ACT—Adults and Children Together—Raising Safe Kids

We are a program of the American Psychological Association and it's Public Interest Directorate. This blog is for parent group facilitators to share their ideas and experiences in working with the ACT Raising Safe Kids Program. It is a place to post information, ask questions, share research findings, offer suggestions as well as dialog with other ACT Certified Parent Group Leaders.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Hello from Western MA

Thanks Howie, Amanda, Karen & Sylvia for developing this Northeast ACT blog. What a great idea!

We are currently more than half-way through a Parents Raising Safe Kids group. We have 8 consistent participants, including two couples. The group meets weekly in an empty classroom here at the early childhood program. Childcare is held in a separate part of the room, with two paraprofessionals from our program. This is the first time we have held childcare in the same room and have actually found it to be beneficial. There are several very young children who are able to separate to play as long as parents are in sight, but wouldn't have separated if childcare was in a different room.

This has been a wonderful group. The parents have really bonded as a group and attendance has been excellent. They have been very receptive to the ACT materials.

Keep up the good word everyone, and I look forward to reading the blog regularly!

Mary Huth
Westfield Public Schools
Westfieldl, MA


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1 comment:

  1. Howie BakerApril 17, 2009 at 11:09 AM

    Mary,
    Your suggestions for running parent groups with childcare makes lots of sense. Does the noise from the children playing affect discussion? Is there any problem for the children if what parents talk about is confidential?
    I think we should make a list of tips for successful parent groups and have it posted on the site. Have you created one already or do you know if one exists?

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