Giving Compass Take:

• The Annie E. Casey Foundation interviews Henrietta Muñoz of the United Way in Texas to talk about family-centered practice, which all community-centered nonprofits can learn a little from.

• Are we listening to the people we serve enough? Muñoz talks about involving families in every step of their process and suggests that those who want to adopt similar methods focus on front-line leadership.

• Family-centered approaches are effective, but don't forget about youth outreach, too.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation explores what Family-Centered Community Change looks like to the organizations involved. This entry shares the perspective of Henrietta Muñoz, who serves as the senior vice president of research and evaluation at United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County.

Casey: How would you describe family-centered practice?

Henrietta Muñoz: Family-centered practice is holding the family and their goals at the center of your work. Every decision, every move we make and every piece of data we have is to better serve our families.

Casey: How has this work evolved over time?

Muñoz: We have learned that it is important to be as intentional as possible about integrating our work with the work of our partners. We have also learned that this level of collaboration — which involves developing a shared accountability and recognizing our collective contributions — takes time.

Casey: What values drive this work?

Muñoz: Families first! We value the perspectives and voices of others. We value each other’s respective roles and what they bring to the table. We value families’ expertise in knowing how to make their family work, and we value and respect how families make decisions. We also value choice and make families aware that they have a choice in how they proceed.

Read the source article at The Annie E. Casey Foundation