Julie Winthrow has worked for the county for 20 years. The assistant to the county administrator said working with people who do not speak English used to be a rarity, but not anymore.
More and more people from around the world are moving to Loudoun County. As Loudoun’s population continues to grow, so does the number of languages spoken. As a result, there is a need for social services in languages other than English.
"We need these services in the public-safety area, social services and at schools," Winthrow said.
WINTHROW PRESENTED a report on bilingual issues to the Board of Supervisors human services committee Nov. 16. In her report, she addressed how to alleviate communication problems between English and non-English speakers in Loudoun.
In June, a multiagency committee was formed to investigate how to resolve bilingual issues using existing resources and finding new ones.
The committee focused on seven areas, including solutions utilized by other jurisdictions in Northern Virginia, existing resources, electronic translation devices, funding sources, community partners, human-resources issues and a survey of department heads.
"There are a number of ways to fix these problems," Winthrow said. "But not one way is going to fix every problem."
The committee tested five hand-held translation devices.
"These devices are not going to work because they were not bidirectional," Winthrow said. "I may be able to translate Chinese to English, but not English to Chinese. It would not work in a conversation."
Some departments are using visual aide devices, which seem to work, Winthrow said.
The Language Line, the most widely used existing resource, received positive reviews by county employees who used it.
"The language line is a phone translation service that can be accessed any time of day," Winthrow said. "I would like to get their number to all service providers in the county and program that number into every county cell phone for easy access."
IT IS BECOMING increasingly important to hire county staff with language skills. The committee suggested expanding job advertisements to target bilingual applicants and target bilingual individuals of different cultures at job fairs. The committee also suggested the county offer language classes and cultural diversity training.
Loudoun County has already taken steps toward solving communication problems. The county provides multilanguage signage and printed materials for residents when appropriate.
Loudoun County Public Schools offers printed materials, like informational letters and calendars, in English and Spanish.
"Parent liaisons who help with translation and acquainting parents with schools are the main thing," said public information officer Wayde Byard.
Parent liaisons are paid members of the school staff. They assist non-English-speaking parents in the county’s public schools.
"Our goal is to connect resources with parents and parents with resources," said parent liaison Mike Martin. "We empower parents with tools they need in order to ensure children have the best educational experience."
Parent liaisons offer assistance in Spanish. "We have not branched out as of yet, but the Spanish language group is the largest."
The Parent Resource Center also offers non-English-speaking parents assistance with their child’s education. Books and informational pamphlets are available in Spanish.
The human services committee advised Winthrow to come back in January with a list of prioritized options and cost estimates.
"I want to find the most cost-effective way to solve this problem," Winthrow said.