Florina Ruvio posted:Hi Erin! Have you contacted anyone at the local schools? Specifically, the counselors? They would have a great idea of which families could use additional support and can refer them to your program. I'd also advise asking to be involved in any events the schools have. For our program, we have asked to have a table at Parent-Teacher conferences and participated in the local trunk-or-treat. Smaller communities tend to be more tight knit, so just being present and letting families become familiar with our organization really helped boost attendance. I'm also in agreement with Joanne about the name of the group. We call ours a parenting support group and welcome all families to come share a meal, support one another, and provide concrete resources. All at no charge. People generally come for the meals and resources. They stay because they quickly bond with the other parents, their children have others to play with, and they hear about resources in their community while learning about the effects of ACEs and how to strengthen their five protective factors. I'd suggest giving thought to what the community as a whole seems to need or what their interests are as a whole. The Y also seems like a great resource to enroll families. Perhaps you can join some of their events as well. Best of luck with your program!
Thank you. Yes, the schools are deeply involved and are a part of the overall project. You also make great points that I will share. We are looking to make stronger linkages to other programming and perhaps make the "center" mobile.