NCJ Number
105552
Date Published
1984
Length
4 pages
Annotation
The Family Support Center (FSC) in Yeadon, Penn., provides counseling and parenting education for families with preschool children at high-risk of abuse.
Abstract
A family with a child 4 years old or younger is eligible for FSC services if the family is experiencing a combination of stress factors and one or more of the following factors: verified abuse or strong suspicion of abuse, a parent reports the regular use of physical punishment, or an evident pattern of family violence. Following intake, families are assigned a casework or pediatric nurse counselor who visits the home weekly to help the family set goals, reduce stresses interfering with constructive childrearing, and prepare family members for the FSC family school. One or both parents and all preschool children attend the school together for 13 weeks 2 days a week from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The school uses a structured, educationally oriented parent curriculum to help parents create and maintain a support system, enhance self-esteem, and develop basic parenting skills. During specified periods, parents practice what they have learned with their own children under the observation of an early childhood educator. A 3-year evaluation indicates the program has reduced abuse and neglect and the need for costly out-of-home care.