Strengthening Families

Strengthening Families is a year-long program that focuses on preventing child abuse and neglect by strengthening families. It is a strength-based, protective factors approach based on two beliefs: all families have strengths and all families need support. Early education programs that participate in this program learn how to support children and families in developing their five protective factors, which include: social emotional competence of children, knowledge of parenting and child development, social connections, concrete support in times of need, and parental resilience.

Participants

• Take from 12 to 24 hours of in-service, free. The classes are from Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect: Parent-Provider Partnerships in Child Care, a ZERO TO THREE Training Curriculum. The four modules that participants can choose from are:

➢ Building Collaborative Relationships with Families

➢ Helping Parents and Providers Understand Temperament

➢ The Influence of Culture on Caregiving

➢ Supportive Responses to Troubled Parent Child Interactions

• Attend 3 group meetings.

• Provide at least one parent event (parent café) for the families in care.

• Receive 10 or more visits from ERC’s Infant-Toddler Specialist…based on their goals

For more information about Strengthening Families go to: http://strengtheningfamilies.net/images/uploads/pdf_uploads/Strengthening_Families_Brochure.pdf

If you are interested in enrolling for the program, contact nancy@ercrefer.org
if you work in Shawnee, Jefferson, Jackson or Osage counties
or ann@ercrefer.org if you work in Douglas or Franklin counties.