Strengthening Families

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	Strengthening Families
	Educational Programming that strengthens families focuses on building life skills of family members in order to improve their quality of life. Several special projects are underway in New Castle County and there are many resources for parents offered through Cooperative Extension:
	The SELF (Skills Enhance Life Fully) Project This specially funded project links University of Delaware Cooperative Extension and Continuing Education resources with the educational needs of Wilmington Housing Authority residents and the East Lake Charter School and Community Center. Under a special Learning Academy Grant, Cooperative Extension is providing a life skills education series that will help parents improve their skills in the areas of personal finance, parenting, foods and nutrition, communication, home improvement, health care decisions and many other topics. Participants will also have the opportunity to link to University activities and campuses. The overall goal is to build individual skills, increase participant comfort of academic settings and to improve the linkage of the University to the Wilmington community. The SELF Project was developed here in Delaware and is a curriculum especially developed for limited resource audiences. It is a basic life skills course that has been used throughout this state and in several others. If you're interested in receiving a copy of the curriculum or are interested in setting up this series for your clientele, email Maria Pippidis or call 302-831-COOP.
.	Strengthening Families in Sparrow Run This intensive project is multi-level and is intended to help families and community leaders build leadership and decision making skills so that they can solve their own community issues. A professional project coordinator is responsible for implementing youth development programming and provide leadership development opportunities for adults and community leaders. The coordinator works with the other Extension staff to offer programs as determined by community members. For example, nutrition education, gardening, 4-H, bicycle safety and personal finance educational programs have been offered by New Castle County Extension staff in this community.
.	Balancing Work and Family This educational workshop focuses on helping participants identify roles, determine priorities and develop strategies that assist them in juggling their many responsibilities. There is also a newsletter series that you can reach from this site.
.	Welfare Reform The Family and Consumer Science Educator in New Castle County has been involved in a research project that investigated nationally "Cooperative Extension's Response to Welfare Reform - Programs that Work." The purpose was to determine curriculum being used, the success of programs, methods of evaluation and research in progress. The Children Youth and Family Extension Network (CYFERNET) co-sponsored this project.
.	Professional Development Training Ongoing training is provided to child care providers and other service providers who are interested in improving their skills when working with youth and families. Research based information and/ or curriculum in service is provided. Topics vary depending on need. From now until June 2000, a monthly series of workshops, "Better Kid Care," will be offered for child care providers.
.	Public Issues Education Cooperative Extension is often in the position to bring professionals and concerned citizens together in order to address family or community issues. We often provide research based information as well as facilitate deliberative discussion so that people with different view points can come together to solve problems. We do this by offering Issue Forums or Leadership Development Programs. Topics vary depending on issues identified by community members.
.	Cooperative Extension Newsletters to Support Families Great Beginnings is an age appropriate newsletter for new parents with children ages birth to 36 months Families Matter is an age appropriate newsletter for parents of school aged children ages 5 to 18 years Solo Parenting is a monthly series for single parents Keeping Your Marriage Strong is a 13 part series for married couples NCC Extension Youth and Family News is a monthly newsletter from the New Castle County Extension personnel for 4-H Families
.	Websites of Interest U. D. Strengthening Families Page National Network for Child Care Campaign for Our Children Child and Family Web Guide (Tufts University) I Am Your Child Campaign Families and Work Institute Children Youth and Family Consortium Parenting the Preschooler National Network for Child Care Pampers Parenting Institute Parent Time Bilingual Books for Kids Wonderwise Parents Children Youth and Family Extension Network Father Care Computer Technology fact sheets, courtesy Iowa State University Cooperative Extension
.	Maria Pippidis \| Programs \| Calendar \| NCC Home Copyright © 1997-2004 NCC Cooperative Extension. Last revised November 23, 2004.

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