Citizens for Citizens Head Start Offers a New Effective Parenting Program
The Citizens for Citizens, Inc. (CFC) Head Start Program touches the lives of more than 450 low-income families in Southeastern Massachusetts every year. A major goal of Head Start is to increase the family’s effectiveness in dealing with everyday school and life issues while encouraging parents to be their child’s primary educator and advocate.
The Head Start teachers and specialists have become increasingly concerned about children acting-out at home and about their parents’ skills to address this behavior in an effective and appropriate fashion. The search to help parents successfully resolve their child’s conduct problems led the Head Start Program to the implementation of The Incredible Years – BASIC Parent Training Program.
The Incredible Years – BASIC Parent Training Program, presented weekly at the CFC Head Start Program’s 427 Robeson Street location, is lead by Jennifer Newkirk, Ph.D., a licensed child clinical psychologist at Psychological Centers, Inc. Dr. Newkirk is assisted by Donna Avylla, the CFC Head Start Disabilities & Mental Health Manager.
The program provides education and training in four areas of parenting: strengthening children’s social, emotional and school readiness skills, using praise and incentives to encourage cooperation, positive discipline through rules, routines, and limit setting, and handling misbehavior. During the sessions, parents learn how to augment their parenting skills through group discussion, watching DVD vignettes of parents interacting with their children, and doing role plays.
Head Start Parents participating in the Incredible Years Training Program
Free child care is provided for the participating parents during all the workshops. Jennifer Newkirk recently noted, “It has been such a pleasure for me to watch the eleven parents, participating in CFC’s first Incredible Years group, develop their self-confidence, increase their satisfaction, and improve their skills as parents.”
Children Enjoying the Head Start Recreation Equipment
Parents interested in participating in future workshop sessions of The Incredible years – BASIC Parent Training Program should contact Donna Avylla at the CFC Head Start Program at 508-675-2157 (extension 245).
