The Parent Mentoring program is sometimes used by the Racine County Human Services Department’s Child Protective Services Investigation (CPS) Unit, as an alternative to removing children from their homes as a result of serious child protection issues.  

There is no waiting list for this program.  It is used as an immediate response to a CPS determination that a child(ren) are unsafe unless a Parent Mentor can be placed in the home immediately.  This usually means a Parent Mentor must be available within one hour.  Although a Parent Mentor will not live with the family, the Parent Mentor will be spending several hours a day with family members to address immediate needs and ensure the safety and well being of the children.

Services include a minimum of 5 days/15 hours per week of direct service time with a family in the family's home for the first four weeks of service; 3 days/8-10 hours per week in the fifth and sixth weeks of service; 2 days/4-6 hours a week in the seventh week, and 1 day/2-4 hours a week the eighth week.

Weeks nine through twelve are used to transition families to independence through solidifying linkages to other community resources and/or transferring them to the program's aftercare component; or when necessary authorizing other RCHSD services.

Concerns about child safety are paramount.  For that reason, this program is extremely intensive and is monitored closely by the HSD Investigator/Case Manager.  A family’s failure to participate in the activities or cooperate with staff may result in a decision to remove children from the home.

Program staff work with the family as partners to develop and implement a service plan that incorporates the information, expectations and court mandates provided by RCHSD; strength-based assessment results and other information relating to each family's needs.

Each family's service plan identifies critical problem areas, establishes realistic and measurable short-term and long-term goals and objectives, identifies stages of change, plans intervention strategies, establishes time frames and select resources.  Service plans are expected to be realistic and achievable with child safety goals and objectives receiving top priority.  Goals should be prioritized and time frames spaced so those participants do not become overwhelmed.

Parent Mentor responsibilities are as varied as the needs of individual families.  Skill development activities with family members may include shopping, apartment/house hunting, laundry, cleaning, home repairs, playing with children, recreation, meetings with other agencies/schools, meal planning, budgeting, cooking, sewing, positive child management strategies, child development instruction, "field trips" to resources, esteem building, problem solving, etc.

To receive more information about Parent Mentoring, contact Kerry Milkie, Supervisor, CPS Investigative Unit.