents can improve their children’s lives.