Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
In an effort to improve parenting skills and decrease child abuse, the Child Abuse Prevention Council is overseeing the Kosciusko County Parent Nurturing Program.
The director of the program, Delores Hern, said this parent-training class program is in its fifth year. Hern's goal is to make the program more known to the public for those parents who wish to improve their parenting skills.
"Parents in the county are becoming aware of it," Hern said of the classes.
The program is funded by the Children's Trust Fund Grant which was issued last year and is sponsored by the Kids First license plates, according to Hern.
The classes are free of charge and run for 15 to 20 weeks, twice a year. Each session is 2-1/2 hours once a week and parents must make a commitment to attend at least 80 percent of the classes. The classes start in September and February.
There are parent-support groups, too, for those parents who have gone through the training and want to maintain their positive skills.
The classes work with changing positive attitudes and changing behavior in order to help parents and children connect better with one another.
Hern said the classes are in the process of enrollment now. There is a limited enrollment and there's a waiting list for parents who want to join the class.
"We could definitely have more programs like this," said Hern.
Most of the parents enrolled are self-referred, Hern said. There are some parents referred by the Child Protection Service but the parent nurturing program is not a treatment-oriented program. It has no limits. It's open to everyone.
The Department of Family and Children's Services called it an "exceptional program," according to Hern.
The program also focuses on fatherhood and its importance in children's lives. Hern said about one-third of the enrollment consists of fathers with some single fathers, too.
Hern also introduced two new projects this year: one is for children ages 5 to 12 and their parents; the other is for children from birth to age 4.
These projects will help children learn more nurturing ways to interact with people and learn the difference between good choices and bad choices.
For anyone who is interested in enrolling or would like more information about the Kosciusko County Parent Nurturing Program, contact Delores Hern at (219) 269-9099.
