Purpose

Community Action Partnership of Mid-Nebraska created several parenting programs aimed toward preventing abuse and strengthening families.

Description

Community Action Partnership of Mid-Nebraska offers the CARE Program (Child Abuse Resource Education), which involves parenting workshops, interactive classroom presentations and public education aimed at preventing child abuse and neglect.

CARE includes:

• Happy Bear Presentations - Personal safety program for early elementary aged children.  Happy Bear teaches kids about bullying, good touch/bad touch, drug and alcohol prevention and stranger danger.
• Becoming a Love and Logic Parent workshops
• Cooperative Parenting and Divorce workshops

Each curriculum equips parents to respond effectively and safely in high stress environments, reducing the risk of negative interactions with their children.   Personal safety programs are available for children of all ages.  These interactive programs educate children about appropriate touch, stranger safety, bullying prevention, and self care issues involved with unsupervised periods of time.

CARE is the contact and chair for the Kearney Area Child Abuse Prevention Council.  The council is active throughout the year and especially during April, Child Abuse Prevention Month.  Specific focus is on Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS).  CARE partners with other agencies and organizations by participating in conferences and sponsoring speakers who have personal experience with SBS.  CARE is largely funded by the United Way.

CARE is staffed by a Program Coordinator.

Outcomes

536 people completed parenting classes in 2008.