Rachel Craigie

Agency: The Blake Foundation

Term: Fall - 2004

I am doing my internship with The Blake Foundation as a parent aide. Although I have only been interning there for a couple of months, I have already learned a great deal. The number one thing I have learned is how important internships are. I was very unsure of what I wanted to do with my degree once I graduated, but doing this internship has made me realize that this is what I want to do.

The Parent Aide program is court-appointed for certain families that need help with different skills, such as parenting, hygiene, relationships, etc. Most Parent Aides meet with a family once a week for about six months.

So far I have learned a great deal about human services. I have realized that most of these families do not want help at first, but once they realize that we are there to help them, they usually open up a bit more. I have learned how much work actually goes into helping a family, and how much you really have to know. The parent aide rally has to be ready for any kind of situation to occur. From the parents splitting up, to drugs in the house, to a child running away, anything is possible, and the parent aide needs to be ready for it. I also realized that the parent aide has to be quick at resolving problems and giving advice. Sometimes families ask questions, and we need to have done our research to be able to give them a solid answer.

I am really excited about doing this internship, and have learned a great deal already. I am most excited about eventually getting my own caseload of families. I should be able to have my own caseload by next semester. I am taking this semester to learn all that I can about the program, and then I will use my expertise to help others learn.

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

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