COBYS Family Services offers Family Life Education programs appropriate for various settings, time frames, and audiences. Programs use a variety of curricula, and some include recommended reading. Books are available through COBYS. Here is a comprehensive list of our programs, with dates, times, and places provided for programs that currently are scheduled.

Active Parenting Courses

Active Parenting Now*
6 sessions, 1.5-2.0 hours recommended per session

Designed for parents of children ages 5 to 12, this course helps parents to raise responsible children who will be prepared to meet the challenges of the teen years. Parents will be provided with skills to help them develop healthy communication, cooperation, responsibility, and self-esteem in their children. Participants also learn positive discipline techniques so that power struggles can be avoided.

Active Christian Parenting*
6 sessions, 1.5-2.0 hours recommended per session

This course helps parents of children ages 5-12 to raise responsible, cooperative children, who will be prepared to meet the challenges of the teen years. This course incorporates scriptural references and Christian-based discussion points during each session.

Active Parenting of Teens*
6 sessions, 1.5-2.0 hours recommended per session

Teaches parents of youth age 11 and older to redefine the parent role as children move through adolescence. Topics include developing responsibility in teens, and practicing positive discipline and healthy communication skills.

Cooperative Parenting and Divorce*
4-6 sessions, 2.0-2.5 hours recommended per session

This program gives divorcing parents with children of all ages the power to make positive changes that shield their children from parental conflict and guide them toward establishing a long-term relationship with the child's other parent(s). Suitable for parents who are separated or divorced.

Families in Action: Active Parenting of Teens*
6 sessions, 1.5-2.0 hours recommended per session

Designed for middle school and high school students with their parents, each session provides an interactive environment for parents and teens to learn together. Families learn together to communicate and solve problems related to family, school, and community issues. Families in Action provides a unique approach to improving parent-teen interaction and strengthens youth to resist risky behaviors.

Youth in Action*
6 sessions, 1.5-2.0 hours recommended per session

Geared toward middle and high school students, this program focuses on the fun and challenges of teen development. Students learn ways to build communication with parents and peers, develop problem solving skills, practice approaches for healthy decision making, and identify and apply responsible behavior in teens.

Active Parenting: Stepfamilies*
6 sessions, 1.5-2.0 hours recommended per session

Intended to help couples work together to raise children in the stepfamily environment; this program emphasizes the use of communication and negotiation skills to strengthen marriage and family. Designed both for parents and stepparents, Active Parenting for Stepfamilies also is valuable for foster parents, adoptive parents, single parents, and others affected by loss and change in family situations.

Parenting: Early Childhood Courses

Nurturing Infants*
6 sessions, 1.5-2.0 hours recommended per session

A program to help parents-to-be and new parents of infants acquire the skills and support needed to nurture their children and themselves. Topics include early communication, child development, and the importance of play, safety, and nutrition.

Nurturing Infants: Mommy and Me*
6 sessions, 1.0-1.5 hours recommended per session

A course designed for mothers and young children (0 to 18 months), which covers child development, sleep issues, teething, positive discipline techniques, as well as nurturing our children and ourselves. A very interactive and informal class with plenty of on-the-floor play opportunities built in.

Parenting Toddlers*
6 sessions, 1.5-2.0 hours recommended per session

Throughout this course, parents explore the rewards and challenges of the toddler years. Offered for parents of toddlers (ages 1-3), this course addresses language development, parent-child communication, child development, building self-esteem, and positive discipline strategies.

Parenting Preschoolers*
6 sessions, 1.5-2.0 hours recommended per session

A program for parents of children ages 3-5, which emphasizes healthy relationships and helping children to thrive at home, school, and in the community. Topics include child development; communication skills; instilling cooperation, responsibility, and self-esteem; as well as positive discipline techniques to prevent power struggles.

Drug and Alcohol Prevention Education

Guiding Good Choices (GGC)*
6 sessions, 1.5-2.0 hours recommended per session

An interactive course in which parents of 4th to 8th graders* focus on the transition to adolescence and the "nature and extent of adolescent drug use, and the conditions that help protect against and contribute to adolescent drug use. Parents will also learn how to hold a family meeting to plan family fun and strengthen family bonding." (Quoted from GGC Parent Guide.)

