SBCC developed the Connected Parents Strong Families (CPSF) peer support groups as a strategy to increase engagement, support ongoing relationship-building, and promote child-focused community building among parents who participate in NACs, Preschool Without Walls, and other SBCC programs. In Fall of 2013 SBCC began a pilot to create a CPSF group that would be facilitated by rotating teams of NAC members from the local community.
SBCC put out a request for applications to all NAC members in Hawthorne and Lennox. 15 applications were submitted along with professional resumes. (For many NAC members this was their first experience creating a resume). In addition to the applications and resumes, a panel consisting of one organizer, two NAC members and one SBCC staff person not from Community Organizing was created to interview all the applicants. The panel interviews were a great skills development opportunity for those being interviewed as well as those doing the interviews.
The panel selected 10 of the 15 applicants to be on the five teams of two facilitators. After an orientation, the new facilitators have embarked on three months of training covering facilitation, time management & organization, Asset Based Community Development, the CPSF model, writing reports and other paperwork related to the job, as well as topics including parenting and self care. After their extensive training each team will be prepared to facilitate 10 weeks of the new support group which will begin on 1/22/14 in Hawthorne.
The purpose of this pilot is to provide quality peer support for strong parenting and to increase the capacity of the CPSF program. In addition, it is a skills development and economic development opportunity for NAC members who already have a great deal of experience working on projects in their communities. Each NAC member facilitator will receive the above mentioned Trainings (with a certificate of completion), professional supervision while facilitating the support group, a certificate of complete for their 10-weeks of facilitation and a stipend for their work.