SAMPLE NEWSLETTER/NEWSPAPER ARTICLE
Research shows that a strong bond with a caring adult is one of the most powerful influences on the growth of a child into a responsible, caring, and competent young adult. Parents or caregivers genuinely desire the best for their children. Yet, as their child enters the teenage years, the transitions and developmental changes, often pose new challenges for the family.
Youth entering the teen years may experience new stressors, such as new schools, new friendships, and new peer influences. They also have a more demanding school curriculum, increased homework, added responsibilities, and increased opportunities for independent decision-making. In addition, youth are exposed to many media influences and often confusing messages from TV and the Internet. During this time of growth and transition, it is important to strengthen family bonds and to help youth learn skills to handle the new challenges and to make healthy decisions.
To assist all families with the normal challenges of the teen years, Insert Site Name will once again, in Insert Month, offer the Strengthening Families Program: For Parents and Youth 10-14. The Program is one of the very best of its kind in the country and is recognized as a scientifically proven effective program by many national agencies, such as the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency, the US Department of Education, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. It has also received global acclaim and has been recognized by a World Health Organization sponsored review by the Cochrane Collaboration as the best program available for substance use prevention. The program allows parents to protect and empower their children through communication of family values, their standards regarding substance use, and their hopes for their child’s future.
The Strengthening Families Program is an exciting opportunity for families as it affords families a chance to spend quality time together while learning new skills through games and fun, interactive activities. Parents and youth attend one evening per week for seven weeks and have lots of fun together while learning ways to promote family bonding, to keep the lines of family communication open, and to use family strengths to solve problems together. Youth will spend the first hour of each session together learning about topics such as empathy, how to deal with stress, and peer pressure resistance. Parents will meet separately for that first hour to discuss parenting strategies and how to guide their youth in setting goals, making good decisions, and fulfilling responsibilities. The second hour of each session is spent together working on FUN family activities that promote strong family relationships.
The 7-week Strengthening Families Program will be offered:
Beginning Insert Date
Insert Location
Insert Day of Week from Insert Time
There is NO COST to attend. A FAMILY DINNER will be served at the beginning of each session and CHILDCARE WILL BE PROVIDED for younger siblings. Families of Insert Grade graders can register now by calling Insert Phone Number or emailing Insert Email Address.
Together, as parents and community members, we can build upon the strengths of local families and community resources to ensure that our youth are supported and encouraged to make good decisions for successful futures!