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Spring 2012

Strengthening Families Georgia Develops Training Modules

 

Strengthening Families Georgia (SFG) has developed a training program to support the implementation of the Strengthening Families Protective Factor framework in child-serving agencies. This important resource was made possible by the generous funding of the Georgia Office on Children and Families (GOCF) and many volunteer hours by the SFG Leadership Team and our community partners. 

 

The SFG Training Program consists of an Overview which is designed to be used as a stand-alone module or as an introduction to the entire program, and modules focused on each protective factor:

  • Overview: SFG An Effective Approach to Supporting Families and Communities - background information on the Strengthening Families approach, introduction to the Protective Factor framework and strengths-based work with families
  • Strengthening Families Through the Knowledge of Child Development - strengthen parenting
  • Strengthening Families through Parental Resilience - value and support parents
  • Strengthening Families Through the Promotion of Social and Emotional Competence in Children - strengthen parenting
  • Strengthening Families Through Social Connections - facilitate friendships and mutual support
  • Strengthening Families Through Concrete Support in Times of Need - link families to services and opportunities

Each module is a two-hour interactive course for a broad audience working with children and families including practitioners/direct service, supervisors, and parents and is Bright from the Start-approved.

 

All training is provided by trainers who attend and complete the SFG Train the Trainer (TOT) session held annually. Training logistics are coordinated by individual trainers.

 

For additional information on Strengthening Families Georgia training please contact [email protected].


Strengthening Families Georgia Participates in Parent Leadership Academy Training

 

Parent Leadership Academy Training (PLAT) is a training model that consists of a professional and parent leader working together to train state organizations and agencies on how they can work collaboratively with parent leaders to make the plans, objectives and outreach efforts of both more successful. 

 

The Georgia Department of Education, part of SFG's Leadership Team, participated in a national PLAT Train the Trainer (TOT) in August 2011 and agreed to provide at least one TOT training session in Georgia.

 

On March 6, 2012 The Georgia Department of Education along with a parent representative from the State Superintendent's Parent Advisory Council conducted a PLAT Training for 10 Georgia teams. The one day agenda included the following topics:

  • Learning the importance of parent leadership and how to build effective parent leaders
  • Understanding the need for parent involvement based on the research and proof of the outcomes
  • Evaluating their team's progress in building effective relationships between parents and agencies (schools, organizations, etc.)
  • Examining stereotypes, biases, and myths addressed by both, parents and practitioners in an effort to learn about what prevents effective collaboration
  • Engaging in several parent leadership exercises as well as listening to very powerful parent leadership stores
  • Seeing firsthand how professional practitioners could partner with parent leaders to create an action plan for future trainings as a professional team.  

All participants committed to facilitating at least one PLAT training by March 2013 in their local community with the goal of developing more parent leaders and establishing a stronger collaboration between parents and professional practitioners.  

 

Strengthening Families Online Training: Bringing the Protective Factors Framework to Life in Your Work

The National Alliance of Children's Trust and Prevention Funds (Alliance) is pleased to make available free online training to support implementation of the Strengthening Families™ Protective Factors Framework in multiple settings. This curriculum includes new materials on partnering with parents and addresses promising strategies to strengthen families for practitioners.

 

The curriculum consists of seven courses, each designed to be about two hours in length (courses are self-paced): 

  • Introduction to the Protective Factors
  • Concrete Support in Times of Need
  • Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development
  • Parental Resilience
  • Social Connections
  • Social and Emotional Competence
  • Moving from Knowledge to Action: Wrap-up Course

The introductory course can serve as a brief, stand-alone Strengthening Families™ 101 training. This resource is for anyone who works with children and families, including parents, practitioners and supervisors. At several points, participants have the option to select material that relates to specific areas of work, such as early care and education, child welfare or family support. 

 

You can view the content of the courses at:  www.ctfalliance.org/onlinetraining   

  

Baby Talk: Resources to Support the People Who Work with Infants and Toddlers

 

FPG Child Development Institute at University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill now offers Baby Talk, a free, one-way listserv that is distributed monthly. Each issue features one or more resources, the majority of which are available to download at no cost. To join the listserv, send an email with no message to [email protected].  For additional information (or to offer suggestions), please contact Camille Catlett at [email protected] or (919) 966-6635. Here's a link: Baby Talk May 2012. 

About Strengthening Families Georgia

 

Strengthening Families Georgia (SFG) represents a partnership of national, state, local, and public/private organizations dedicated to embedding five research-based protective factors in service/supports for young children and their families.

  

Vision: All families with children birth through age five in Georgia have the resources and support necessary for a meaningful and successful life.

 

Mission: To utilize the Strengthening Families assets-based framework of Protective Factors in all systems, programs, services and activities supporting families with young children as the approach to achieving the vision. These five Protective Factors are the foundation for the Strengthening Families approach:

  1. Parental Resilience - Parents can bounce back
  2. Social Connections - Parents have friends
  3. Knowledge of Child Development - Parents know how children grow and learn
  4. Concrete Support in Time of Need - Parents know where to turn for help
  5. Social and Emotional Competence of Children Children learn to talk about and handle feelings

A large group of Strengthening Families Georgia stakeholders, organized into a SFG Leadership Team, Partnership, and Supporters includes over 70 representatives from more than 30 organizations. The Leadership Team, made up of 20-25 members, provides direction and guidance for embedding the five protective factors in all areas of related work via:

  • Policy and systems change
  • Data driven decision-making
  • Integration and prioritization of work
  • Identifying and leveraging resources
  • Coordination and collaboration with similar state efforts
Funding Information

This project was supported in part by the Governor's Office for Children and Families through the Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention Grant Program (CBCAP). Points of view or opinions stated in this document are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the Governor's Office for Children and Families or the Community Based Child Abuse Prevention Grant Program (CBCAP). The total dollar amount for this project is $45,000 and 100% of the cost is Federal funds.

 

For more information on Strengthening Families Georgia contact Jeanette Meyer, Strengthening Families Georgia Statewide Coordinator: [email protected] 
In This Issue
SFG Develops Training Modules
SFG Statewide Activities
Free Online Training Resource
Baby Talk
About SFG