Parent Institute, a new program in Los Angeles, held its kick-off meeting to introduce the different services offered to parents. Services include support groups, training, Parent Cafés, advisory boards and special events. The first meeting saw attendance of 21 parents and 43 kids who all enrolled in the program.
Attendance grew to 30 parents and over 50 kids during the first group session the following week. Parents participated in Parent Café, a nationally recognized curriculum that promotes structured parent conversations focused on keeping families strong. Kids had a chance to practice their own social skills through board games, a Dr. Seuss hat-making project and free play.
The following night, parents learned the importance of building a literacy rich environment in the home using a variety of strategies including reading, storytelling, talking, using reward systems and being a role model.
Future Parent Institute sessions will include parent/child communication seminars as well as children’s education and literacy with a focus on how to advocate for a child at an IEP meeting. Parents will also be able to participate in support groups and additional Parent Cafés.
Hollygrove is happy to provide this new program to parents and is excited to see attendance grow. The Parent Institute is open to all parents and caregivers in the Los Angeles region and is held every Tuesday and Wednesday.
