frc spring newsletter 2016

8/19/2019 FRC Spring Newsletter 2016

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FRC Staff

Kari Stroede | Executive Director

[email protected]

Suezette Baysinger | Admin. Assistant

[email protected]

Melissa Lokken | Parent Educator

[email protected]

Marie Guzman | Parent Educator

[email protected]

Sharon Ivers | Parent Educator

[email protected]

Stephanie Macik | Resource Educator

[email protected]

Board of Directors

President Melanie Koehler | PeoplesBank Midwest

Vice President Katy LoRusso | Create AWorld Preschool

Treasurer Ann Kaiser | Sacred HeartHospital

Secretary Dr. Jennifer Eddy |

Family Physician

Laura Olson | Bremer Bank

Michelle Vorpahl | Community Member

Brian Nodolf | Attorney-Nodolf Flory, LLP

Christine McCorkle| Charter Bank

Dr. Naghma Husain | Marshfield Clinic

Center Hours | Monday through Thursday 9:00 am - 3:00 pm and Friday 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

Drop In and Play Hours | Monday 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm, Friday 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

Center Closed | March 25, March 28, April 6, May 30

Eau Claire | 4800 Golf Road, Suite 450, Eau Claire, WI 54701 | phone 715.833.1735 | fax 715.833.1215 | email [email protected]

Menomonie | 2602 Hils Court, Menomonie, WI 54751 | phone 715.828.2440 | fax 715.833.1215 | email [email protected]

Kari’s orner

There is a national initiative that has a great ring to it…

”Strengthening Families”

It is coordinated by the Center for the Study of Social Policy and lays a

common sense foundation for ways to build family strengths & support

a family environment that promotes optimal child development. The

Strengthening Families 5 Protective Factors, when well established in afamily, will also reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect.

When you turn to the next several pages of this newsletter, you will find

a column written by each of the Family Resource Center staff that

highlights one of these Protective Factors:

1. Parent Resilience

2. Social Connections

3. Concrete Support in Times of Need

4. Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development

5. Social and Emotional Competence of Children

Also within this newsletter you will find information about our very own

initiatives: Our popular Parent Café in Menomonie and Eau Claire and

our new Baby Café and Milk Depot in Eau Claire!

Stop in and visit the

FRC playroom,sponsored by

Spring 2016


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Parents as Teachers - Home Visiting ProgramServing Eau Claire & Dunn Counties

The Parents as Teachers program is designed to provide guidance and support to families. We come right to

your home and there is NO COST. We can visit weekly, every other week or monthly — a visit lasts about an hour

We provide timely Information on child development, intellectual growth, social development, and motor skills.We offer practical ideas on ways to encourage learning. We support the whole family ~ child & parent.

Would you like a friendly Parent Educator on your team?

Contact us to learn more!

To give your child a great start register today.

(715) 833-1735 | [email protected]

Online referral form at www.frcec.org

Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development

What makes your family strong? Knowledge of parenting and child development builds on your familystrengths and instills within your family an environment that promotes optimal child development.

Having accurate information about raising young children and appropriate expectations for their behavior helpsyou as a parent see your children in a positive light and gives you tools and resources to promote their healthydevelopment.

Children thrive when parents provide not only affection, but also respectful communication and listening, consistent rulesand expectations, and safe opportunities that promote independence. Successful parenting fosters social emotionaldevelopment, helps children prepare and succeed in school, encourages curiosity about the world, and motivates children toachieve.

Oh, yes, parenting is hard work! Parenting is confusing, frustrating, exasperating, and, above all, the most important,wonderful, rewarding job you will ever have! Rest assured information is available when you need it, that is, when it isrelevant to your life and your child.

The Family Resource Center is here to help “Because Children Don’ t Come with Instructions!” Here at the FRC we offer notonly opportunities for play in our open play area and play groups, but free information on all facets of parenting! Stop intothe FRC! Take advantage of our free home visiting program or our parenting classes! Curious about your child’ s development? Ask us about the Ages and Stages Questionnaire! This free tool creates asnapshot for you to celebrate your child’ s milestones and catch delays. Receive feedback on your child’ s development andskills, as well as fun, appropriate activities to do together at home.

Yes, parenting is hard work! We look forward to being an integral part of your team!

Parental Resilience Parenting can be a really tough job. It is an around the clock job commitment that doesn’ t end at 5pm. Thatis why it is really important to take care of your health and well-being, we call these the, “Protective Factors.One of the important protective factors is called, Parental Resilience. Parental Resilience means being bothstrong and flexible, your ability to manage stress, function and bounce back. How you bounce back fromstress plays a big role in how you respond to your children.