GGC goals include:

• How to Prevent Drug Use in Your Family
• Setting Guidelines: How to Develop Healthy Beliefs and Clear Standards
• Avoiding Trouble: How to Say No to Drugs
• Managing Conflict: How to Control and Express Your Anger Constructively
• Involving Everyone: How to Strengthen Family Bonds

GGC supports parents as they clarify family expectations for behavior, enhance conditions to promote close family relationships, and teach skills that allow children to meet the family and community expectation to resist drug use. Opportunities to explore current trends in adolescent behavior.

*This course can be modified to incorporate youth.

Strengthening Families Program 10-14 (Iowa State)*
7 sessions, 2 hours per session
Hour 1: Youth and Parent Groups meet separately
Hour 2: Combined Family Class/Activity Period

An interactive family course in which parents and their children (ages 10-14) learn strategies and gain skills to: prepare for the teen years, avoid problems with drugs and alcohol, and strengthen family communication.

Parents/caregivers will discuss:

• What youth this age are like
• Making rules and consequences
• How to solve problems with their youth
• Ways to show love and support to their teen

Youth will learn to:

• Handle frustration
• Resist peer pressure
• Appreciate parents
• Get along with others

Families will:

• Participate in fun activities
• Learn to handle problems TOGETHER
• Discuss what makes their family strong

REAL TALK: ACT for Teen Girls
6 sessions, 1.5-2.0 hours recommended per session

A unique program designed to focus on issues that face teenage girls in today's society. Topics include, promoting positive choices, building self esteem and courage, problem handling, internet safety and cyberbullying, empathy, relational aggression, refusal skills, and healthy communication skills.

Helping Youth Make Healthy Choices
6 sessions, 1.5-2.0 hours recommended per session

This program is designed to help youth strengthen the protective factors that can help them choose positive behaviors and healthy lifestyles. Recommended for children in grade three and older, this course includes alcohol, tobacco, and other drug prevention components for youth.

Special Interest Classes

Family Nurturing Education & Support Program
(Approved program of the Lancaster County Children and Youth Social Service Agency)
16 sessions, Two 2-hour sessions per week for 8 weeks

A 32-hour, comprehensive program designed to nurture and support parents and their children (birth to 12 years old) through guided play, modeling, and the presentation and practice of positive parenting strategies. The course includes parent/child interactive activities, separate classes for parents and children, and a healthy snack. Recommended reading: Active Parenting Now: The Basics, by Michael Popkin, Ph.D., and Positive Discipline, by Jane Nelson, Ed.D.

Ephrata Church of the Brethren
August 30-October 25, 2010
Mondays & Thursdays, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity, Lancaster
October 26-December 21, 2010
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity, Lancaster
January 4-February 24, 2011
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Take Action: Bullyproofing Our Kids and Our Communities
6 Sessions, 2.0 hours recommended per session

This program focuses on bullying and its effects on kids, their parents, and their communities. Topics include advocating for kids who experience a bullying situation, how kids can empower themselves against bullying behavior, relational bullying, and cyberbullying.

The 3 R's: Relationships, Responsibility, & Respect*
(A court-approved alternative adjudication program in Lancaster County)
6 sessions, 2.0 hours per session.
Mandatory 12-hour attendance to successfully complete the course.

Based on Active Parenting of Teens, 3rd Edition, by Michael Popkin Ph.D., an evidence-based curriculum, this program provides parents and youth (ages 11-18) with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to build stronger parent/child relationships and to promote regular school attendance.

Families will learn to:

• Understand school policy on attendance, truancy, and acceptable school behavior
• Strengthen family and school bonds and identify and use community/school resources
• Communicate respectfully with each other
• Manage the expression of anger and develop strategies to handle problems
• Help teens develop responsibility and cooperation
• Use the family meeting model
• Establish family policies against problem/risky behaviors, including truancy, violence, and drug and alcohol use

Lancaster Police Station
August 5-September 9, 2010
Thursdays, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

For Leaders and Educators

Active Teaching
6 sessions, 1.5-2.0 hours recommended per session

Look for this course in the near future.

