How Does the Program Work?

The Parent Project is a multi-session youth development program for any parents of adolescents. The lunch-hour sessions offered by the hosting workplace are designed to be easily accessible, convenient and rewarding to participants. Topics are addressed through group discussions, lectures, and videos. The exact format will be determined by each participating employer/employee group.

Program Goals

Help working parents meet their family responsibilities, strengthen families and help prevent potential problems.

Benefits to Employees

• Develop better relationships with their children
• Improve and identify communication skills for relating to children
• Learn better ways to balance work and family life
• Reduce stress from family issues
• Gain greater knowledge and confidence in parenting skills.
• Acquire higher awareness of drug & alcohol abuse issues in the community

Benefits to the Employer

• Social support networks formed in parenting classes lessen the effects of work and family stress, and contribute to well-being. This correlates with lowered absenteeism and fewer medical insurance claims
• Supervisor support of lunchtime parent training improves employee perception that managers understand their situation and promotes greater loyalty and job satisfaction
• Lunchtime parenting programs alleviate anxiety about parenting issues. This contributes to higher productivity, since parents are less preoccupied with parenting worries
• The program also helps ensure the availability of a drug-free work force in the community's future
• Activities of the program sharpen teamwork skills within your workforce

The Parent Project is successful...

It provides ongoing benefits in the metro Chicago area for major employers such as Abbott Laboratories, Allstate Insurance, Lake County Governmental offices, Motorola and Sears. Feedback from participants has confirmed the benefits of the program to employers. In 1996, it was named one of the 14 model programs for famlies in the country.*

*Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
in collaboration with the University of Utah.

Presented by

the Heartland Coalition for Youth
and Families
in Cooperation with the
Illinois Department of Human Services
and
McLean County Community Compact
in Cooperation with the
University of Illinois Extension