NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Erica Romero is the Family Support Specialist Liaison with Hutchinson USD 308. This is a pilot program designed to help kids before their family situations get bad enough to need DCF referral.
"There are those needs that are just financial or a tangible resource," Romero said. "Then there are also, the school might be seeing some behaviors that is needing a little bit more assistance with the family to work together. Maybe the family has reached out and asked for help with how they handle certain behaviors of their own, so that's when I step in and hopefully try to get the kid's needs met as best as possible, so that when they come to school, they are able to thrive and be in the class getting their education."
The need just seems to be greater as the school year goes along.
"I haven't really done a count for November," Romero said. "But, in October, I was at 56 kids. Then, for August and September together, it was 74. I didn't have them separated in my mind. I'm not sure. It was higher in September than August. That changes and that grows every day."
Romero said truancy issues and literally getting kids to school is one of the top issues for her, in addition to the financial needs some families have.
"I work with pre-K, so Early Head Start, Head Start, all the way through 12th grade," Romero said. "I would say it's more common right now for referrals to be at the elementary age, but we also know that they are with one teacher that whole day. That teacher is really seeing those patterns and behavior changes and they make a really strong bond with families. I do have the high schoolers and middle schoolers as well."
Early data from the Emporia school district seems to be encouraging in terms of reducing DCF referrals, so the hope is that after this year, the data will show that getting to kids early saves the state money and that the program can be expanded.