Title: "Empowering Parents To Keep Their Children Safe
1"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
2Agenda
- Value of FAST Empowerment
- Program Overview
- Experiential Activity
- North Carolina Trainer- Pamela Johnson
- Q As
3What is EMPOWERMENT?
4Exercise
- 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.
5- 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)
6Parents
Staff
Administration
7KEY ELEMENTS OF EMPOWERMENT
- Information
- Choices
- Respect/acceptance
- Help and support to others
8The 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
9Values 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.
10What 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
11The 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
12FAST 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
13FAST 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
14Why 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
15Social Ecology of Child Development
16Social Ecology of Child Development
Family
17Social Ecology of Child Development
Childcare providers School Healthy Lifestyles
Family
18Social Ecology of Child Development
Neighborhood Community
Childcare providers School Healthy Lifestyles
Family
19Social Ecology of Child Development
Community
Childcare providers School Healthy Lifestyles
Family
20A mothers eyes are a babys skies.
21To be tuned into a child, a
father/mother needs support
22Relationships are to child development what
location is to real estate.
- James Comer, M.D.Psychiatrist, Yale University
23The 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
24INCENTIVES
- REMOVE BARRIERS
- Healthy Meal
- Transportation
- Child Care
- Elder Care
- PROMOTE ATTENDANCE
- Healthy Meal
- Social Support
- Lotto
- Partners
25How 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
26Why 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
27Dangers 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
28- 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
29Family Meal
Role of Nutrition Partner Team Members
30(No Transcript)
31Family poses with Family Flag
32FAMILY WORKING ON SCRIBBLES
33COMPLETED SCRIBBLES
34Feelings Charades
35CHILD ACTING OUT CHARADES
36Kids 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!
37BUDDY TIME
38PARENTS TIME
39Component 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
40Lottery
415TH NIGHTSPECIAL PRESENTATION
42FAST 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
43GRADUATION
44Graduation
45FASTWORKS-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
46Pilots 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.
47What 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
48What 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
49Learning 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
50- For more information, contact
- Families And Schools Together Inc.
- 1-888-629-2481
- www.familiesandschools.org