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<br />"Parenting Essentials & Extras" to keep parents and service providers informed of upcoming parenting classes,
<br />events, and resources available in the Lending Library. "Parenting Pipeline," the monthly parenting tips newsletter
<br />will continue to be sent out to all parents in Region V of children in grades K, 2, 4, and 6. The Parenting
<br />Resources Center Lending Library and website will continue to be made available to parents and other child care
<br />professionals. The PRC will continue to handle general parenting questions over the telephone, and mail out
<br />requests for parenting bulletins and infonnational handouts. It will also provide parenting displays at schools and
<br />other community parent fairs, community events, child care providers' conferences, and other conferences.
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<br />The Parenting Resources Center will offer training to area professionals on a variety of parent education issues
<br />and curriculum. Collaboration with the NDSU Extension Family Science Specialist and the four Parenting
<br />Resources Coordinators in North Dakota has resulted in ten new early-childhood parenting education lessons being
<br />developed this year entitled "Brown Bag Bytes: Bright Beginnings." This includes a Train-the- Trainer Program
<br />piece which will be offered during the fall of2002 in six or more sites throughout North Dakota. In April 2002,
<br />nationally recognized family life educator and researcher, Dr. Jean II1sley Clarke, was brought in to Fargo to
<br />provide a professional training for educators, parent educators, counselors, social workers, youth leaders, etc. on
<br />the topic of "Overindulgence in Children." She also provided an evening session for parents on the same topic.
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<br />There are plans to continue sponsoring nationally recognized parent and child development educators in the next
<br />program year, including a nationally recognized expert on the topic of step families. Further, in conjunction with
<br />the Region V CSCC Regional Prevention Coordinator, a train.the-trainer program is planned for the new "Walking
<br />the Talk" curriculum. A series of adolescent parenting lessons will be developed during the 2002-2003 program
<br />year. These are research-based curriculum materials which can be used by educators and other professionals in a
<br />variety of urban or rural community settings (school, congregation, day care center, etc.). A lesson in both the
<br />early childhood and the adolescent series will focus on Parenting for Drug & Alcohol Prevention, developed by the
<br />Region V Parenting Resources Center Coordinator. A statewide train. the-trainer program piece will be offered for
<br />this new adolescent series once the curriculum is printed.
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<br />During the 2002-2003 program year, the NDSU Extension Service will take a close look at two of their ten
<br />program planning areas, including Human Development & Family Science, under which our parenting program
<br />falls. This will give the Parenting Resources Center an opportunity to develop a needs based program and plan of
<br />work for the next several years. We will look at the possibility of building a solid citizen support group to serve as
<br />a sounding board and/or partners for our program in this upcoming program planning process.
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<br />In an effort to increase enrollment in parenting classes, the Parenting Resource Center will continue to provide
<br />child care, transportation, and occasionally, other incentives for families to attend. In addition, the PRC will
<br />continue to bring classes to neighborhoods and communities in Region V to make attending classes easier in the
<br />evenings after a busy work or school day. This is often accomplished through collaboration with other agencies,
<br />schools, faith groups, child care centers, and support groups. Such collaborative efforts will continue to be sought
<br />out in Region V during the 2002-2003 program year to increase the visibility, programming, and other services
<br />available to families, child care providers, educators, grandparents, professionals and other interested persons.
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<br />6 & 7. Fundine Sources for Proiect (previous/current/future):
<br />The NDSU Extension Service partners in providing one-half the Coordinator's salary, all benefits, and program
<br />support through training and education opportunities for the Parenting Resources Coordinator and Facilitators.
<br />Cass County provides office space, equipment, some clerical support, and resource library cataloging, check-out,
<br />and tracking, in addition to $5000 in tinancial support. The NDSU Extension Service and Region V CSCC have
<br />been the primary funding sources for The Parenting Resource Center since 1995. During the 2001-2002 program
<br />year, the North Dakota Department of Human Services provided a grant award of $25,000 toward both the
<br />Coordinator's salary and operating costs. (t is unknown at this time whether those funds will be extended beyond
<br />the grant ending date of June 30, 2002. It is our plan to continue pursuing Region V csee and NDDHS-Drug
<br />Free ND grant funds in our yearly plan, if they remain available. The NDSU Extension Service plans to pursue
<br />other grant opportunities. and we will continue to n:quest Cuss County funding for the Parenting Resources Center.
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