Because family strengthening programs are needed now more than ever, Children’s Trust continues to work with its partners across South Carolina to deliver program services to children and families during the coronavirus pandemic. While social distancing has limited much of the in-person contact usually employed by our prevention programs, our partners have skillfully adapted their work to ensure children and families receive the support and resources they need to stay strong in these trying times. Lutheran Services Carolinas (LSC), an organization committed to serving families, delivers our Strengthening Families Program (SFP) in the Charleston area. Here’s what Sara Ramsey, the SFP site coordinator and the lead clinical specialist for LSC office in Charleston, said about her organization’s efforts to continue helping families through SFP in spite of the obstacles. Sherri Caldwell, Children’s Trust director of community initiatives for SFP, provided support for LSC during this process.
How did LSC overcome the challenges of delivering services to families during the coronavirus outbreak?
“It took a good bit of creativity, but we made it through. Our staff at Lutheran Services Carolinas is adaptable and truly believe in the mission of SFP. Staff members were already invested in the families we were serving when social distancing began so they were excited at the prospect of getting to meet with families again even though it had to be through a virtual platform. Before we got approval to deliver virtually, the site coordinator sent out community resources (food, tutoring, unemployment assistance, utility assistance, etc.) to each family at least weekly. We also did picture challenges based on lessons where families would do things like play Child’s Game and send in pictures. This helped reinforce the skills and remind families they already have a strong toolbox to manage the mounting pressures associated with social distancing isolation. We met twice weekly via Zoom. Children met from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., then we paused to allow for the meal, homework, and bedtime. Parents met from 8 to 9 p.m. The site coordinator dropped off supplies and gift cards for meals each week and also checked in with each family to confirm family meal times and family skills session completion.”
What moment stands out the most to you?
“Graduation speeches. We were fortunate enough to be able to do an in-person graduation while maintaining social distancing. It was drive-in style where we set up a large screen and projected a review game for families to complete via their phones in real-time with the rest of the group. They decorated their cars and had a pizza picnic. Families gave speeches and ended with a spontaneous parking lot dance party. During his speech, one father said, ‘This program really helped us a lot. We didn’t realize how important family time was. We bought a table to put outside, and we scheduled a time to eat there together at least twice a week.’ This may not seem like much to an outside person, but this represents an enormous transformation for this family. When they first came to us, the mom and dad were separated and living in different households. The tension between them was palpable. The kids favored one parent over the other, and the other was completely withdrawn. By the end of the program, the parents were sitting together and having good discussions to present a united front in their parenting.”
Sara Ramsey (right) talks to Lee Porter of Children’s Trust.
What have you learned as you move forward?
“The main takeaway for the families we serve is just how much people really want to be a part of SFP. They need these skills to see how valuable participation is for their families. While it’s not ideal to deliver things virtually, families were a lot more receptive to going virtual than we anticipated. They showed up, and after about the third virtual session, the feel of it was as if we were physically face-to-face. From an organizational standpoint, I saw firsthand how supportive our administration is of SFP. They were great about giving me and my staff the freedom to problem-solve and work out how we wanted virtual sessions to look. Children’s Trust was supportive throughout the process as well. They held a Zoom tutorial that was really helpful and gave us the confidence in the platform to move forward.”
How did the families adapt to making connections with your organization and SFP?
“For the most part, the transition was pretty smooth. We held a reintroduction call before we delivered any new content, and that seemed to help cut down on the technological issues during live sessions. Parents took to it quickly and expressed excitement at having their support network back. Our biggest challenge was engagement with our younger children; however, group facilitators came up with some creative methods to combat that through video examples and brain breaks.”
Do you have hopes to return to the previous normal?
“Obviously, we hope to return to the way things were before, but only if/when it is safe to do so. We’ve learned a lot from virtual implementation that can be carried over into new cycles. We have plans to begin two virtual cycles this summer.”
Learn more about the Strengthening Families Program
