Despite the Best of Intentions . Residents confided to a home visitor that they were too embarrassed to participate. They wanted to learn to read, but tutoring was done in the main room of the branch library where everyone, including their children's friends, would see them and know that they were illiterate. . . . Although very interested in joining, the girls could not convince their parents that they would be safe going to a community center after school and spending time with strangers. The parents had not been invited to meet the potential mentors, and the only communication between the school and parents was a formal permission slip written in English. . . .
Parental involvement is often necessary to ensure the best home care and followup.
At the same time, health care providers need to realize that parents are not always the primary caregiver. In many Southeast Asian cultures, for example, a senior member of the extended family, rather than a parent, may be in charge of family health matters. In black families, grandmothers, aunts, or other family members may be the key person. Many women who abuse drugs also have been physically and sexually abused by men and are often unwilling to enter a program staffed largely by males.