Family resource mapping
Start with the barrier, not the directory
Staff should be able to move from a barrier to a short list of realistic resources. Confirm current availability, cost, and eligibility with district and community partners before referring.
Transportation
Barrier-matched resources
District transportation department
Route, stop, and eligibility review; alternate stop requests.
McKinney-Vento transportation
For students experiencing homelessness — contact the district liaison.
Coordinated carpool or walking group
Site-arranged, with appropriate family authorization.
Local transit options
Where age-appropriate and family-approved.
Warm handoff: refer → connect → confirm
A referral is not a connection.
- 1Explain. Tell the family what the resource does, what it costs, what to expect, and why you are suggesting it.
- 2Consent. Obtain appropriate consent before sharing information with the partner agency.
- 3Connect. Make the connection with the family present where feasible — a call together, an introduction, a scheduled appointment.
- 4Own. Name who follows up and by when. Put the date in writing.
- 5Confirm. Verify whether the family actually reached the resource. Until then, the student is referred — not connected.
Referred
The family was given information about a resource. This is a contact, not an intervention.
Connected
The family reached the resource and something changed as a result. This is what gets monitored.