Parent Education

Program Manager:  Sarah Amspaugh

Program:  Parent Education targets families with children from ages Prenatal to 17. Both counties in our service area have extremely high numbers of undereducated adults, teenage parents, families living in poverty, grandparents raising grandchildren, and use of drugs by adults and teens. In addition, we have a large population of Latinos many of whom are trying to adapt to a different culture. Any and all of these problems contribute to stress in the family. In Georgia approximately 85% of child abuse cases occur in the child’s home. In recent years, 76% of the confirmed child abuse perpetrators were biological parents. The Parent Education Program offers a multi-faceted array of programs and services to decrease family dysfunction, increase parenting skills, and meet a local community goal of decreasing the number of confirmed cases of child abuse. Parenting is not the only influence on a child’s development, but it is the one we can do the most about. Parenting is learned and parenting styles are passed from parent to child.

Mission Statement:  The Parent Education Program seeks to break the cycle of child abuse and poor parenting by providing education and support that will strengthen the family and reduce the stress associated with parenting.

“Parenting is not the only influence on a child’s development, but it is the one we can do the most about. Parenting is learned and parenting styles are passed from parent to child.”

Program Funding:  The program currently receives funding from the Department of Human Resources – Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program (PSSF) and United Way of Northwest Georgia.

Quality Assurance Measures:  Evaluation methods currently utilized to measure service and client-related outcomes include quarterly reports and annual site visits. The Parent Education Program is required to submit monthly reports to PSSF. The reports monitor the compliance with funding contracts, link program outcomes with community benchmarks of family well- being, and provide demographic information regarding individuals served. Program reports completed this year indicate that all services are being provided as required by grantors. PSSF completes site visits consisting of documentation reviews, interviews with staff, FSC board members and program participants. The site visit ensures compliance with funding requirements.

The Parent Education program has the following major components:
  1. Nurturing Program
  2. Support Program for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
  3. Cooperative Parenting and Divorce
  4. Resource Parents