"Empowering Parents To Keep Their Children Safe

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"Empowering Parents To Keep Their Children Safe
Healthy" 

• Families And Schools Together Inc.
• A National Organization
• 501 (c) (3) non-profit
• Madison WI
• Pat Davenport CEO

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Agenda

• Value of FAST Empowerment
• Program Overview
• Experiential Activity
• North Carolina Trainer- Pamela Johnson
• Q As

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What is EMPOWERMENT?
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Exercise

• Empowerment
• Think, Pair, Share Exercise
• Think
• Think about what empowerment means. Write down
  one or two examples that illustrate empowerment.
• Pair
• Pair up with a person at your table.
• Share
• Share your examples and definition of empowerment
  with your partner. Then be prepared to share your
  thoughts and ideas with the group.

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• Empowerment is the process that is essential to
  activate peoples capacity to satisfy their own
  needs, solve their own problems, and acquire the
  necessary resources to take control over their
  life.
• (from S. Talseth, 1997)

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Parents
Staff
Administration
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KEY ELEMENTS OF EMPOWERMENT

• Information
• Choices
• Respect/acceptance
• Help and support to others

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The Importance of Empowering Parents

• Empowerment is a basic need for any parent
  raising a child
• Treating parents as partners in the educational
  process is essential to school success
• Program retention
• Voluntary participation free choice
• Recruitment being wanted and feeling cared for
• Receptiveness to program messages

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Values of FAST

• Parents already have power they have the right
  to decide to use that power. Empowerment is not a
  top-down approach.
• Look for strengths versus deficits in working
  with parents and families.
• Parents are capable of being the primary
  prevention agents for their own children.
• Stress and social isolation diminish parental
  effectiveness social support increases parental
  effectiveness.
• All parents love their children and want a better
  life for them.

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What is Families and Schools Together (FST)?

• It is as a charitable organization-501 (c)(3)
• Distribute Evidence Based Programs
• Early intervention/prevention program
• Research Values based model

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The FAST program

• Created by a Social Worker Lynn McDonald
• SAMHSA model program/OJJDP/Harvard
• 48 states, 8 countries, 2000 communities
• A collaborative community effort
• School, Parent, and two healthy Lifestyles
  organizations
• Uses whole family approach
• 80 retention rate

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FAST Models

• Baby FAST for young mothers/fathers, their
  mothers, and the babies (ages 0 - 3)
• Early Childhood FAST for parents and their
  children ages 3 - 5
• Elementary School FAST for parents and their
  children in K-5
• Middle School FAST for parents and children in
  6-8th grade
• High School FAST (under development) for parents
  and their 9th graders

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FAST Goals

• Enhance family functioning
• Prevent child from experiencing school failure
• Prevent substance abuse by the child and family
• Reduce stress that parents and children
  experience from daily life situations
• Empower parents
• Overall, reduce risk factors and enhance
• protective factors

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Why these goals?

• Families with high conflict are more likely to
  have youth who use alcohol
• Families with high cohesion and expressiveness
  are less likely to have depression and loneliness
• Children who have good impulse control will do
  better in school

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Social Ecology of Child Development

• Child

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Social Ecology of Child Development
Family

• Child

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Social Ecology of Child Development
Childcare providers School Healthy Lifestyles
Family

• Child

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Social Ecology of Child Development
Neighborhood Community
Childcare providers School Healthy Lifestyles
Family

• Child

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Social Ecology of Child Development
Community
Childcare providers School Healthy Lifestyles
Family

• Child

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A mothers eyes are a babys skies.
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To be tuned into a child, a
father/mother needs support
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Relationships are to child development what
location is to real estate.

• James Comer, M.D.Psychiatrist, Yale University

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The FAST TeamValue Nothing about us, without
us

• FAST Team (minimum of 4 members)
• School
• Nutritionist
• Physical Activity Representative
• Parent
• Volunteers
• Recruit up to 10 members
• Ethnicity/Gender Matching

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INCENTIVES

• REMOVE BARRIERS
• Healthy Meal
• Transportation
• Child Care
• Elder Care

• PROMOTE ATTENDANCE
• Healthy Meal
• Social Support
• Lotto
• Partners

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How FAST Activities Empower Parents

• Table-based coaching
• Parents are in charge of activities
• Flag
• Family meal
• Scribbles
• Feeling Charades
• Parent Group
• Parent-Child Time (Special Play)
• Lottery
• Graduation

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Why Healthy FAST?

