We offer this program free of charge for the community, fit is geared toward parents of youth age 10-14
The Empowerment Zones Strengthening Families Program is a great experience for your whole family! Not only are our families helping to build a stronger community, in 7 sessions our families:
- Improve their parenting skills and family relationships
- Reduce problem behaviors
- Improve social competencies and school performance
- Eat some great food and have a good time!
- The firs 10 families who enroll and who complete our program with at least 90% attendance also receive a $100 gift card.
What are the seven sessions like?
- During the first hour, parents/caregivers and youth meet separately with facilitators.
- Facilitators lead guided discussions with parents focusing on improving family interactions.
- Youth participate in games and activities that teach them how to get along with peers, siblings and parents/caregivers.
- During the second hour, parents/caregivers and youth meet as a family.
- Families bond by participating in activities and projects that develop communication and problem-solving skills.
- Families learn to help youth deal with peer pressure, improve communication skills, solve problems individually as well as a family, and enjoy family time together.
Topics Covered
- Peer pressure resistance
- Reducing stress
- Finding our family values
- Better communication skills
- Problem solving
- Goal setting
- Understanding each other better
Communities also benefit!
For every dollar spent on Strengthening Families Program: For Parents and Youth 10-14, $9.60 comes back to the community as benefits in the form of less jail time, less time off work and less time in treatment.
Named the number one prevention program out of 6,000 for long-term effects on substance use and misuse by, Dr. David Foxcroft of Oxford Brookes University.
Strengthening Families is a research-informed approach to increase family strengths, enhance child development, and reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect. It is based on engaging families, programs, and communities in building five key Protective Factors.
- Parental resilience
- Social connections
- Knowledge of parenting and child development
- Concrete support in times of need
- Social and emotional competence of children
Using the Strengthening Families framework, more than 30 states are shifting policy and practice to help programs working with children and families focus on protective factors.
(https://cssp.org/our-work/project/strengthening-families/)
Benefits to Families
“My daughter and I both felt this would be a waste of time. We were wrong. Not only has it shown me ways to deal with the troubled times we as parents face raising our children, she also learned to handle the stresses of being a teenager and peer pressure. We have shared the things that we have learned with others in our family who did not attend the program. I have to say that things are going much better for us all.”
You will learn how to show love while setting limits, how to listen to your child, and how to help family members show appreciation to each other.
All families have strengths. This program will help your family become even stronger!
Program Benefits
- Participant evaluations, compared to families not in the program, show:
- Youth had significantly lower rates of alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use.
- Youth had significantly fewer conduct problems in school.
- Parents learned to build a positive relationship with their youth, set appropriate limits and follow through on consequences.
- These results have continued 6 to 10 years after families have completed the program.
Proven to Work
The World Health Organization named the Strengthening Families Program: For Parents and Youth 10-14 as the #1 prevention program out of 6,000 programs analyzed for long-term effects on substance use and misuse. Thousands of families across the United States and over 20 countries have already benefited from this award-winning program.
If you’re interested in our strengthening families program please call us at (313) 921-9403 or email us at info@ezcoalition.orgIf you’re already part of our strengthening families program, click the link to join our Facebook support group!
The Empowerment Zone Coalition, Inc. is 501(c)(3) tax exempt, charitable organization as classified by the Internal Revenue Service. EZC is primarily supported by public funds. The coalition welcomes the support of Corporations, foundations and other private funding sources. You gift may be tax deductible as allowed by law (Michigan Charitable Solicitation License MICS#22509). We offer this program free of charge to the community.
