Parent center reports outreach growth: 42 programs, new 'Gearing Up' sessions and outreach to over 2,000 people

The West Dakota Parent Family Resource Center reported expanded programming and increased community outreach during the past school year, the center coordinator told the board.

Coordinator Stacy Foley (identified in the presentation) said the center provided 42 parent programs and visited with 287 parents one-on-one or in-group sessions. The center ran two sessions of the "Gearing Up for Preschool" program (three classes each session), continued its 15th year of "Gearing Up for Kindergarten," held a second annual parent fair attended by about 450 people (up from roughly 300 last year), and piloted a ‘‘Gearing Up for Babies’’ concept based on parent feedback.

Foley said the center uses evidence-based, trauma-informed parenting programs and added new offerings to meet community needs, including training in parenting for families in recovery and culturally specific parenting support for Native American families. The center also ran monthly family reading events, three family puzzle-competition nights (with donated puzzles), and a book-study series on youth anxiety funded by the district foundation so every participating family received a copy of The Anxious Generation.

Foley said she served as the district homeless and foster-care liaison and that the district identified 76 students as homeless during the year; the center provided resources in partnership with school social workers and counselors. Foley reported reaching more than 2,000 people through community fairs and outreach activities and said she led 15 multi-week parent workshop series during the year.

Board members thanked Foley and asked about funding; Foley said she continually seeks grants and partners with the district and literacy grants to support programs.