Strengthening Families Initiative, Parenting Education (Cibola County)

Strengthening Families Initiative, Parenting Education (Cibola County)
Impact Report

Strengthen New Mexico’s families by providing evidence-based parenting education to increase parent-child connectedness, positive discipline practices, and healthy family functioning.
Curriculium areas are Ages and Stages, Domestic Violence Awarness, Stress Management, Anger Management, Finacial Education, Life Skills, Nutrition Education, Food Safety.


In 2011 the Home Economist is conducting the featured parenting classes each Monday at 10:30 a.m. with court referred participants as well as interested parents. These classes are held at the Cibola County Extension Service Office a total of 10 participants graduated this year with 85% knowledge based improvement as stated by the participants documented by program evaluation completed by the participants. In addition a new program class has added an important component with new classes at the Corrections Corporation of America Women’s Prison. Classes are held each Monday at 1:00 p.m. for a 2 hour class. Currently weekly enrollment has been 25 incarcerated women. Total graduates were 25 with 100% participation and knowledge based evaluations. Classes and parenting incarceration curriculum will continue. Population includes 30% White Cacasian, 50% Hispanic,10% Black American, 10% Native American.
The class was implemented from the recommendations of the Cibola County Extension Advisory Committee. Progress towards community

The Cibola County Home Economist has been conducting nurturing parenting education classes for the residents of Cibola County. The program is currently being carried out at The NMSU Cibola County Extension Service Office. The Cibola County parenting programs run for twelve consecutive weeks. Participants must complete all twelve lessons in order to receive a certificate of completion and to be considered a graduate of the Cibola County Nurturing Parenting Program along with 4 consecutive ICAN sessions, Ideas for Cooking and Nutrition. Topics covered include stress management, praising children, building self-worth/anger management, understanding and communicating feelings, developing family morals, values and rules, domestic violence awareness (the cycle of violence), bulling/keeping children drug free, and alternatives to spanking, ICAN classes include the Feeding your family Feeding your Future.
The Cibola County Parenting Program had twenty five participants who completed 12 or more lessons and are considered a graduate of the program. Fifteen participants attended one or more stand alone lessons but did not have the credits needed to be considered a graduate.
After completing the program it is expected that parents have developed the skills needed to communicate more effectively with their family members and have the knowledge to identify signs of DV (domestic violence) within their family members. Parents are given the opportunity to utilize the power of praising children and learn to recognize the positive effects and outcomes that praise and positive discipline has on children. It is expected that 80% of the participants will continue to use positive forms of discipline rather than physical means of discipline due to the knowledge and understanding gained in the program.

J. Wendy Brown has signed on to support Strengthening Families Initiative, Parenting Education within Cibola County.