Last week I wrote about Mom’s Time Out, a program for mothers of young children getting underway this Thursday evening at Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
You might think parenting is an odd choice of topic for your County Executive, but nothing is as crucial to our quality of life. Being a parent is the hardest and best work we do, so when I hear about a way to make it easier, I believe it’s part of my job to pass it along.
With that said, there is an upcoming opportunity for moms and dads: a six-week course about parenting offered free of charge by our school system’s Family Resource Center.
Love and Logic will be offered in weekly 90-minute classes October 22 through December 3 at the J.C. Barnett Center, 610 Mahr Avenue. Family Resource Center staff will teach this nationally-recognized curriculum on subjects that range from temper tantrums to social media. And for today’s parents, those topics may go hand-in-hand.
Parents of toddlers and teenagers can benefit, says Lawrence County School System Social Worker Katie Brazier. The course teaches how to set and enforce limits; but at appropriate times, allow children to make their own decisions and experience the consequences.
“With the loving yet powerful tools of Love and Logic, we can learn to help our children make good choices and experience happy lives while maintaining their love and respect,” its website states.
Brazier says the six-week course will be offered on a regular basis, so if you can’t attend this fall, there will be other opportunities. Enroll by calling 762-5251 extension 114 or email katie.brazier@lcss.us.
The Family Resource Center is dedicated to helping all children succeed, says school system AWARE Director April Abercrombie. Love and Logic is one part of that work, another is making sure all students’ basic needs are met. The FRC has been part of the school system many years, but is constantly evolving to address changing needs. Because today’s challenges are significant, the center is looking for churches, clubs, businesses and individuals to serve as community partners.
Partners will help meet requests that counselors from schools across the county present every day to the FRC. Students and families may need clothing, hygiene items, groceries, school supplies, dental care, eyeglasses, or a variety of other things unique to their situation. Monetary gifts, gas and grocery cards, and other items can be donated, but Brazier hopes some partners will agree to be on call to provide specific donations or services when those needs arise.
There are many family circumstances that affect a child’s success at school: illness, substance abuse, unemployment, conflict, even natural disasters. It’s important to remember that while some of these problems are beyond a parent’s control, all are beyond a child’s.
“We are committed to the success of ALL students,” Abercrombie says. “The Family Resource Center works to alleviate the impact these issues have on our students.”
Homelessness is a relatively new challenge, Brazier said. About 30 families with children in our school system meet the FRC definition, which includes those living in RVs or with relatives. Brazier maintains regular contact with these and other families to make sure children’s needs are being met.
If you know a child who needs extra support, you can make a referral through LCSS.us. Simply click the “Family Resource Center” button to open a form that asks you to describe the challenges facing that child.
I am so proud to live in this wonderful, generous community that always steps up to help people in need. Sometimes those needs present themselves only through children, and only at school. I ask that you prayerfully consider offering your help to the Family Resource Center by calling 762-5251 extension 114 or emailing katie.brazier@lcss.us.