By Broadreach Family & Community Services
Mar 08, 2010 Once again, Broadreach Family & Community Services and RSU 20’s 21st Century Community Learning Center grant program are working together to provide the program Guiding Good Choices to parents of 4th to 8th graders, 9 to 14 year olds. Parents who participate will have a chance to win a $25 gift card and if completing all 5 sessions of the program, a chance to win a $100 gift card to reward them for their participation.
Guiding Good Choices has been presented in many communities across the country and research has demonstrated that participating parents experience improved success in keeping their children drug and alcohol free. The program focuses on building family strengths and reducing risk factors that could make substance abuse by youth more likely. Children whose parents have completed the program have shown a 40% reduction in alcohol and marijuana use; a 54% reduction in the progression to use more serious substances; and a 26% increase in the likelihood that non-users will continue to remain drug free. But to be clear, this is a prevention program and not the best choice for parents whose son or daughter is currently using and in need of treatment.
This free five-session program will be offered at two sites and will meet weekly beginning on March 24th at Searsport District Middle School and on March 30th at Troy Howard Middle School. Sessions will begin at 6 pm and end at 8:15. Childcare and food will be provided. All parents are invited to participate, but preference in registration will be given to families whose children are enrolled in RSU 20.
Grant funds from the 21st Century Community Learning Center grant program and the Maine Children’s Trust make it possible to offer this program at no cost to parents. Sessions will be led by Patrick Walsh a parent educator from Broadreach and Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator for Healthy Waldo County. To register or for more information contact Walsh at Broadreach, 338-2200 ext 109 or by e-mail at pwalsh@brmaine.org.
