Cape school holding resource fair for parents to learn about housing assistance, counseling, transportation

Getting families connected to the resources they need is a big part of what Kayleen Shaw does on a daily basis as the Cape Girardeau School District's social worker.

Shaw is bringing social agencies together for an event Tuesday so families and members of the community can learn about opportunities for housing assistance, counseling and transportation.

With the holidays and cold weather approaching, Shaw said, this is the time of year when those resources are needed most.

Shaw started working with the district about a year ago. During that time, she has been working to change parents' perception of a social worker, which can sometimes be negative, she said.

"I'm not a truancy officer," she said. "I'm very much different."

By hosting the event, Shaw said, she wants to generate more communication among service providers as well as families who need help.

"Sometimes parents don't reach out and ask for help," she said.

She said she also wants to make the school environment more inviting to parents.

"It's not a parent-teacher conference," she said. "It's not a sporting event. This is to reach out to parents who are not comfortable coming to school."

As the district's only social worker, Shaw said, she spends about half her time working on attendance by checking on students with unexcused absences.

"I find out a lot of things just from attendance referrals," she said. In some situations, families need help getting their child health care or transportation to see a doctor.

She said she had 134 referrals for services so far this year, the majority at the middle school and junior high school, where she concentrates her efforts. This year, there were 32 referrals at Central High School, where a master's degree intern works one day a week, she said.

The United Way of Southeast Missouri and the Community Caring Council provided seed money to help the district hire a social worker in the summer of 2008. The district assumed the full cost of the position this year.

Schools of comparable size have three or four social workers, said Deena Ring, the district's director of special services. She said she hopes to hire more social workers if funds become available.

By focusing on students at the middle and junior high schools, Shaw can help intervene with at-risk students.

"I think that she has allowed us to address issues like attendance at an earlier age," Ring said.

The resource connection fair will be from 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Cape Girardeau Central Junior High School gym. The event will also include resources for programs regarding parenting, child enrichment programs, Christmas assistance and employment.

abusch@semissourian.com

388-3627

Pertinent address:

205 Caruthers Ave., Cape Girardeau, MO