PCAI Grant covers Wright and Hamilton County for parents with children aged 0-18: Parent education is the primary piece of our project. Two curriculums will be utilized. Positive Solutions for Families is a science based curriculum that can apply for parents of all ages of children. It is in English and Spanish and written at a sixth grade level. It has six sessions and the focus is on looking at ways to positively reinforce behaviors that are wanted and eliminating unwanted behaviors. The past three years the parenting program has presented this curriculum. One barrier to parent participation is committing to six meetings per session.
The second curriculum purchased this spring is 1 2 3 4 Parent. It is evidence based in English and Spanish and written at a 4th grade level. It is for parents of children aged 1-4. Its focus is also eliminating unwanted behaviors by positive reinforcement and includes discipline without violence, preventing problem behaviors, building a loving bond, child proof your home, ages and stages, and caring for yourself. It has three 90 minute sessions and includes DVD’s. This curriculum is to be used as a lunch and learn but could be used as evening sessions also. Neither curriculum requires special instruction for the presenter and has facilitator guides.
Two parent education groups will be offered in each of the counties. One will be in Spanish. Because we will utilize grant funding, we will be capable of serving parents who have children over the age of five.
1 2 3 4 Parent, three sessions, one in Spanish and two in English. These sessions will focus on parents with preschool children. Parents of children attending preschool and clients of the HOPES (in home visitation) program will be the audience; however any community member will not be turned down. We will project a class of 15 parents for each of these sessions (45 parents).
Positive Solutions for Families, one session for the general public. School districts like to provide the parenting classes in the elementary buildings and invite their parents to attend; parents of preschool children will also be invited to this training. We will project a class of 15 parents for this session. Additional parent education sessions will be provided if there is an interest. We have been using the CAPP (Community Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Coordinator) as a speaker to present to the families and focus on birth control, resources, and STI (sexually transmitted infections). We will continue to utilize this strategy. The projected total number of participants for parent
Preschool Parent Nights: The Parent Coordinator will provide parent education to parents receiving preschool scholarships. Each preschool that contracts with Building Families are required to collaborate with the Parent Coordinator and other Early Childhood staff to develop a parent night. The preschool provides parent/child activities then a 45 minute parenting session based on reinforcing positive behaviors to decrease unwanted behaviors. This session is Positive Solutions for Families Curriculum. We project 9 preschools, 135 parents and 135 children served.
Service Coordination: The Parent Coordinator will work with communities in communicating what resources are available and how to access them. For example, our DHS office has moved out of town and there is confusion as to how to access or apply for food stamp; rental and energy assistance may be needed to stay in their home or apartment; referral to substance abuse counseling and support groups; connecting with a family planning clinic; or a referral to the Child Health Specialty Clinic for a child with a developmental delay. A resource directory is being developed by Building Families and it will be on line and in hard copy. The parent coordinator will distribute the directory, update the on line information, and be available at WIC clinics, school conferences, and county activities to distribute brochures collected from collaborating agencies, the resource directory hard copy, and promote the on line directory.
Assessment: Building Families Board would like every child starting at the age of 2 months to be assessed for developmental delays. The Parent Coordinator will be trained in Ages and Stages assessment and evaluation. Ages and Stages assessments for children aged 2 months to five years will be distributed to parents at WIC clinics, school conferences, and county activities. The assessments take only a few minutes to complete. They will be returned to the Parent Coordinator for evaluating. The Parent Coordinator will make recommendation for a referral for additional screening if the child appears to be lagging in any developmental categories. The Parent Coordinator will provide the family with additional resources as identified by the family. Sometimes families are unable to follow through with the applications. They may not understand what is needed for the application or how to gather that information. The Parent Coordinator will assist in following up on the referrals so the assistance is accessed. While in the home the Parent Coordinator will offer parent development through curriculum activities and role modeling. 200 children will be assessed for developmental delays and 10 families will be assisted with accessing resources to meet their basic needs and to keep the family safe.
ECI Grant covers Hamilton, Humboldt and Wright Counties for families with children aged 0-5:
Building Families will provide 6 parenting classes in Hamilton, Humboldt and Wright Counties, 16 parent preschool parent nights in Hamilton, Humboldt and Wright Counties, and provide Service Coordination for 10 families who have children with a possible disability or developmental delay identified through the Ages and Stages Assessment. This project will also distribute information on available resources in our communities and how to access them.
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