Mentor Training
6 hours

This professional development opportunity has been planned to enable agencies and their volunteers to provide more effective mentor leaderships in the community.

Workshops

1.5 - 2.0 hours recommended per session

Positive Discipline*

Participants will learn about discipline strategies that promote responsibility and foster healthy relationships between parents and their children. Topics included in this workshop are ages and stages of development, discipline vs. punishment, polite requests, I-messages, firm requests, natural consequences, and logical consequences. The workshop can be tailored for parents of children in target age groups: Infants, Toddlers, Preschoolers, School Age, or Teenagers.

Communication: Getting Your Message Across*

Communication is discussed as the key to cooperation. Communication styles, communication blocks, and active communication skills are presented and practiced. The content of the workshop can be focused on communicating with family, children, your child's school, co-workers, or spouses.

Moving Toward Positive Solutions: Problem Solving and Family Meetings*

Participants learn, discuss, and practice techniques to help their family successfully identify and solve problems. Topics include the problem-handling model, the SOLVE method, active problem-solving, and family meetings.

Expressing Feelings Positively: Handling Anger and Conflict*

Participants discuss common family conflicts and their causes. In addition, skills for controlling anger and expressing feelings in a positive manner are presented and practiced.

Promoting Positive Choices: Building Self Esteem and Courage*

Participants learn the important connection between self-esteem and helping children make positive choices. Topics include the think-feel-do cycle; ways parents can influence positive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in their children; encouragement vs. praise; ways parents encourage and discourage their children; and the four components of self-esteem.

What's Your Style? Parenting Models*

Participants are given the opportunity to explore the different styles of parenting and reflect on their own style. This workshop addresses the purpose of parenting, identifying risks for youth in today's society, building assets, mutual respect, setting limits by giving choices, and nurturing the caregiver.

Strengthening Family Bonds: Fun as a Family*

Participants learn about and discuss the benefits of spending time together as a family. The workshop also covers family meetings and setting limits to promote quality family time.

The Bully Anti-Venom*

This workshop introduces the topic of bullying, presents ways to advocate for a child that is being bullied, and addresses ways to confront a child that uses bullying behaviors. Other topics in the workshop include types of bullying, a typical bully scenario, warning signs for parents, bullying vs. normal conflict, antidotes for bullying, and the HA HA SO technique.

Internet Safety and Cyberbullying*

Participants learn about internet safety and cyberbullying. Topics include the problems and dangers of cyberbullying, the victims of cyberbullying, false beliefs about cyberbullying, shrinking the cyberbully, resisting cyberbullies, and creating a personal internet battle plan. It is highly recommended that an age group is selected (Preschoolers, School Age, or Teenagers) to make the workshop meaningful and applicable for participants.

Nurturing Your Whole Child*

A workshop designed for participants to learn techniques and explore resources to help them nurture all aspects of their child's growth. Topics include family characteristics, the basic components of healthy relationships, the Search Institute's 40 developmental assets, and building the 40 assets in our children. It is recommended that an age group is selected (Infants, Toddlers, Preschoolers, School Age, or Teenagers) to make the workshop meaningful and applicable for participants.

Preparing for School Success*

Participants will discover ways that parents and caregivers can be a child's best teacher by creating a productive learning environment for their children. Topics include tips for maintaining a positive relationship with their child's school and ways to keep lines of communication open with their child. It is recommended that an age group is selected (Preschoolers, School Age, or Teenagers) to make the workshop meaningful and applicable for participants.

Why Kids Do What They Do: Understanding Behavior*

Participants begin to understand the reasons behind child's behavior through presentations, discussions and interactive activities. The topics covered in this workshop include, discovering why children misbehave, the 4 goals of behavior (5 goals for teenagers), and helping children achieve their goals in positive ways.

*Funding for these programs is provided by the PA Department of Health through the Lancaster County Drug and Alcohol Commission.