Ways to keep stress under control are: * Make time for you – Taking care of yourself makes you a better parent. * Put things into perspective – Close your eyes when the little things take over and think about the good in your life

and how these problems are not important. * Be honest with yourself – Some problems are not small and need to be taken care of right away. Don’ t put big

things off. Moving in the right direction to take care of a problem, is usually less stressful than remaining in an

unhappy situation. * Make a plan – The worst stress comes up when something is unexpected. Plan for what you can with schedulesand routines…organization alleviates stress!

* Breathe and relax- Try yoga, exercise or just taking a walk around the block. * Have Fun – The occasional night out can do wonders for your stress level. Laughing and having fun is good for the

The 5 Protective Factors For Strengthening Families:


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Social Connections Social Connections are not just for the child’ s development but for the adults too. Families whoare isolated are at more of a risk than those who are social. Developing self -confidence andsocial skills are the first steps to expanding your social network. The Family Resource Center hasmany programs that help parents expand and/or create a social network. Our First Connectionsprogram informs new parents what programs we offer in hopes that they will take advantage ofthem and not become isolated. The Parent Café is a social group of parents who come together

to discuss different topics and concerns. Our Play N’ Learns allow parents and children to gain new friendsand develop together. Our Home Visiting program helps those who are more isolated to break their barrierand lean on someone else for advice, support, and interaction.

Benefits of a broad social network: Helps ease the burden of parenting, offers opportunities tohelp others, models positive social interactions, provides support in crisis.

Ways to broaden a social network; Join a play group, access community resources, overcometransportation barriers like carpooling or taking the city bus.

Concrete Supports in Time of Need No one said life was going to be easy, especially the life of being a parent. As a parent we facetrying and difficult times that can cause for a great deal of stress. Things that we tend to face asparents can include help with the day-to-day care of children, help in figuring out how to soothe acrying baby, help getting to the emergency room when something bad happens, help inmanaging one’ s own temper when fatigued or upset. When we are faced with stressful conditionssuch as losing a job, home foreclosure, substance abuse, not being able to feed our family or

trauma, we need to be able to reach out for support to help us make it through the difficult times. At times asking for support can be stressful in itself. It may be because we are embarrassed to ask

for help because it makes us look weak or unable to take care of our own responsibilities. Others may notreach out for help because they do not know where to go for help when it is needed, or may live in acommunity that does not have a lot to offer, or even the worry that stigmas may be attached.

However, let it be known it is okay to ask for help. Asking for help shows that you want to take a

step in the right direction to address any concerns or stresses in your life or the life of your family. According to the Center for the Study of Social Policy: When parents seek help, it should be provided in a manner that does not increase stress. Services

should be coordinated, respectful, caring and strengths-based. Strengths-based practice is grounded in thebelief that is essential to forge a trusting relationship between parents and service providers.

A strengths-based approach helps parents feel valued because they are acknowledged as knowledgeableand competent. They develop a sense of self -confidence and self -efficacy because they have opportunitiesto build their skills, experience success and provide help to others. Thus, access to concrete support in timesof need must be accompanied by a quality of service coordination and delivery that is designed to preserveparents’ dignity and to promote their own family’ s healthy development, resilience and ability to advocatefor and receive needed services and resources.

Social Emotional Competence of Children Relationships are the way babies come to know the world and how they fit in it. They provide thefoundation that is necessary to comfort, protect, encourage, and offer a buffer against stressfultimes. It is through relationships that children develop social emotional wellness, which includesthe ability to form satisfying relationships with others, play, communicate, learn, face challenges,

and experience emotions. In addition, nurturing relationships are crucial for the development oftrust, empathy, compassion and generosity. Social-emotional wellness is often known as infant mentalhealth by early childhood professionals. In a nutshell, it is the developing capacity to experience and

regulate emotions, form secure relationships, and explore and learn. There are a number of ways to helppromote this type of growth with your child. Play with your child and find out why it is important. Help you

children to develop friendships. Talk about how your child is feeling at emotional times. Motivate andpraise your child. Help your child to learn to problem solve, you want your child to make good decisions

when necessary. Manage your child’ s behavior and catch them being good! Teach your child to value andappreciate other. And lastly, help your child to understand anger, a natural emotion that can be expressed

in acceptable ways.


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The Parenting ClassOnline* and in Center

The Parenting Class will cover variousgeneral parenting topics such as:

co-parenting, communication,discipline, routines and dealing with

children’s anger.

Class is offered in center every 2ndWednesday of the month(See Calendar on page 4)

Online Class can be started at anytime!

