Let’s continue our support of Mr. Carefree and his five-year-old daughter Peggy. To review, Mr. Carefree’s parenting style is uninvolved. He is a single father who recently received custody of his 5-year-old daughter Peggy who exhibits aggressive behavior at school. Her kindergarten teacher is very concerned as Peggy often comes to school hungry and wearing dirty clothes. Mr. Carefree ignores the teacher’s phone calls as he does not want to hear bad news about Peggy’s behavior at school. He is unhappy that Peggy’s presence interferes with his after-work socialization at a local bar. He is often late in picking up Peggy from afterschool.
In the previous Case Study: Supportive Communication you reflected on how you can communicate with Mr. Carefree to address your concerns about Peggy. For this case study, we will assume that Mr. Carefree responded to your communication and he wants your assistance in becoming a better parent and meeting Peggy’s needs. You found out that due to his low income he has a limited supply of nutritious food for Peggy and she did not have adequate clothes when she came to live with him. Your task is to advocate for Peggy’s basic need for nutritious food and appropriate clothing. Reflect on the following questions as you advocate for this family.
The Carefree family needs financial assistance, how would you advocate for financial assistance for this family?
Mr. Carefree lives in your community. Identify organizations in your area where he can receive free or low-cost food and clothing for Peggy.
How would you connect Mr. Carefree with these organizations?
How would you assist Mr. Carefree in learning about children’s nutrition and meal preparation?
Mr. Carefree states he wants to be a better parent but does not know how. How would you assist him with parenting classes or parent support groups?
