As an organization, CI recognizes the critical role that parents and caregivers play in their children’s lives. To ensure we are meeting the needs of the children, families, and communities we serve, we have taken intentional action to incorporate more parent/caregiver voices into the way we operate.

In Spring 2024, we established a Family Advisory & Impact Council. The goal of this Council is to involve caregivers more directly in planning and developing the work we do. We selected seven parents/guardians that represent each of our program and service areas by having participated in or supported a CI program in some way.

With funding from the Greater Rochester Health Foundation’s Healthy and Equitable Futures initiative, members of the council are paid for their time and contribution as CI employees. Each member comes with unique lived experience, personal expertise, and talents.  The members were carefully selected to represent a range of schools within Monroe County, including school districts from Rochester, charter, suburban, urban-suburban. 

The council has provided input into our organizational DEIB statement and has also reviewed marketing and promotion of service delivery. Some members have taken on roles such as co-training with staff. Their big goal for the next year is to create a series of short videos with tips and guidance for parents on Social Emotional Learning topics. They recently advised us to create 5x7 refrigerator magnets of existing parent/caregiver resources on Problem Solving and Helping An Anxious Child. 

Keep an eye out for more from our Council! If you would like to be on the distribution list for receiving the video resources (scheduled to be launched in June 2025), email dbreitung@childrensinstitute.net. 

If you’d like a full-size copy of Problem Solving and Helping An Anxious Child resources, click on the title of the resource.