Cost for class is $10

For more information and to register, call theFamily Resource Center at 715-833-1735.

* To take online you must have an emailaccount to receive and submit assignments toinstructor. Class takes approximately 3 hours

to complete but is divided into 6 lessons. Eachlesson must be approved by the instructorduring normal business hours before new

lessons can be given. Class timeline worksbest in a 5-10 day period at minimum, but can

be self paced to fit individual needs.Approximately 3 hours to complete.

We continue to Grow!

The Family Resource Center is very excited about our newinitiatives!

The Baby Café is a wonderful support group for parents withinfants (0-1). It is a place to come to learn, grow, connectand feel supported. Our first Baby Café will be a 6 weekseries on Tuesdays from 10-11:30 in our Play Area in EauClaire beginning on April 12 (see invitation above). We arelooking for a small group of parents to help us pilot this newinitiative...this first group of parents will receive a thank you

of over $100 in infant related gifts. We are thankful for thesupport of a grant from the Federal Race to the Top fund anda collaboration with Western Dairyland’s Child CarePartnership.

We officially opened a Milk Depot on March 1 in collaborationwith Mother’s Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes. Onceprescreened, parents can donate excess breast milk that willultimately be processed to be used to support vulnerableinfants. As a Milk Depot, we are a collection port for milk onits way to the Milk Bank where it is processed. For moreinformation on this valuable service see:

www.milkbankwgl.org

Friday’s at the FR

Join us every Friday for an hour of fun.

Parent-child activities, parent education and

field trips. See the calendar on page 4 for

details. You can register online or by calling the

Family Resource Center at 715-833-1735


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Eau Claire Spring Play N’ Learn Play Groups

At our Eau Claire office in the Oakwood Mall

A fun, interactive time for you and your child! Experience creative learning activities,

learn about your child’s development and connect with other parents. Play N’ Learn ses-

sions run for 6-7 weeks at a time. You can register by visiting our website or by calling the

center, on or before the registration date.

Spring SessionApril 27th - June 2nd

Wednesdays: 9:00-10:15 am

Wednesday: 10:30 - 11:30 am

Thursdays: 9:00-10:15 am

Thursday: 10:30-11:30 am

Register for Play N’ Learn groupsonline at www.frcec.org or by calling

715-833-1735 starting at 10:00 am on

the following dates.

Please indicate your 1st & 2nd Choice.

Registration Date for Spring Session

Monday April 4th at 10:00am

Spring Wishes

The FRC is in need of thefollowing items...

Toilet Paper

Baby Wipes

Postage Stamps

Clorox Wipes

Garbage Bags - 13 gallon

Napkins

Small Cups - 5 oz.

Paper Plates

Brown, Black, and WhiteConstruction Paper


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La Leche League

Are you breastfeeding or considering it? This

group offers mother -to

-mother support

through a series of monthly meetings based up-on various topics. Evening meetings are at 6:30

pm on the first Monday of the month at theFRC. Daytime meetings are 9:30 am on the third

Monday of the month at Hope MethodistChurch.

La Leche League and the FRC have partnered to provide the “Nursing Nook”- a quiet, peaceful & private space to feed your baby. The NursingNook is now open for use during our daily busi-

ness hours.

First Connections

Because Children Don’t Come With Instructions

Highly-trained staff connect with families in the hospitalto offer educational programming, support,

encouragement, and resources for their most important

job, PARENTING!

Family Resource Center (715) 833-1735 | www.frcec.org

[email protected]

Service Master Restore

715-723-9781

Our thanks for their great workcleaning our

Play Area carpet!

Volunteer Spotlight Meet FRC volunteer, Teri Talmage. Sheloves to watch movies and volunteer at

the Family Resource Center. A kind,hardworking person, Teri has put in over

100 volunteer hours in the past year.We appreciate you, Teri! It takes

caring people like you to make our non-profit successful!


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4800 Golf Road, Suite 450

Eau Claire, WI 54701

Phone: 715-833-1735

Fax: 715-833-1215

E-mail: [email protected]

Facebook: www.facebook.com/frcec

Website: www.frcec.org

US POSTAGE

The mission of the Family Resource Center is to provide programs and servicesthat build on family strengths through prevention, education, support, and collaboration with

other resources in the community. The Family Resource Center is available to all families and children inEau Claire and Dunn Counties.

A special thank you to Sacred

Heart Hospital for funding the

printing of the FRC’s newsletter.

A special thank you for the generous support from our sponsors...

Support was provided by

the Daniel F. and

Margaret J. Brown

Memorial Fund

FRC Website FRC Facebook FRC Pinterest

frc spring newsletter 2016

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