What's New
Programs for Parents and Caregivers:Winter/Spring 2009
The Emotional Well-being of Relative Caregiving Families: Utilizing Strengths, Decreasing Risks. Wednesday, January 14, 2009, 6:00 - 8:30 pm, at Central Valley Elementary School. Click for details.
2008 Orange County Parenting Education Directory An updated listing of agencies and programs throughout the county .
Toy & Product Safety Tips - Information and links to sites with helpful ideas for parents concerned about recent recalls.
RAPP Community Resources for Caregivers providing care for Children with Disabilities Brochure featuring Resources, Support Groups and Websites of Interest.
Entire series of Value In Parenting (VIP) Newsletter Now Available Online – including Spanish versions!
Parent Pages -- over 100 Parent Pages are available -- call 344-1234 for details!
Parenting The Second Time Around Award-winning curriculum, developed in part, by educator Denyse Variano, offered through Cornell University Resource Center.
Children don't come with directions, but no formal structure exists to help train individuals for the challenging job of caring for children. Because raising a child to be safe and healthy in today's world is of concern to our entire community, Extension parenting and pre-parenting programs outreach to parents, grandparents, caregivers, teachers and youth.
As part of the Family & Consumer Sciences Department of Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County (CCE-OC), the Parenting Education Program is committed to helping families succeed by providing educational programs and resources to parents and those who care for children.
Our programs are supported by a partnership with Cornell University faculty that provides current, research-based information on the important issues spanning the life of the family.
CCE-OC offers parenting programs at its Education Center on the Middletown Community Campus and at sites throughout Orange County. Consumer workshops and professional trainings are sponsored by community-based organizations.
The goal of the Parenting Education Program is to help those who care for children:
• gain an understanding of child development
• increase confidence in their roles as parents and caregivers
• improve communication skills with their children and family members
• decrease feelings of isolation
• enhance parent-child interaction
• enjoy their children
Basic Parenting Series:
Strengthening Families: A parenting program for adults and youth together! This workshop series for parents and children 10-14 years will assist adults and young teens to develop skills, increase their strengths and build a positive future together! Take time out of your busy week to join us for a light family-style meal, then explore key principles and practice skills together that promote healthy family living. Topics will help you and your children:
Prepare for teen years,
Avoid problems with drugs and alcohol,
Strengthen family communication,
Solve problems together, Partner with your child's school.
Monroe Seven-Session Series for Winter 2009: Wednesdays: Feb. 11, 18, 25, March 4, 11, 18 and 25. 6:00 - 8:45 pm, Downloadable Directions! Monroe Woodbury Middle School, 199 Dunderberg Rd., Central Valley, NY.
Call us for more information or visit the Strengthening Families page on Cornell University's website.
Young Children: Priority One – designed to assist families with children, birth -12, gain a basic understanding of young children, explore and discuss common parenting issues, and have more fun with their children too! (4 sessions)
Living With Your Teen –This series addresses the behavioral, development and emotional changes of families with pre-teens and young adolescents. Learn why teens act the way they do, how to talk with and relate to teens, and strategies to keep kids safe. $30/family fee.
West Point Three-Session Series for Spring 2009: Wednesdays: April 15, 22, 29.
6:30 - 8:30 pm. Army Community Services, 622 Swift Road, West Point, NY.
Discipline is NOT a Dirty Word – designed as a practical approach to positive discipline, involving the practice of seven basic child development principles. Topics include: providing choices; realistic limits; and natural and logical consequences. $30 family fee.
Goshen Four-Session Series for Spring 2009: Thursdays: March 5, 12, 19, 26. 7:00 - 9:00 pm, Scotchtown Avenue Elementary School,
120 Scotchtown Ave., Goshen, NY.
Washingtonville Three-Session Series for Spring 2009: Thursdays: May 14, 21, 28. 6:30 - 8:30 pm. English Rose Day School,
16 Weathervane Dr., Washingtonville, NY.
Bookstart – designed as a fun approach to introducing books and language activities to parents with young children, ages birth - 7. Topics include: choosing and using books; making books; using libraries; and reading readiness skills. (6 sessions). $30/family fee.
Middletown Six-Session Series for Winter 2009: Tuesdays, Feb. 10, 17, 24, Mar. 3, 10, 17 (snowdate: Mar. 31), 9:15 - 11:15 am, Downloadable Directions! Cornell Cooperative Extension, 18 Seward Ave., 3rd Flr., Middletown, NY.
Parenting in a TV Age – Many parents are concerned about their children's television and media use, but don't know what to do about it! This series includes strategies to help families manage the use of TV, the internet, and other media forms. (3 sessions)
Separated and Step Family Series:
Parents Apart – designed to help separating, divorced and never married parents focus on the needs of their children during the reorganization of their family. Explore: children's ideas about divorce; co-parenting skills; financial and legal implications. (3 sessions)
Smart Steps – designed for remarried and partnering couples and their children (ages 8 and above) to focus on building healthy stepfamily relationships. Topics include: stepfamily "myths"; realistic expectations; redefining roles; and building step relationships. (6 sessions)
Relatives as Parents Program (RAPP):
Coffee and Conversation – An on-going educational and mutual support program for grandparents and relatives who are providing primary care for children. Monthly meetings and seasonal activities are available at several locations. Youth development programs are provided, on-site, for relative children.
Parenting the Second Time Around – designed as parenting "re-education" for grandparents and relatives who find themselves parenting again! Basic parenting information is combined with topics specific to relative caregivers, including: child development; discipline and guidance; ambivalent feelings; rebuilding a family; legal issues; and advocacy. (6 sessions)
Parenting Resources
Additional resources are available in a non-workshop setting. Call our office or visit us on the web at www.cce.cornell.edu/orange for additional information.
Consumer Help Line – Responds to basic calls about parenting, including resource and referral to Orange County programs. M-F, 8:30 - 4:30. 845-344-1234.
Family: Life and Times – Bi-monthly publication, featuring articles on families, parenting, children, nutrition, financial management and housing.
OC Parenting Education Directory – Free resource, listing Orange County parenting classes and other parenting services.
Parent Pages – A print resource, featuring topics of interest to parents.
Relatives as Parents (RAPP) Resource Directory – Directory of services available to Orange County kinship care families. Includes tips on accessing services.
Video and Curricula Lending Library – Lending library for professionals who work with families or students. Call 845-344-1234 for lending information.
Value In Parenting (VIP) Newsletter – Designed for parents of children birth – age 10, this publication offers topics on basic child development and current parenting issues. Entire series now available to download as pdf files, including Spanish versions!
"A Walk in My Shoes" Teen Pregnancy video. Featuring our "Teens as Parents of Babies and Toddlers" program.
Other Parenting Articles of Interest
Talking to Children About War and Violence
Talking with Children when the Talking Gets Tough
January 5, 2009