“Helping Families Feel that They Have a Voice” – A Conversation with SPAN

For over three decades, SPAN has been supporting New Jersey families with the greatest need so they can access resources to ensure that their children become fully participating members of society. The SPAN Parent Advocacy Network, focused on empowering families as advocates and partners in improving education, health/mental health, and human services outcomes, was awarded the 2024 Let’s Get Children Reading Grant, a Worldreader grant opportunity that supports community-based organizations, schools, and other learning institutions in getting children to read.

We sat down with three SPAN Parent Advocacy Network and START-Engaging Parent of Students with Disabilities (EPSD) team members – Stefanie Babits, START Project Director, Beth Cosentino, START-EPSD Project Coordinator, and Ellen Woodcock, Parent Group Specialist – to discuss reading as a right for all children and the importance of helping parents become advocates for their children’s learning.

Thank you for joining us. What does it mean to be a family with the greatest need in New Jersey today?

Beth: While SPAN offices are based in Newark, our projects support families across the state. New Jersey is one of the most diverse states in the country, with many different languages spoken. At SPAN, our mission is empowering families and helping them feel that they have a voice – to be successful, our tools and programming must continually evolve and adapt to the population we serve.

I think Worldreader and the BookSmart app are powerful allies in this mission, as we’ve seen that the diversity in the books that we can share with parents, and the different languages in the app have been extremely helpful for us to connect with families and help them feel a sense of belonging.

Ellen: Many of the families we serve are economically disadvantaged and lack access to reliable transportation or a local library to borrow books. And while some of us are lucky enough to have a library less than a five-minute walk away, there are school districts with no school libraries.

Worldreader is a lifeline for families who don’t have access to books.

Ellen Woodcock, SPAN Parent Group Specialist

Stefanie: Inclusion is a cornerstone of SPAN’s work. We strive to create more inclusive opportunities in any way we can. What makes us special is that 99% of the people who work for SPAN have family members with disabilities. Our team members are the parents we want to connect with. That brings a familiarity, a sense of comfort, and a deep understanding that’s sometimes hard to find. We walk in your shoes with you, we understand you, we speak your same language.

I think the BookSmart app is a nice fit for our project because it lends itself to increasing inclusion – it’s a free, accessible tool for families. It’s easy to use for parents of children with disabilities and bilingual readers. In some of the school districts we work with, as many as 80% of parents are Spanish speakers and with BooSmart, they can find stories that resonate with them. 

Why is it important to find stories that are as diverse as your community is?

Ellen: I think it’s about empowering people. In today’s world, prioritizing inclusion, celebrating diversity, and seeing the value of different cultures and people is vital. Literacy is a civil right, and all children need access to literacy and good reading materials. And when people have the opportunity to get an education and are excited to learn, they’re empowered to become citizens of the world.

Stefanie: I agree. Part of the work we do in our literacy projects is focusing on helping parents develop their own skills and actively engage in their children’s reading. BookSmart helps us encourage parental engagement with learning activities that allow parents to simplify concepts and work on their own vocabulary and phonemic awareness. By growing their own confidence, they’re better able to talk to their child’s teachers, strengthening the connection between home and school.

Do you think parental engagement is key to a child’s success?

Beth: Absolutely. Parental engagement is a key focus for us, but too often, there’s a disconnect between parents and their school district, and we know that many teachers aren’t getting trained on family engagement, or connecting with parents who may not be the first to reach out. I believe a system shift is needed, and it will be difficult work, but the rewards are invaluable. We need seamless parent-teacher collaboration to support students who may be slipping through the cracks. That’s why we insist on helping school districts understand that it’s a right for every family to engage and there should be ongoing two-way communication.

Parents should be equal partners.

Beth Cosentino, SPAN START-EPSD Project Coordinator

Stefanie: At SPAN, we are honored to be the New Jersey recipient of the U.S. Department of Education Statewide Family Engagement Center Grant. We’re now in the grant’s second year and are proud to be recognized as an organization that shares in the commitment to understanding the importance and value of family engagement. It’s not about checking a box. When done right, family engagement can help improve outcomes for school districts, families, and students. The data is clear – when children and families are engaged, we see a reduction in absenteeism. We see an increase in graduation rates.

How has SPAN’s work evolved since being awarded the Let’s Get Children Reading Grant?

Stefanie: The organization started at a kitchen table. Fast forward 35 years, we have over 40 grants and diverse programs that support families where they need us. We prioritize meeting the parents where they are – whether they’re military families, families challenged by school closures, dealing with exclusion or mental health issues, and more. From healthcare to education to mental health and more, we’re dedicated to being the one-stop shop for families.

When a parent reaches out to SPAN, they know that they’re going to get the information, resources, support, and compassion that they need and may be hard to find in the world around them.

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