The case does not indicate whether Carla had worked with Head Start on behalf of other clients, though one could reasonably assume that if she had not already, the time would come when another client of WRC would also be involved with Head Start. If this were Carla’s first experience with Head Start, how might that alter what course of action Carla should take in relation to her concerns about discrimination?

Question

Carla Hudson, a Black social worker with the Women’s Resource Center (WRC), had worked with Maria Velasquez, a Mexican immigrant and mother of two children, for several years as she struggled to escape a violent home situation. Maria was Carla’s first Spanish-speaking client. Maria’s spoken English was easily understandable, but she could not read or write English well. As Carla assisted Maria in acquiring mainstream services, including Head Start, TANF, Food Stamps, and WIC, she noticed barriers to services that she began to suspect were related to discrimination against Spanish-speaking clients. When two White Head Start caseworkers refused to help Maria attain educational support that she needed in order to gain English literacy, Carla faced the challenge of addressing discrimination issues in another agency and perhaps throughout the service delivery system in Jasper, Alabama.

Answer 1

If this were Carla’s first experience with Head Start, then she should probably have been cautious about accusations and should have worked to build positive working relationships with Head Start caseworkers and the Director of Head Start. If Carla had already noted a pattern, which seems unlikely because Maria was her first Spanish-speaking client, then a more direct and forceful effort might have been warranted. Because Carla had perceived a problem for Maria in other agencies as well, an effort to help the whole community put in place a structure to address the special needs of the growing immigrant population might seem more constructive. This approach would not offer immediate help to Maria, but it would indirectly affect Maria’s long-term prospects in the community. Also, Maria could be empowered to act on behalf of her community in organizing and advocating for services needed especially for immigrant families.