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"Retention" is the word we use when we talk about keeping people in a program (school, and Even Start, in this case). It's hard. You have to be there every time the person gets cold feet: every time the person gets overwhelmed: every time the person gets hit with a crisis: and every time the person just gets tired.
We have a couple of tired recent graduates right now. They're ambitious, in the long run, but they want some time off. They actually kind of deserve time off: they both worked very hard to get where they are. But they have to be in school a minimum of 15 hours a week to qualify for the program, and the program is what pays for their childcare and gets them extra free medical screenings and holds their hands when they go to get birth control or financial aid. The program is where they meet other mothers and their babies meet other babies. The program is where they get parenting classes and free diapers and back to school supplies and countless other things. If they take a break from school, they take a break from the program. If they take a break from the program they take a risk that they will lose their place. Because if someone leaves the program for whatever reason someone else must be enrolled right away or we lose the funding, which means, among other things, we can't pay me. Which would mean no program.
So we're all relentless about it. "Find some classes you can stand to take." "Don't give up." "Remember your goals." "We don't want to lose you." We don't. As easy as it is for me to attach to the new mother and her baby, it's a wrench to lose the old ones to anything but a successful completion. Which is not just a high school graduation but an A A or a vocational certficate and a job in hand.
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On another front, I made both garlic dill pickles and bread and butter pickles today. I forgot to buy more lids, so I haven't put up the tomatoes I bought yesterday. Also, I'm redoing the dandied habaneros because the method I chose did not work out right. After gthose, and after I figure out what to do with the apples, I'll be done with the required stuff for the year. I'm considering asking the neighbor round the corner for some of the quinces I don't think she knows what to do with, and I mean to carry off a small number of Emma's Japanese pears and Gravenstein apples, if I can figure out what to do with them. And then it will be lemon season and I'll havew to make a bit of marmalade. And Emma may have more pomegranates than she knows what to do with. Or not. And there's the persimmons at her house. I'm not generally fond of them, but my father used to make a persimmon pudding that I loved, and dried persimmons are wonderful also.
I picked blackberries at Meder Street Park today, bt just enough to eat with cottage cheese. I was originally planning on making berry jam, but honestly, the satsuma plum jam came out with the same dark rich type of flavor as blackberries this year so there's no need.
And now I need a nap.
We have a couple of tired recent graduates right now. They're ambitious, in the long run, but they want some time off. They actually kind of deserve time off: they both worked very hard to get where they are. But they have to be in school a minimum of 15 hours a week to qualify for the program, and the program is what pays for their childcare and gets them extra free medical screenings and holds their hands when they go to get birth control or financial aid. The program is where they meet other mothers and their babies meet other babies. The program is where they get parenting classes and free diapers and back to school supplies and countless other things. If they take a break from school, they take a break from the program. If they take a break from the program they take a risk that they will lose their place. Because if someone leaves the program for whatever reason someone else must be enrolled right away or we lose the funding, which means, among other things, we can't pay me. Which would mean no program.
So we're all relentless about it. "Find some classes you can stand to take." "Don't give up." "Remember your goals." "We don't want to lose you." We don't. As easy as it is for me to attach to the new mother and her baby, it's a wrench to lose the old ones to anything but a successful completion. Which is not just a high school graduation but an A A or a vocational certficate and a job in hand.
###
On another front, I made both garlic dill pickles and bread and butter pickles today. I forgot to buy more lids, so I haven't put up the tomatoes I bought yesterday. Also, I'm redoing the dandied habaneros because the method I chose did not work out right. After gthose, and after I figure out what to do with the apples, I'll be done with the required stuff for the year. I'm considering asking the neighbor round the corner for some of the quinces I don't think she knows what to do with, and I mean to carry off a small number of Emma's Japanese pears and Gravenstein apples, if I can figure out what to do with them. And then it will be lemon season and I'll havew to make a bit of marmalade. And Emma may have more pomegranates than she knows what to do with. Or not. And there's the persimmons at her house. I'm not generally fond of them, but my father used to make a persimmon pudding that I loved, and dried persimmons are wonderful also.
I picked blackberries at Meder Street Park today, bt just enough to eat with cottage cheese. I was originally planning on making berry jam, but honestly, the satsuma plum jam came out with the same dark rich type of flavor as blackberries this year so there's no need.
And now I need a nap.
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