• The obesity epidemic
• of overweight 6-11 year olds has more than
  doubled in the last 30 years, and that of 12-19
  year olds has nearly tripled
• Funders are interested in obesity prevention
• Requests for Healthy FAST

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Dangers of Obesity

• Overweight children are at increased risk of
• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Type 2 diabetes, and other diseases
• Face increased discrimination
• Are viewed as lazy, academically unsuccessful,
  unhealthy and unhygienic
• Severely obese children report a lower quality of
  life than children with cancer undergoing
  chemotherapy

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• Family Unit at Family Table
• Meet Greet
• Flag
• Meal
• FAST Hello Singing
• Scribbles
• Feelings Charades
• (Entire team facilitates these activities)

8 Weeks program-1 X per week 2.5 hours per week
for 5 weeks 2.75 hours for 3 wks

• Parents Time
• Buddy Time
• Parent Self-Help Group
• 5th week-Health focused
• (Only Parent Partner and Healthy Lifestyle
  Partner)

Kids Time Children divided by age group for
group activities (Nutritionist Partner and Early
Childhood t/school partner)
Peer Group Time
Special Play One-to-One Time (Parent Healthy
Lifestyle Partner)
Siblings continue Kids Time
Family Table Door Prize Entire Team
Closing Circle Announcements RAIN Entire Team
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Family Meal
Role of Nutrition Partner Team Members
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(No Transcript)
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Family poses with Family Flag
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FAMILY WORKING ON SCRIBBLES
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COMPLETED SCRIBBLES
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Feelings Charades
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CHILD ACTING OUT CHARADES
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Kids Time

• Nutrition partner uses this time for nutrition
  related activities
• Kids learn how to make snacks take them back to
  families
• Engage children in active play
• Nutrition Partner plays key role (suggesting
  activities for Kids Time)
• After 5th week, children will spend an extra 15
  minutes in Kids Time
• Kids must have fun!

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BUDDY TIME
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PARENTS TIME
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Component Changes for Healthy FAST

• Healthy Parents Group
• Separate from parents group
• Starts after 5th week
• Led by the Nutrition Partner
• Parents are in charge of deciding what they want
  to discuss/learn
• 15 minutes after the regular parent group
• Move to a separate location
• Introduce this new component during the 5th Week
  Special Presentation

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Lottery
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5TH NIGHTSPECIAL PRESENTATION
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FAST Special Sessions

• Week 5
• 5th Week Special Presentation
• Parents decide on topic
• Nutrition partner presents information
• Introduce parents to healthy parents group
  which will start in Week 6
• Walking Club Encourage parents and children to
  get together outside of FAST to walk
• If funding is available, distribute pedometers to
  participants (can chart progress)
• Week 8 Graduation Ceremony

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GRADUATION
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Graduation
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FASTWORKS-After the 8 weeks

• 2 year primary school-based program
• Parents make healthy choices and select healthy
  activities
• Walking Club Continues
• Continues to increase resiliency in children
  protective factors in families

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Pilots of Healthy FAST in Hawaii and Missouri

• Indications that Healthy FAST can make a
  difference
• In Hawaii
• Parents reported a statistically significant
  increase in
• - encouragements from family members to eat
  fruits and vegetables
• - comments from friends if they ate unhealthy
  foods
• - occasions when family members offered to
  exercise with them
• In Kansas City, Missouri
• Parents reported a statistically significant
  increase in
• - the servings of fruit they ate on a daily
  basis.
• - confidence in their ability to get their
  child to eat more fruits and vegetables.
• encouragement from family members to eat fruits
  and vegetables.

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What parents said

• What changes did you make to your eating habits?
• I have started eating a lot more fruits and
  vegetables than before. Cut down on fats and
  salts
• I have tried smaller portions
• More fruits for snacks. Read more labels than
  before! Trying to eat as a family more
• More fruits and veggies at meals, less fast food
• Try to eat healthier (more fruits and vegetables)
• What changes did you make to your physical
  habits?
• Joined a gym, with a personal trainer
• I am more aware of it but have not been able to
  make it materialize
• Evening walks with son and dog

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What parents said

• What changes did you notice in your childs
  eating habits?
• They enjoy trying new things, they are more aware
  of nutrition
• More willing to at least try vegetable dishes
• She will try more things
• She tried food I could not get her to eat at home
• What did you like best about Healthy FAST?
• Meeting new families and making friends
• Trying the different salads and fruits with every
  meal
• Exposure to nutritionists knowledge

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Learning through Repeated Experiences

• Children practice respectful behaviors towards
  their parents (300X in 8 weekly MFG sessions)
• Children practice taking turns, waiting for a
  turn
• Children practice talking about their drawing,
  their feelings, and their play with their own
  parents
• Parents practice taking charge, making requests
• Parents practice listening to their children
• Parents practice playing with their child
• Parents practice asking for social support

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• For more information, contact
• Families And Schools Together Inc.
• 1-888-629-2481
• www.familiesandschools.org