A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Family Resource Project
Maine Parent Federation, Inc.

Maine Parent Federation (MPF) is a coalition of 28 parent support groups and thousands of individuals from across the state of Maine. Since 1985 it has sponsored a number of federally- funded projects, including a parent training and information center for parents of children with disabilities.

The Family Resource Project recognizes that parents and educators need support, information, and training in order to become effective partners in improving education for all children. The project will establish a statewide resource center to provide materials and training on school readiness, communication skills, child development, and home-school partnerships, among other topics. The project will also work with communities to 1) develop a process for increasing parent involvement in education, both at home and at school and 2) create networks of community people and organizations.

The foundation of the Family Resource Project is a family support system which includes: the freedom of personal choice and the latitude to identify personal needs; access to a full range of services, programs and support groups; and the need to be responsive, creative, dynamic, innovative, and available to families within their communities. This project provides informational resource centers and workshops on school readiness awareness training, parent-professional partnerships, and communications skills -- all of which provide more opportunities for parents to learn about playing an active role in their children's development.

The specific goals and strategies of the Family Resource Project include:

1. Parent Professional Partnerships
   Partnerships are being created in local communities to increase parent involvement. A key strategy is to create advisory networks which will make decisions about how to go about increasing parent participation, based on local needs, resources, and choices.

2. Family Access to Information
   The project aims to provide families the opportunity to access current information so they can take part in their children's education. Parents will be offered information and workshops on parenting, helping with homework, and communicating with educators, as well as additional topics that they identify. Parent-to-parent support will be facilitated and encouraged through the resource center and local networks.

3. Parent Education
   The Parents as Teachers (PAT) program will be offered. The focus of the program is to teach and support parents of children from birth to three years old. It includes home visits and parent meetings to increase parents' knowledge and confidence in child rearing.

Collaborators:

• Augusta School Department
• Maine School Administrative District

Director:
Christine Snook
Maine Parent Federation, Inc.
P.O. Box 2067
Augusta, ME 04338-2067
Telephone: (207) 582-2504
FAX: (207) 582-3638
Award: $125,000
Affiliation: PAT



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