In a workshop series called
‘Families That Care’, South Santa Clara County parents will
learn how to strengthen their bonds with their children and reduce
the risk that their children will use drugs.
In a workshop series called ‘Families That Care’, South Santa Clara County parents will learn how to strengthen their bonds with their children and reduce the risk that their children will use drugs.
The five-week program is provided free of charge to all parents with children ages 8–14. Presented by Community Solutions, workshops will be available in Morgan Hill, Gilroy, San Martin and South San Jose.
Families That Care is an interactive program for parents wanting to increase family bonds, improve family communication, develop healthy beliefs and establish clear standards for their children. In a lively and open atmosphere, parents will learn specific strategies to help their children avoid drug use and other adolescent problem behaviors, and develop into healthy adults.
Parents will learn to set clear family guidelines on drugs, as well as learn and practice skills to strengthen family bonds, help their children develop healthy behaviors, and increase children’s involvement in the family.
“We are pleased to be able to offer this program to parents in our community,” said Erin O’Brien, CEO of Community Solutions. “So many programs center on treatment and intervention. Families That Care is a proactive program designed to help parents prepare for the coming pressures and changes associated with adolescence. ”
The Families That Care program was developed by J. David Hawkins and Richard F. Catalano of the University of Washington. Their research has shown that when children are bonded to their parents, school and non-drug using peers, they are less likely to get involved in drug use or other behavior problems.
Studies of Families That Care have shown that the program is effective in strengthening parent-child bonds and preventing teenagers from starting to use alcohol and other drugs.
Less than 45 percent of teenagers believe their families have positive family communication, family boundaries, and planning and decision making skills, according to Santa Clara County’s Project Cornerstone Report of teenagers who responded.
Known risk factors for alcohol and drug use among teens include ineffective parenting, a low degree of communication between parents and children, poorly defined/poorly communicated rules and expectations of children’s behavior, and favorable parental attitudes toward teen substance abuse.
Other risk factors include transitional changes such as the move from elementary school to junior high and junior high to high school when children experience increased peer pressure.
The Families That Care workshop activities are based on Hawkin’s and Catalano’s social development strategy, a theory of human behavior that identifies the factors that promote social bonding and positive behavior. These known protective factors are incorporated into the program and emphasize positive familial bonds, clear and consistently enforced rules of conduct, and parental involvement in their children’s lives.
An alarming number of teenagers today will use alcohol or marijuana before leaving high school. According to surveys conducted for the National Institute on Drug Use, in 2000, half of the high school seniors surveyed had used alcohol in the past month, and nearly one-quarter had used marijuana in the past month.
The Public Health Department key indicators of well-being 1999 report for Santa Clara County revealed that 65.5 percent of high school students had tried alcohol and 39.5 percent had current or ongoing use. In the same report, Latino students by age 13 were more likely to have tried many forms of drugs compared to other ethnicities.
The Families That Care workshops have been proven successful and have had positive, pro-social behavioral changes for both youth and parents directly impacting substance use avoidance.
“Every child deserves a healthy future. Community Solutions is committed to providing parents with the opportunity to make that future a reality,” O’Brien said. “We hope to see a great turn-out of parents wanting to increase their parenting skills and strengthen their families.”
The workshops are designed for all types of families and are conducted in English and Spanish. Parents are encouraged to bring friends and other family members with them to the workshops. Childcare is provided for each session as well as refreshments. Workshops are ongoing.
Details to register for the next workshop: 846-4750.
