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Parenting Center

Parenting Center

Parenting Center

Our Parenting Center is a great resource for parent education programs that focus on enhancing parenting practices and behaviors, such as developing and practicing positive discipline techniques, learning age-appropriate child development skills and milestones, promoting positive play and interaction between parents and children, and locating and accessing community services and supports.

What Is Parent Education?

While parenting may come naturally to some, others may need additional support and guidance to understand child development, to respond appropriately to their child’s needs, and to cope with the challenges of parenting. Parent education provides caregivers with knowledge, resources, and support to develop parenting skills to enhance child and family well-being. It can also help parents or caregivers learn the tools and strategies to provide a positive and nurturing home environment where their children will thrive physically, emotionally, and cognitively.

According to research by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine positive parenting practices can have an enormous impact on a child’s social, emotional, and intellectual development, particularly during the early years. This includes a child’s enhanced sense of security, the ability to focus attention, and behavioral health. Parent education programs are designed to help parents understand their children’s individual needs and development, as well as their own roles and responsibilities, by offering tools and strategies aimed at maximizing positive outcomes for children and families.

Parent education reduces the risk of child abuse and neglect by encouraging positive parenting practices that promote safety, well-being, and permanency for children and families. The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), as reauthorized in 2010, identifies parent education as a core prevention service. Successful parent education helps parents and caregivers acquire the skills needed to build healthy families and communities.

Read more at the Child Welfare Information Gateway

Course Preview: Parenting Styles

There are many different parenting styles that can be effective in raising happy, well-adjusted children. However, it’s important to understand the difference between these styles in order to find the approaches that work best for you and your family.

The Parenting Center offers video-based parenting courses to help you navigate changes in your environment or yourself. The courses differentiate between separate types of parenting scenarios:

Is a style that involves being highly involved in all aspects of your child’s life. This includes providing guidance and support, setting limits, and encouraging positive behavior. The video parenting courses we provide allow parents to rear responsible children through life’s challenges. Groups are geared towards parents of children ages 5-12 with Active Parenting NOW, parents of children ages 13-17 with Active Parenting of Teens, and blended families with Active Parenting of Blended Families.

Is a more structured approach that relies on creating a positive learning environment for children. This style of parenting also emphasizes clear expectations and consistent consequences. Because it involves social and emotional problems, the point of contact aims to work individually with parents of children ages 5-12 to prevent problems in the family, school and community before they arise and to create family environments that encourage children to realize their potential.

Is an equal division of duties between two partners (often separated) raising a child.  The parenting center provides courses that help parents to work together to parent their children following separation and divorce. Groups are geared towards both parents’ participation in the same class.

Request an appointment here.
An intake worker will contact you within one business day to schedule an appointment for services.