FDC graduates who have completed the Empowerment Skills for Family Workers course have much to say about their positive experience. Below are a few perspectives from staff in a variety of roles about how FDC training benefited them, the families they serve, their agencies and communities.

“Overall, the FDC experience has deepened my understanding of family-centered practice and reinforced my commitment to advocacy and empowerment. It has provided me with practical tools that will enhance my effectiveness in supporting caregivers and families in their journey toward stability and self-sufficiency.”

“Coming into this course, I did not know what to expect. What exactly was “Family Development”? How did it relate to my job? Would I gain anything from it? All these questions were answered in the first chapter of this course. From the very first section, “A bone-deep longing for freedom and self-respect,” I was hooked. Here was an approach that made sense! I am happy to realize that I was already incorporating some of the Family Development ideas in my work but also delighted to acquire some new techniques.”

“Family Development humanizes family services through connection. The families that we serve are often beaten down by the deficit approach to services. They come to us with suspicion and defensiveness from less than pleasant prior interactions. They feel that they are not being heard and have no say in the processes they are going through with service agencies.”

Building strength-based relationships within their organization

“I remember that at times we would cry but we would also laugh, have fun, and hope. We all shared our raw emotions during this class and at times it was therapeutic talking about our own goals and feelings. We were vulnerable, got to know each other on a deeper level, and understood the significance that we can have as family development workers.”

“This course has transformed my life; not only did I learn unique skills and methods to assist families. I also met and made friends with my classmates. I loved how we motivated each other and shared engaging conversations that made you think. We kept each other motivated even when we were exhausted.”

“I never thought a class on Family Development could take you on such an emotional rollercoaster. At times I was happy. Other times I was sad. Sharing caused tears to flow as well as lifted a weight that I have been carrying for a long time. The most meaningful part of this whole course to me was the people. I will never forget any of them. My classmates and instructors are all truly amazing people.”

Building strength-based relationships in the community

“The Family Development philosophy and Plan is a model for all relationships. Should we all adhere to the basic principles of this model, I believe we would have deeper, more meaningful, and positive relationships. It is my deepest wish that it be shared more widely, and maybe one day, become the standard requirement for all family workers.”

“I truly appreciated the way we collaborated in our groups, ensuring that everyone had the opportunity to share their thoughts. Each person contributed personal and professional stories that related beautifully to the topics we covered in class. Despite some of us coming from different fields, our experiences with families often mirrored one another. Our shared passion for our work drives us to support families in the best ways possible, even when we feel the urge to “fix it for them.” The FDC program has enlightened us on the importance of emphasizing families ‘strengths and recognizing them as the true experts of their own lives, which they absolutely are.”

“As a Family Worker, understanding the advantages of home visiting means allowing the family worker to build a good relationship with the families by meeting them in their own environment, observing their dynamics in order to be able to support their needs in a unique way and to be able to access community resources when it comes to improving child(ren) developments and family well-being.”

Building and enhancing strengths in family workers 

“Applying what I have learned within my life will be easy because I have already started doing so. I have used the family circle assessment on my own family to see where the gaps are in our support system. I have also used this information to assess the strengths in others as well as recognizing when I am in a “power-over” or a “shared-power” situation. I will also be utilizing these techniques when dealing with my families and my own family.”

“Another really important lesson was learning about assertive speaking. In my own life, I have really struggled living in the submission‐aggression loop. The loop has informed me of my approach to relationships, friendships, jobs, and more. When I read that chapter, I immediately felt a sense of anxiety thinking that I would never be able to get out of the submission‐aggression loop. I immediately started practicing because I realized that the saying what happened, how it made me felt, and what I would like to happen would give me a freedom I had not known before. Initially when I started working on it, I struggled staying factual with what happened. Having an instructor on this course points out that it is important to point out something that is factual rather than feeling could help keep the conversation friendly instead of escalating to the emotional state. I used this to speak with my family, my friends, the kiddos at work, as well as the parents. It is has made communication a lot easier all the way around.”

“One key takeaway for me has been the importance of self-care. In the pursuit of supporting families, it’s easy to lose sight of one’s own well-being, especially when working with individuals who may not be ready to accept help. Having a solid support system has been crucial for me, and I intend to leverage that both in my career and at home. I will make sure to establish clear boundaries with the families I support, as lines can easily be blurred over time, if you work with a family for a while. When professional relationships become too personal, it can lead to complications.”