Parent Support Program

The Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program (Byrne Discretionary Program) helps local communities improve the capacity of local justice systems and provides for national support efforts. This project is authorized and funded through a line item in the FY 08 Congressional Budget. Funds should be used for purposes recommended by Congress.

The Mujeres Latinas en Accion will provide support and education to Spanish-speaking parents in the greater Chicago metropolitan area facing gang and domestic violence. They will provide culturally-relevant services in Spanish to immigrants whose children are facing issues the parents may not be aware of or know how to deal with. The Mujeres Latinas en Accion will provide a support group for a population that may feel isolated and out-of-place, and referral services to link them to community resources and public benefits. Their Parent Support component will provide parenting skills classes and short-term individual counseling based on the needs of the family. Topics covered in the curriculum include parental responsibilities and limitations, communication and active listening skills, child and adolescent development, discipline techniques, child sexual abuse, HIV and sexually transmitted diseases, gang awareness and prevention, domestic violence and its impact on children, dealing with anger and stress, the impact of parental substance abuse on children, talking to children about drugs, and how to help children stay in school and achieve academically. Their Project Sanctuary component will provide a safe environment for supervised court-mandated visits for non-custodial parents. The effectiveness of the program will be measured through pre- and post-questionnaires to evaluate the group process, whether the program met the needs of participants, what the parents learned, and suggestions for improvement.

NCA/NCF