Strengthening Families

Problem:
Children today confront many problems that generations before have never had to confront. Problems such as AIDS, anthrax, living in fear of terrorism, and school violence are ever present in today's society. By strengthening relations and communications between parents and children, families are better prepared to handle the ever changing patterns of today's society in an effective manner.

Response:
The Blackhawk County Families Field Specialist in collaboration with the local drug rehabilitation and prevention facility, Pathways, presented the Strengthening Families program to local families. A total of 16 families and 38 individuals attended the program which was held at the Nazareth Lutheran Church in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The training provided effective positive parenting and stress coping skills for parents and their youth. These skills, when practiced, have been shown to positively impact the family unit and its relationships.

Impact:
Each family indicated the program helped them tremendously in ways they never thought it could including one family who stated that the program helped them become more organized and allowed them to talk to each other in a more friendly and effective manner.

Three (3) of the sixteen families have expressed a great interest in booster sessions and being trained in the Strengthening Families curriculum to become facilitators.

Two families have committed to starting a parenting support group at their local church using the skills they learned through the Strengthening Families program as a basis to support each other and their youth.

This programming resulted in 14 hours of educational training.

Contact:
Madelyn Ridgeway
Iowa State University Extension, Families Field Specialist
3420 University Ave., Suite B, Waterloo, IA 50701
Office 319-234-6811;  Fax 319-234-5581
E-mail: ridgeway@iastate.edu