Lilia Smith

Agency: The Blake Foundation

Term: Spring - 2002

I am currently doing an internship at the Blake Foundation, a non-profit human services agency. It serves seven southern Arizona counties and over 1,000 children. I am working in the Children and Family Services Department. This department focuses on a multitude of family and child support services. The Parent Aide Program is where I chose to do my internship. This program provides support to the children and families who are under the patronage of Arizona Child Protective Services. This program serves more than 60 families in Pima County. The parent aide is responsible for enhancing the parenting skills of the families involved through education and support.

I am shadowing other parent aides on their visits with children and their families. Some of the families have custody of their kids and some do not. Most of the visits take place at the family's home. I am responsible for observing and carefully documenting what was said and done. This is done through progress notes that eventually are faxed to the case manager and to the judge in charge of the case. I am also learning how to compile and organize a family file. This includes documentation of all contact with the family or case manager. I am also learning how to complete family assessments and family budgets.

I decided to do my internship here because I think this agency will give me the experience I need to work with children and families. I am not sure what exactly it is that I want to do. There is so much out there to learn and experience. This is one way to explore my options and discover my strengths and weaknesses. I want to experience what I am reading about families and children in the classroom. I want to get some hands-on experience in what I think is such an important field.

My main goal is to serve those who are not capable of helping themselves at all times. These vulnerable people are the children. I feel that not all children are being cared for the way they all should be. Many problems start within the family structure. This is where the proper attention should be focused. One cannot look at a separate member of the family without looking at the whole. I would like to help unite troubled families and bring them close together, so that their children do not have to suffer like many children I have seen already.

I have learned so much through The Blake Foundation. My mentors have really given me their time and attention to make my internship easier. It is not an easy job. It requires that people have a lot of patience, care, understanding, and an open mind. I have a lot of respect for any professional in this field. I have learned that many times the parent aide is the only person within the system the family can trust. I think that doing an internship provides any student with a valuable experience. I would certainly recommend this to anyone thinking about doing one.

There are so many types of families I have met. Each one seems to love their kids and seems to be doing everything possible to do the right thing. I remember going on one of my very first home visits. The family truly showed a great love for their little boy. There were pictures all around the house. I thought to myself, "This is the reason I chose to do my internship here." I went away from that visit feeling elated.

University of Arizona | College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
School of Family and Consumer Sciences | Family Studies and Human Development

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