Parenting After Violence Program Update

Compiled by Ben Li

Mothers victimized by violence and abuse can find immediate support from authorities and community organizations, but are often forced to cope alone with the long-term effects to themselves and their children. Parenting After Violence, a new LAPS module written by Sharon Christie and tested in 2004 , is well on its way to setting the new standard for after-violence support and education.

Family Support Coordinator Annette Aubee was one of the first to facilitate the program at the Brigantia Place women's shelter in Camrose, Alberta. "The participants all believed they were being given tools to not only parent more effectively, but to develop some much needed reading and communication skills; all while having fun doing so," says Aubee. "The thing I found most remarkable was how the women opened up during our times together."

Aubee praises the LAPS authors for encouraging participants to develop skills through discussions about their children. She eagerly anticipates a revised module with options that more closely meet women's shelters' needs.

Ann McLean, a LAPS trainer and the coordinator at the Calgary Community Family Literacy Program, hopes the new module will benefit immigrant-serving organizations by reaching out to parents traumatized by violence. "All the programs we offer provide at risk parents the opportunity to take those, often, tentative steps toward life-long learning, and the tools to help them help their children," says McLean.

To determine how the Parenting After Violence module would best serve clients in your community, please contact LAPS co-authors Laureen MacKenzie and Elaine Cairns at (403) 410-1501.

Atlantic Region LAPS Training

Carla Hitchcock

In early March the Fredericton Regional Family Resource Centre hosted a Literacy and Parenting Skills (LAPS) training workshop. This event saw representation from all four of the Atlantic Provinces (despite a nasty snow storm).

The Fredericton Regional Family Resource Centre was extremely pleased that Laureen MacKenzie was able to travel to Fredericton to facilitate this training with her daughter-in-law Jean and granddaughter Cate. The MacKenzies have been members of the Centre for many years and we were very pleased that Laureen was able to take time out of her busy schedule to join us for this training.

LAPS is a program that really incorporates all that we try to offer here at the FRFRC. It allows us to use the resources that we have to offer program content that the participants want and need. It allows us to use past experience to transform the activities provided into ones that will work for our community. The flexibility that it provides is important in our Region; a program that can be adapted to both rural and urban settings as well as in both official languages is necessary. These programs also allow us to reach both ESL and francophone families.

Currently at the FRFRC there are five trained facilitators and plans are in place to begin the first group session with the help of Jean MacKenzie in the spring of 2005, along with additional groups in the fall. We look forward to embarking on this new adventure and can't wait to share our experience with you. We are eager to continue networking with our new LAPS friends!