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Caregiver Council

About the Caregiver Council 

In response to diverse feedback from Cambridge families, the Department of Human Services (DHSP) is collaborating with caregivers to form a new community partnership that welcomes families into decision-making that impacts them.

For example:

  • changes to registration policies
  • seeking new programming options
  • tuition policies
  • outreach and communication strategies

DHSP deeply understands that there is a clear need for a caregiver–centered, transparent, and collaborative process to design both this partnership and its role in defining how racial equity and economic justice come to life through DHSP’s work.

  • The process becomes more caregiver-centered by creating a new way to include caregiver voices into decision-making that impacts them and by inviting regular feedback from the community
  • This work will feel more transparent by making information easier to access and creating opportunities for families to get support with registration—virtually and in person
  • Together, we will collaborate with Cambridge families by continuing to invite caregivers into this development process and creating new tools for the community to provide feedback

In early spring 2023, we explored the needs of Cambridge families by holding conversations with over 40 caregivers across Cambridge to hear directly about community needs from events and locations including the Rollin' Summer Resources Fair, Peabody School, Fletcher-Maynard Academy, Kennedy Longfellow School, and King Open School. 

January 2024 Update

The Caregiver Council has been meeting since November 2023. Facilitated by AGNCY, a local design firm, the group of 14 Cambridge Caregivers is working to help DHSP:

  • Shift conditions to enable the department to make decisions in caregiver-centeric and caregiver-led ways
  • Create structures and processes that center and amplify voices often not heard in city decision-making.

Caregiver Council Members:

Telesha Mervin
Kristala Smart
Phil McKenna
Joshua Preston
Anne Saini
Yin Zhou
Betsaida Vizcaino
Rayana Ferej
Khalida Griffin
Vanessa Bernard
Emie Michaud Weinstock
Rachel Grashow
Kate Benanti
Mark Goodridge

 

June 2023 Update

DHSP continues to work closely with caregivers to reimagine a partnership with Cambridge families that is authentic, centers equity, and welcomes family input into decision-making. Over the last month, the project team has connected with families and caregivers to facilitate learning at:

  • DHSP lottery application support sessions at 51 Inman Street (May 8 & May 15)
  • Frisoli Youth Center (May 11)
  • Gately Youth Center (May 18)
  • Agenda for Children’s Out of School Time Event at King Open (May 13)

At these events, DHSP -- and its community engagement partner, Agncy -- explored specific concepts with caregivers about how they want to be brought into DHSP’s decision-making process. Two clear directions emerged:

Feedback:
Caregivers identified that they want more opportunities to give feedback on decisions made by DHSP. They wanted DHSP to use a variety of community engagement methods to create more access for folks to provide input. (e.g. text message surveys, tables at other community events, direct emails, online portals, community-centered events).

A community-led council:
In order to create and maintain an on-going channel of communication and feedback between the community and DHSP, we will establish a council of diverse Cambridge caregivers whose role will be to participate in DHSP decision-making processes and attend community events to continue learning from members of the community. Council members will be compensated for their time. 
By continuing to engage with caregivers, community members, out-of-school staff and providers in brainstorming how to bring these ideas to life, DHSP demonstrates its commitment to work collaboratively in order to meet the diverse needs of the Cambridge caregiver community.

We want your Feedback!

We welcome the community’s input! We  invite you to reach out to us at askdhsp@cambridgema.gov or share your input via a survey at bit.ly/DHSPfeedback.

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