Nurturing Parenting Program
The Nurturing Families Program is Dunebrook’s oldest continuous running program. We have offered it for fourteen years. The US Department of Education and the US Department of Juvenile Justice recognize this as being a valid and reliable parenting program. The program was developed by Dr. Stephen Bavolak to help parents learn to be the best parents possible. The curriculum for Nurturing Families teaches parenting skills such as effective disciplining, establishing family rules, developing empathy and appropriate family roles. The material is sensitive to cultural diversity in the parenting process.
Nurturing Group Classes
The program is offered in a group or classroom style setting involving parents and their children. Classes are divided according to the ages of the children:
- Infant/Baby Group: Parents with children prenatal to 5 years old.
- Intermediate: Parents with elementary school-age children.
- Pre-teen/Teen: Parents with children 11 to 16 years of age.
The Infant/Baby group meets once a week for 15 to 18 weeks; while the Intermediate and Pre-teen groups meet for 8 class sessions with an optional 4 additional classes. A light meal is provided and family activities enhance the parent/child interaction.
Four trained facilitators (two with the adults and two with the children) conduct the sessions.
Both parents and their children attend. They learn to substitute nurturing behaviors for non-productive or abusive behaviors. Parents learn to listen and communicate effectively with their children. This approach promotes nurturing parenting attitudes and skills for the prevention and treatment of child abuse.
Home-based Mandated Nurturing Program
Our newest Nurturing Families Program is the Home-Based Mandated Program. This programmed kicked of July 1st. Families are referred to Nurturing Parenting by DCS, the juvenile court system or probation for mandatory services.
The families will be partnered with a Home Visitor that will come to their home and provide weekly parent education visits for up to 18 weeks. The intent is to begin services promptly so that risk of maltreatment is reduced and that families whose children may be in substitute care can be reunited as soon as deemed appropriate by DCS.
The program is delivered in the home-based model to provide intervention to help prevent further escalation of maltreatment and family dysfunction. The individual approach will be tailored to each family’s specific needs. Families will be invited, and encouraged, to participate in Nurturing Parenting classes also.
For more information on our Nurturing Group Classes please contact Becky Minich at (800) 897-0007.
