Fostering Positive Parent-Child Relationships
Parenting is hard, even in the best of circumstances. Parents want the best for their children, but sometimes they need a little help or coaching. CIS of Durham offers two programs, the Incredible Years Parent Training Series (IY) and the Strengthening Families Program (SFP), which provide much needed assistance for Durham’s parents.
The aim of the Incredible Years Parent Training Series and the Strengthening Families Program is to support parents and caregivers in preventing aggressive, oppositional behavior in their children, thereby avoiding long term problems like drug abuse, crime, and gang involvement. Parenting skills are taught to the caregivers of elementary school and middle school students, averting problems before they become lifelong habits.
Communities In Schools of Durham is one of a handful of organizations in North Carolina implementing IY and SFP, which are identified by The Alliance for Evidence-Based Programs as having quantifiable, positive outcomes in family strengthening intervention and child abuse prevention.
- The Incredible Years courses are designed for parents and caregivers with elementary-school aged children and are each a minimum of 14-weeks long.
- Strengthening Families Program courses, for families with kids ages 10-14, are each 7-weeks long.
- Weekly classes, lead by trained facilitators, stress parenting competencies such as monitoring, positive discipline, and confidence. SFP also includes a skills building class for the kids.
- CIS of Durham provides childcare, meals, and transportation for families participating in IY and SFP.
- These initiatives have won numerous awards as one of the most effective models of reducing juvenile delinquency and child abuse according to research. Both programs are located inside neighborhood schools.
