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The Nurturing Parenting Programs are validated, family-centered programs designed to build
nurturing skills as alternatives to abusive parenting and child rearing attitudes and practices. The
ultimate outcomes are to stop the generational cycle of child abuse by building nurturing parenting
skills; reduce the rate of recidivism; reduce the rate of juvenile delinquency and alcohol abuse;
and lower the rate of multi-para teenage pregnancies.
Based on a re-parenting philosophy, parents and children attend separate groups that meet
concurrently with cognitive and affective activities designed to build self-awareness, positive self-
concept/self-esteem and empathy, to teach alternatives to yelling and hitting, enhance family
communication and awareness of needs, replace abusive behavior with nurturing, promote
healthy physical and emotional development and teach appropriate role and developmental
expectations.
Thirteen different programs address specific age groups (infants, school-aged and teens), cultures
(Hispanic, South East Asian, African American), and needs (special learning needs, families in
alcohol recovery). Group based sessions run from 2 to 3 hours once a week for 12 to 45
weeks. Programs can be implemented in group or home sites. The program includes parenting
skills and self-nurturing activities, home practice exercises, family nurturing time, and
infant/toddler/preschooler activities and a family hug. The program is designed for all families at
risk for abuse and neglect, with children 0-19 years old. In addition, the program has been
adapted for Hmong, Hispanic and African American families.
The initial Nurturing Program for Parents and Children 5-11 years has been extensively field
tested. The research included 121 abusive adults and 150 abused child. Significant increases
were found: in parenting attitudes of both parents and children; personality characteristics of
both parents and children; and family interaction patterns. The subsequent development and
validation of additional Nurturing Programs have shown similar results. Participants show
significant pre-post changes in parenting attitudes and child rearing practices.
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Implementation Costs:
Implementation costs of the Nurturing Programs range from $1000 to $2000 depending on the
program purchased. Additional costs include staff time, snacks and expendables such as art
supplies and other material. The Nurturing Parenting Programs are offered in a group setting or
in a home setting. Group-based programs have two groups running concurrently: one group for
the parents and one group for the children. For any of the Nurturing Program Parent groups,
two facilitators are required. For any of the Nurturing Program Children's groups, two
facilitators plus two volunteers are recommended depending upon the age and capabilities of the
children. When offering the Nurturing Programs as a home visit, only one facilitator is required.
Experience running group-based programs is highly desirable for the parent facilitators. Working
with children in a class setting is also highly desirable in facilitating the children's groups. There
are 13 different Nurturing Programs each with a specific curriculum. Facilitators use the
Activities Manual for Parents, Teens, Teen Parents, or Children depending on which program
they are facilitating. Activities Manuals generally cost $25.00 each and detail each specific
weekly session. Each parent receives a Parent Handbook that details their assignments,
exercises and resource material. All manuals, videos, games and educational materials are
copyrighted, cannot be duplicated or copied, and must be purchased from the publisher. Video
tapes are required for the delivery of the Nurturing Programs. Ten videos will cost
approximately $300. Some families may need transportation. Art supplies, snacks and drinks
are needed for each group.
Training Costs:
Depending on the type of program selected and the skills of the participants, training workshops
generally run two to three days. Up to 50 people with suitable space can be trained in one
workshop. Depending on the skill level, one trainer can conduct the two-day workshop. Two
trainers are preferred for the three-day workshop. Training fees can be negotiated. Family
Development Resources, Inc. has a cadre of Nationally Recognized Trainers and Consultants
available to conduct workshops. A listing of these trainers/consultants is available from the
publisher, are located in the back of the Nurturing Program catalog, and listed online at
www.nurturingpareting.com.
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