Exploring the Café Model:
Discovering a New Way to
Engage in Meaningful
Conversations
Jodi Whiteman, Director for Center for
Training Services
ZERO TO THREE
Carla Keener, Senior Administrator,
Continuum of Care and Linkages,
FIRST 5 ALAMEDA COUNTY
Purpose & Goals
of Cafes
•
•
•
•
•
Provides forum for parent-to-parent conversation
Levels the playing field...everyone participates with their ‘family hat’ on
Encourages deep listening—to self and others
Offers a new way to make connections
Raises awareness both of how much we know and how much there is to
learn
• Allows for and honors the sharing of ideas, resources, and experiences
• Gain insight and hope
• Celebrates the wisdom in the room!
Background
• Parent and Community Cafés are derived
from the World Café model
• Cafés are a method of facilitating
meaningful, reflective conversations that
promote leadership and collaboration
• In 2008 MN began implementing the
Center for Study of Social Policy’s (CSSP)
Strengthening Families Framework and
the Illinois Strengthening Families, Love is
Not Enough Parent Cafés Model
Background
To support and nurture child care providers, families and
providers, MN Department of Human Services decided to
contract with ZERO TO THREE to craft a manual utilizing
structured conversations within communities that:
Promote the protective factors
Build on parent engagement
Utilize the framework created by the Strengthening
Families Illinois Parent Café
Emphasize the important of culture as woven through
ZERO TO THREE’s, Parents and Providers: Sharing the Care
handouts
Minnesota Café Model
• The Minnesota Café Model are guided
conversations about topics for caregivers that
help to promote the optimal development of
Minnesota’s children.
• Promote community conversations with
parents, child care providers and community
leaders on how to implement the protective
factors when caring for our youngest children
• It was important to weave culture throughout
the model as this is a key consideration when
looking at the protective factors
First 5 Alameda County Model
In 2011 First 5 Alameda County implemented the CSSP
framework, using the Illinois model, in three (3) East
Oakland communities
Parent Cafes were introduced in Alameda County as a
strategy to support Project LAUNCH. The major goals
included:
•
•
•
•
Reduce social isolation
Support community development efforts
Enhance parent engagement and leadership efforts
Promote the Strengthening Families/Protective Factor
framework, as a strength-based approach to improving
outcomes for young children and their families
Café Agenda
I. Welcome
II. Introductions
III. One-on-One Conversations
IV. Café Table Discussion Questions
V. Group Reflection
VI. Closing Exercise/Practice/Ritual
VII. Additional Resources & Evaluations
• Formal Greeting & Welcome
• Posting of the Parent Café Menu
• Review of Ground Rules/Café Agreements
• Dyad (One-on-One Exercise)
• Table Discussion and Rotation
• Sharing and Posting of Participant Feedback
• Harvesting
• Reference to Resources (including MH
Consultant)
• Closing Exercise
One-One Conversations
• Facilitator Introduces One-on-One
Conversations
• Pair Up
• Active Listening
• Time Limited – 2 minutes each person
• Each Café has a unique conversation activity
One-on-One Conversation:
Build Strong Parent/
Caregiver-Provider Partnerships
FACILITATOR READS:
Today we are talking about partnerships with
others. Each of us has someone we go to when we
really want to talk about something. You do not
need to share that person’s name, but what his or
her relationship is to you. Ask the participants to
think about:
• How do you feel when you are with that
person?
• What does the person specifically do to help
you feel that way?”
Main Café
Conversations
Facilitator
1. Introduce moving onto main café conversations
2. Explain process to participants
•
•
•
•
One question at each table
10 minutes for each question
Host remains
Introduce table Hosts
3. Hand process over to Hosts
Main Café
Conversations
Host
• Be patient
• Remember your body language, make eye contact, leanin, nod to acknowledge contributions
• Be comfortable with silence
• Encourage participants to go deeper by asking them to
say more or describe how they feel
• Share your own understanding of the questions and
how it relates to you and your family (as appropriate)
Café Conversation Questions :
Building Parent/Caregiver –
Provider Partnerships
Question A
Question B
Question C
• How do you work
with others to
support a child’s
development?
• What
characteristics
support a strong
parent/caregiverprovider
partnership?
• What challenges
have you
experienced with
parent/caregiver
– provider
partnerships?
Harvest
• What came up for you when discussing the
question?
• What are you taking away from the
conversation (one word reflection)?
• How is this café process similar or different
from other parent/caregiver/provider activities
you’ve experienced before?
• How might cafes be used in your work?
Sensitive Issues
Café Conversations can bring up sensitive issues
that participants may be facing within their
families, local, or national community.
Think about…
1. When a parent cries, or becomes overwhelmed, how do we
respond?
2. How do we support participants in a helpful way that doesn’t try to
fix their situation or comes across as judgmental?
3. How do we guide a participant who dominates the group?
4. How do we help de-escalate a disagreement between participants?
5. What do we do when we are triggered?
Adaptations
• Culture
• Family Composition
• Language
• Literacy
• Adolescent Parents
• Father/Male Caregiver
• Schools, Faith-Based
Community
Questions?