Re: Parent Training

["Donna Raycraft" <draycraft@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'm the director of Riverbend Parent-Child Centers in Concord, NH.  We have
five family resource centers and teach parenting courses in each of them.
Some of the families who attend are there just to improve their parenting
skills; others are there because someone has strong suggested it andn others
are there because someone ordered it.  The average length of time someone
attends is 2.2 years.

It is our policy not to evaluate anyone's parenting.  We report attendance,
subject matter discussed during those sessions and describe their presence
in the group (whether they were participatory or hostile, whether they were
supportive of other group members, whether they reported using any of what
they were taught with their children in their home).

We have found that if the courts or our child welfare bureau mandates
someone attending for a certain number of weeks, not much in the way of
changed behavior happens, anyway.

However, if we can remain nonjudgmental and encourage the parent(s) to stay
longer than what is required, significant change can happen, especially if
they stay the average 2.2 years.

We think that our reports, which may not seem helpful at first glance, when
combined with reports from the DCYF (our child welfare bureau) and the
G.A.L. can give the judge the information (s)he needs to make a decision.
Donna Raycraft, MA, CFLE
Director
Riverbend Parent-Child Centers

----- Original Message -----
From: "LEAH MAREE BROMFIELD" <bromfiel@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Child Maltreatment Researchers"
<CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, July 28, 2003 11:13 PM
Subject: Re: Parent Training


>
>
> I'd be interested to know what service providers report to child
protection
> agencies, and what child protection agencies in turn report to courts
about
> client involvement in not only parenting courses, but also anger
management
> courses and other such interventions.
> reporting whether a course has been completed or not provides little
> information on actual change that may have occurred for the client.
> Given that many parents are ordered to complete programs in order to
regain or
> maintain the care of their children rather than voluntarilly enrolling, it
> seems relevant to know whether service providers believe that completion
of the
> course has had a significant impact on the individual client's capacity to
> parent.
>
> >---- Original Message ----
> >From: Rick Barth
> >Date: Thu 7/17/03 23:58
> >To: Child Maltreatment Researchers
> >Subject: Parent Training
> >
> >I am hoping to learn more about procedures in use by child welfare
> >agencies to provide information to courts about the progress that
> >parents have
> >made during parent training--information that goes beyond whether or
> not
> >parents completed the course/program and that addresses what they did
> >and
> >learned in the course. (Apologies to those on the ISPCAN list who also
> >read this request,
> >you need read no farther.)
> >
> >I'd welcome information from agencies or courts that require
> additional
> >information about parental competencies learned during parent classes.
> >
> >Also related, I'd be grateful to hear about agencies that have a
> >systematic approach to assessment that helps them to decide which
> >parents should
> >receive which form of parent training (if at all).
> >
> >Lastly, if any agencies have figures about how many dollars (US) they
> >pay per parent, to parent training providers who are instructing
> parents
> >
> >involved with child welfare services, this too would be very helpful.
> >Thanks for considering this request.
> >
> >Rick Barth
> >
> >Richard P. Barth, Ph.D.
> >Frank A Daniels Professor and
> >Chair of the Doctoral Program
> >School of Social Work
> >301 Pittsboro Rd, TTK Room 524J
> >University of North Carolina
> >Chapel Hill, NC  27599-3550
> >(v) 919 962 6516
> >(f)        962 1486
> >
>
>
> Leah Bromfield
> PhD Student, School of Psychology
> Deakin University Geelong Campus
> Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds
> Victoria, 3217, AUSTRALIA
>
> Phone: 0413 663 665
> Fax: 5227 2021
>
>