Iowa State University Extension

Problem:
Parent Partner Grant - A new federal grant to help fund the Parent Partner project was presented to Upper Des Moines Opportunity, Inc., a regional partnership formed by nine rural northwest Iowa counties. The Lakes Area is a partner and will serve the counties of Clay, Dickinson, Osceola and O’Brien. The partnership will use the grant funds to build regional capacity so that child welfare, substance abuse, and community support services can increase access, availability and outreach programs. The services will provide for the well-being and permanency for children who are in out-of home-or at-risk of placement as the result of parent’s or caretaker’s methamphetamine or substance abuse use.

Response:
As a community partner, extension staff attended a portion of the Parent Partner training to get a better understanding of the project. Extension was then invited to the Parent Partner team meeting to learn more about how extension could help the Parent Partner program. Staff shared extension resources available and some ideas of topics that could be presented to the group or to the parents they are working with. The group was very open to try to think of some ways we could partnership.

Extension staff scheduled two sessions in June on budgeting, one in the Lakes Empowerment area, Spencer, and one in the NW Empowerment area, Le Mars. The program coordinator suggested offering some type of incentive for parents attending the sessions. If successful, we will try to schedule more sessions involving the other two areas of families extension.

Impact:
Jan Burk and Rhonda Rosenboom were asked to sit on the Parent Partner boards in the area. Jan will be covering the Lakes Empowerment- Clay, Dickinson, O’Brien, Osceola, and Rhonda will cover the NW Empowerment (NICE)- Sioux, Lyon, Plymouth, and Cherokee group. Since attending the parent partner team meetings, the budgeting program has been presented and was reported to have been very beneficial. Parent partners discussed how they had used the materials, not only for themselves but have shared it with the families they are currently working with. Extension staff will continue to serve on the parent team advisory board as a community partner.

Additional ISUE Staff:
Jan Burk, Family Resource Managament Field Specialist, 712-262-2264, janburk@iastate.edu
Dee Wyland, Family Nutrition and Health Field Specialist, 712-472-2576,dwyland@iastate.edu

Contact:
Rhonda RosenbooM
O'Brien County Extension
340 2nd St SE
Primghar, IA 51245
712-957-5045
rrosenb@iastate.edu