More Help for Parents on the Way

With the family unit’s post-Ivan welfare being a top concern for many government agencies and individuals, the work of the new National Parenting Programme (NPP) is progressing, with plans underway for a national survey of parenting needs and concerns. NPP organisers say the programme will cater to the needs of parents and children of all ages.

The overriding aim of the NPP, introduced last year by the Children and Family Services Department, is to build upon community linkages in the interest of family strengthening, as well as to establish new relationships and programmes at a community level for the benefit of parents and children alike.

The NPP completed the second phase of its implementation framework last month when it hosted a stakeholders’ workshop and trained conductors of focus groups (which are a key method of collecting qualitative data). The workshop was facilitated by Parenting Partners of Jamaica, which had assisted in the development of the framework for the local NPP.

On the heels of the workshop, Phase Three’s outreach initiative is already underway. This entails identifying the needs and issues of the public through media appearances, presentations at parent/teacher association meetings, and consultation with organisations.

In meeting with these groups (and most key agencies have already been consulted), the NPP’s primary objective was to determine which services could benefit from collaboration. Key agencies include the Education Department (and its Quest Programme), Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the Women’s Resource Centre, and the Department of Youth and Sports. Still to be consulted are the Early Childhood Association, all pre-schools, employment agencies and the Cayman Islands Society of Human Resource Professionals.

During this community consultative phase, a series of focus groups are scheduled (over the next month) to collect information and identify concerns of parents and children in every district.

Initially, the key target groups will be parents of, and children in, the 15- to 17-year-old age bracket, so that the needs of these senior students can be addressed before they complete their secondary education this year. Eventually the needs of all age groups (from pre-school upwards) will be addressed.

For more information, contact DCFS’ Research and Development Manager Debbie Webb, who is developing and implementing the parenting programme, at 916-2738.