Evaluating and Referral
Khans are a family of three: Bahnam Khan, aged 7, his sister Hamdiya aged 4, and their father, Aarash. Recently, Mary Smith, a welfare officer at the local primary school, noticed that Bahnam has few friends and looks unkempt. Mary also discovered that Bahnam did not show significant academic success and suggested that he may be neglected. Therefore, she has referred Aarash to Chisholm Family Services. During the conversation, Aarash revealed that he is aware of Bahnam’s academic problems. Aarash explained that this is due to frequent moves, as he cannot always pay the rent if the landlord raises the price. Aarash is diabetic and constantly tired; now, he lives on a Disability Pension.
Hamdiya is also diabetic, and Aarash tries to find quality food for her, even when he does not pay for it himself. He explained that Hamdiya spends most of her time at home and has little contact with other children. Aarash would like her to attend Pre-school, but it is too expensive for him. He also explained Bahnam’s untidiness since the machine broke down; he does washing with his hands and has no iron. Aarash said that children are his highest priority, and during the consultation, children and Aarash showed strong bonds, mutual affection, and respectful communication. Susan, Bahman’s and Hamdiya’s mother, died in a car accident 18 months ago; she was a primary carer. Arash has relatives in Australia but has not seen them in a long time. Aarash cares full time for both children and wants to be a good father, but he feels he needs advice on parenting. He is open to receiving help and agrees that additional services would benefit their family.
Therefore, Aarash is referred to receive support from services that can meet the family’s needs. Aarash shows a great responsibility for his daughter, who has diabetes. He finds ways to provide her with healthy and high-quality food, which is very important for her future health. However, his disability pension is sometimes not enough to buy everything his children need. Aarash said that children’s well-being is his priority and mentioned that the family needs proper food for Hamdiya and a washing machine and iron to ensure the children look neat. Aarash also wants Hamdiya to visit a Pre-school and thinks that the constant changing of places impacts Bahman’s success in school. Aarash can benefit from a program that prepares children for primary school and from a food service program.
Foodbank Australia provides food to charitable organizations and schools that distribute food to the community. NSW Foodbank Australia delivers food and grocery items to 660 charities and schools (“Get help from FoodBank,” 2021). Foodbank Australia is supplying food that is appropriate for children, who need different diets than adults. Aarash can receive support from Foodbank Australia through one of the charities that could deliver the food to his home. Aarash was advised and informed about the food charity organizations and agrees that Foodbank Australia can provide appropriate nutrition for Hamdiya.
The Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY) is a two-year home-based program for parents and young children. HIPPY helps parents prepare their children for primary school and involves the active participation of parents and guardians who become the first teachers for their children. Through HIPPY, parents develop skills to prepare their children for school. The program also allows parents and guardians to get a job or become a leader in the local community. The program operates in North Melbourne and prioritizes families with special needs, such as single-parent families and families receiving a form of government support payment as their primary source of income (“How can I do HIPPY with my child,” 2021). Aarash was informed about the nature of HIPPY’s services and liked the program very much, primarily that he and Hamdiya would communicate more with children and parents from the local community.
Reporting
Khan’s family has many interrelated issues that should be addressed, but problem-solving should be done calmly and consistently and not create unnecessary confusion. The priority issue for Aarash at the moment is the socialization of the children and some help with daily care. Aarash admitted that he believes that Hamdiya can start preparing for school, and he would gladly give her to the Pre-school if the family could afford it. Therefore, classes in the HIPPY program are the best solution to the problem.
HIPPY is a government service approved for funding until 2023 and provides services for families who find themselves in difficult circumstances. By becoming a participant in the HIPPY program, Aarash will be able to prepare her daughter for school and meet other people who are experiencing similar difficulties. The program also offers job opportunities and work for the program, which is a good additional income option for Aarash to pay rent if landlords start raising prices again. The program is designed for children who have a year or two left before starting primary school. In two years, Aarash will get Hamdiya ready for school, and he won’t have to face the additional expenses for Pre-school next year.
If Hamdiya does not receive sufficient support in preschool education, she may subsequently do poorly in school. Hamdiya is now, to some extent, socially isolated, and communication with other children is the main source of children’s emotional and mental development at this age. HIPPY is an official government program, and school preparation under this program will be recognized when a child enters primary school.
