|
 Community
and Family Education
programs and services to strengthen and stabilize families
Crittenton offers on-going adult parenting
classes both at our facility and at several other agencies in the tri-county
area. Classes are small (with 10 to 15 parents) and vary between six and 12
sessions, depending on the needs and interests of the participants. Classes
incorporate portions of Steven J. Bavolek’s Nurturing Parenting
curriculum and other education materials, and focus on teaching parents of
young children to be better parents. In addition to structured classes,
Crittenton hosts weekly and monthly parent support groups where parents meet
with each other and Crittenton staff to discuss a variety of parenting
issues… all with the goal of enhancing parents’ self-esteem and promoting
positive parent-child interactions. Crittenton provides free childcare and
meals for the parents and children attending both outreach and in-house
classes and group support sessions.
 Milestones
home based visiting program for families with
children 0-35 months of age
Milestones is a
Prevention Initiative Program that focuses on increasing the school
readiness and future school success of young children. The program
identifies any possible delays such as vision and/or hearing as well as
providing monthly assessments to assure the child's milestones are being
met. The program provides services through one-on-one personal visits with
the family. Monthly Family Fun nights and other support and relationship
building activities are held throughout the year.
 Stepping
Stones
parenting education for pregnant teens and teenage parents
Stepping
Stones is the name of our outreach
parenting program for pregnant teens and teen parents who are under the
guardianship of DCFS (Illinois Department of Children and Family Services).
This educational program incorporates the Nurturing Parenting
curriculum developed by Steven J. Bavolek, Ph.D., a nationally acclaimed
expert on child abuse prevention through parent education and training, as
well as other parenting education materials.
Conducted over a 12-month period, this program is offered in 10 central
Illinois counties with between 12 to 18 teens participating at any given
time. Participants learn important childcare skills and explore techniques
for promoting the physical, emotional and intellectual development of their
children. A basic premise of Stepping Stones is that children who
feel good about themselves are more likely to become nurturing parents.
Thus, a major goal of Stepping Stones is to help teen parents
increase their self-esteem and develop positive self-concepts, which, in
turn, they can foster in their own children. The Stepping Stones
graduates have taken vital parenting tools into their homes to build safe,
nurturing environments for their children.
Online
Guide to the Rights of Pregnant and Parenting Teens in the Foster Care
System
All of the programs are free of charge
To learn more about our Family Services:
Call
(309) 674-0105
(Monday-Friday, 8:00am—4:30 pm)
|
