Childhood Health

Positive Development of Children

The Clayton County Department of Family and Children Services recently introduced a pilot program that better reflects the mission of the Department of Family and Children’s Services. They found that many of the families for whom cases were opened with child protective services would have been better served if they had been connected to community resources or prevention services.

Clayton Extension secured $150,887 in grant funds to provide comprehensive research based, unbiased parenting education in Clayton County. The ABC’s of Parenting ensures that the parenting classes are taught three times per week for parents of young children, parents of teens and teen-age parents. Teen parents are also assigned to a trained adult mentor.

An average of 25 home visits are made each week for hand-on learning experiences for participants. Clayton Extension staff are responsible for conducting parenting education programs, home visits and mentoring services. A total of 488 home visits were conducted for 186 parents and children.

Topics included infant/child brain development, ages and stages, alternative discipline methods, redirection, home management, goal setting and problem solving, parenting cycles, nutrition, financial literacy, child abuse awareness, and how to access community resources.

Despite their at risk status, 93 percent of families have not had repeat or initial reports to Child Protective Services. Of those families who came with one Child Protective Service case already open, 88 percent have reunited or remained intact. Of teen-aged parents, 100 percent have refrained from repeat pregnancies and all siblings have not experienced initial pregnancies. (2006)

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