Since Hamdiya is a diabetic, attending the full-day Pre-school can be a challenge as she has specific nutritional needs and daily routines. Chisholm Family Services provides comprehensive and affordable services for vulnerable children and their families in Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula and can provide Aarash parenting counseling. But this service does not include a program that could be considered a replacement for the Pre-school. Aarash could also benefit from the MensLine Australia service (“Being a dad,” 2021). This service provides counseling for single parenting fathers, including advice on homeschooling, communication with young kids, and tips on building emotional development in children.
Referral Letter
Dear team of the HIPPY Program,
I am Jane Johns, a caseworker at Chisholm Family Services.
Last week I was contacted by Mary Smith, who is a welfare officer at the local primary school. She was concerned about the well-being of Bahnam Khan, aged 7, since he was showing slow learning, had few friends, and sometimes looked unkempt. Mary Smith thought that the boy might be neglected and referred Aarash, Bahram’s father, to our service.
Aarash Khan is a father of two – Bahnam, aged 7, and Hamdiya, aged 4, and he cares full time for both children. He is concerned that Bahnam is showing not-so-good results at school, but he does his best to take care of the kids.
Aarash has diabetes; he often feels tired and lives on a Disability Pension. Hadiya also has diabetes, and Aarash does his best to find healthy and proper food for her. However, the family is facing a lack of funds, and Aarash worries that frequent moves are the reason for Bahnam’s poor academic performance. The moves are caused by landlords raising their rent, and Aarash may not always pay the required amounts. Recently, the family’s washing machine broke down, and Aarash washes children’s clothes with his hands; he also does not have an iron, which is the reason for his somewhat unkempt appearance of Bahnam.
Susan Khan, Bahnam’s and Hamdiya’s mother died in a car accident 18 months earlier; she was a primary carer. Aarash feels like he has many circumstances to deal with, and he doesn’t always succeed. He considers children’s well-being to be his top priority but admits that he would like to receive advice on parenting. Children and the father show mutual affection and respectful communication. At the moment, Aarash says he would like Hamdiya to attend Pre-school but fears it might be too expensive.
The HIPPY program provides an opportunity for parents who find themselves in difficult circumstances to prepare their children for school. The program lasts two years and accepts children from the age of four, which is very good since Hamdiya is four. If Hamdiya and her father become participants in the program, Hamdiya will be able to successfully socialize with other children, which is very important for her emotional development. In addition, since the program is home-based and with parenting, this option may be better suited for Hamdiya as she has special needs in terms of daily routine and nutrition due to her diabetes.
By participating in the program, Hamdiya will be able to emotionally, mentally, and intellectually prepare for school, so the decision to participate has a decisive impact on her future. The Khan family is in a situation that meets the HIPPY participation conditions. Aarash is a single parent, and he is receiving a government support payment as a primary source of income.
Aarash shows a caring and considerate attitude towards children and can be called a good father. Perhaps the HIPPY program could provide him with an opportunity to earn additional income as part of the program so that he does not have to move if the next landlord increases the rent. Aarash could also use the extra money to buy essential household appliances for the family, such as a washing machine. Given that Aarash is diabetic, a full-time job that involves hard physical labor is not suitable for him. In addition, he is the only carer for his young children. His relationship with Bahnam and Hamdiya suggests that Aarash gets along well with children and could become a competent early childhood development teacher after completing his first year with Hamdiya.
I encourage the HIPPY program to accept applications for the program from Aarash and Hamdiya. I would also ask the team to consider providing a part-time job for Aarash after Hamdiya completes the first year of training. Ensuring financial stability is very important for Bahnam to feel confident about the future and do well in school. Over time, this family will be able to cope with all the problems independently, but now they need the help of the community.
I have enclosed the health diagnoses of Aarash and Hamdiya and a certificate of receipt of government support payment as a primary source of income.
Thank you for any assistance you can provide.
Sincerely,
Jane Johns
Feedback and Evaluation
After the HIPPY program receives the letter, Chisholm Family Services will monitor the application acceptance process. I also keep in touch with Aarash and ask him questions about how he feels in the program and what additional services might be helpful to him. I will write a referral letter to the Foodbank Australia so that Aarash and his family have access to healthy, quality food at all times. I will also leave Aarash with the contacts of the MensLine service, which offers parenting tips for young children and adolescents for fathers. After HIPPY accepts the application from Aarash and Hamdiya, I will call or write to the team to see how things are going and if the program or Aarash needs more help.
References
Being a dad. (2021). MensLine Australia. Web.
Get help from FoodBank. (2021). FoodBank. Web.
How can I do HIPPY with my child? (2021). HippyAustralia. Web.