PARENT AIDE PROGRAM

The Parent Aide Program is the backbone of all Exchange Club centers nationwide. It is similar to the Healthy Families home visitation program and provides support and training to young, inexperienced parents who are lacking good parenting role models and a healthy social network. The free program is funded by fundraisers such as the Luck of the Irish Festivities and the Joey Jones Annual Golf Classic.

The program offers in-home visitation for at least one year in an effort to train and support parents who may be overwhelmed by their parenting duties and responsibilities. The program is open to the public, and anyone living with a child under 12 in Mobile County is eligible for this program. The Parent Aide staff member visits the home weekly and helps the parent achieve their goals which enables the family to function more appropriately. Goals may include: improving communication among family members, learning behavior management skills, instituting family rules and meetings, enforcing home safety, learning anger and stress management, advocating for children, and dealing effectively with schools and teachers.

Call Lydia at 479-5700 for more information.

POSITIVE PARENTING GROUPS

The Family Center has offered weekly parenting classes continuously since 1991. Currently classes are held three times each week in our offices. Through a grant from the Children’s Trust Fund of Alabama, the classes were expanded to twelve weeks while fees were eliminated. The classes are approved by the Department of Human Resources for parents, foster parents and child care providers. Classes can be taught at any location in Mobile County for a prearranged fee.

This program includes 12 weeks of classes on behavior management techniques, stress and anger management, home safety, child development, communication, community resources, child abuse and neglect, and parenting in general. See the schedules link for the class times. Child care is available with reservations.

Call 479-5700 to register for class and child care.

FAMILY TIME SUPERVISED VISITATION

Many parents are court ordered to have supervised visitation with their children. Our center provides a welcoming and home-like atmosphere where parents and children can visit each other with a supervisor present to document interactions. Reports and court testimony are available for nominal fees.

Two play rooms are available and designed for different age children with a myriad of entertaining activities and equipment. Each family has a room to itself. The center offers a sliding fee scale of $5 - $40 an hour when parents enroll in our free positive parenting classes. Visits are available seven days a week with adequate notification to schedule. Visit supervisors will prevent parents from having any contact unless they wish to. This program is funded by the Children’s Trust Fund of Alabama and the Administrative Office of Courts Access and Visitation Program.

Call Lydia at 479-5700 for more information.

MONITORED EXCHANGES

In 2007 we began offering a service formerly performed by the Mobile Police Department. When exchanging children for weekend or holiday visitations, parents can now come to the Family Center. Regular exchange hours are 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM on Friday and Sunday evenings and as needed for holidays and summer visitation. Other times can be arranged when necessary. Staff will prevent contact between parents and document all exchanges. Staff can also arrange for exchanges between parents who have restraining orders or PFAs, making any phone contact unnecessary.

Court orders are optional to use this service if both parties agree. The program is funded by the Administrative Office of Courts Access and Visitation Program and the City of Mobile. Parents must attend orientation and complete paperwork before coming for exchanges.

Call Lydia at 479-5700 for more information.

HEALTHY START: NEVER SHAKE A BABY

This prevention program deals directly with one of the most serious forms of child abuse in children: Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS). The Family Center was asked by the Alabama Department of Public Health’s Child Death Review Team to develop a hospital-based prevention program in 2002. That program has been funded by ADPH since then and is now offered at USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital. The program has been adopted by other hospitals in Mobile and Baldwin County.

The program’s main focus is the stress of a new baby and teaching parents how to calm a crying infant using Dr. Harvey Karp’s 5S method. Almost all babies are shaken because of uncontrollable crying. The program is offered in the patient’s room and she and her family are encouraged to take the 30-minute class in preparation for going home with their new child. The class ends with the 8-minute video “Portrait of Promise” which details the devastating effects of Shaken Baby Syndrome in three infants. Parents are asked to sign an affidavit stating that they have had the class and understand the dangers of shaking their child. They also promise to share the material with their infant’s caregivers.

Parents are also invited to take advantage of the other programs offered by the Family Center such as home visitors and parenting classes. Each parent leaves with our magnet and written materials to remind them of what they have learned. Follow up calls are made to parents 30 and 60 days after they have the class.

For more information call Lydia at 479-5700.

SPEAKER’S BUREAU

Speakers are available to visit your group and discuss parenting or child abuse issues.

Please call Lydia Pettijohn at 479-5700 to arrange for a speaker.