Parenting Plan Hits the Road

Grand Cayman's eastern districts were the first to be targeted in a new round of information-gathering for the new National Parenting Programme (NPP).

The NPP's agenda is progressing with feedback from meetings held over the past week in East End, North Side and Bodden Town.

A national survey of parenting needs and concerns is also underway. This survey is to identify specific topics, as well as the dates, times and venues for parenting workshops in each area.

A Children and Family Services Department project, the NPP aims to build upon community links in the interest of family strengthening. A key objective is to establish new relationships and programmes at a community level for the benefit of parents and children alike.

NPP's Research and Development Manager Debbie Webb is coordinating the district meetings with small groups of persons who were identified in various communities. They represent churches, schools, health clinics, and the RCIPS, as well as community development officers, parents and guardians.

She noted that the purpose of these small-group meetings is to allow residents and community leaders to identify specific concerns that pertain to their respective districts. The NPP will then determine how best to address identified needs with the assistance and continued involvement of the group members.

The parenting body intends to work closely with programmes and services which already exist in the districts. A broader slate of parenting needs and strategies at a national perspective were formulated at stakeholders' workshops last month.

The current phase of the NPP implementation also includes media appearances, presentations at parent/teacher association meetings, and consultations with various organisations.

For more information, contact DCFS' Research and Development Manager Debbie Webb, who is developing and implementing the parenting programme, at 925-5350/49.