A fully participatory teaching program for parents and their young
children designed to reduce the risk of children having problems
in the adolescent years.
Families and Schools Together (F&ST) is an interactive prevention
strategy, based on extensive research, that holds that parents are
the best deterrence agents for their children. F&ST promotes
the kinds of interactions that have proven to be effective in the
prevention of delinquency, substance abuse and school failure. The
research findings include:
a strong bond between parent and child
parent involvement in the school,
access to a support network
parent involvement in the community.
All of the program activities work to support and enhance each
of these areas.
Eligibility:
Families with a child between the ages of 4 and 9
Areas served:
Mississauga and Brampton
Hours:
The program involves 8 weekly multi-family meetings which are
held at a local school. The collaborative team is made up of a parent
from the school community, school personnel, a volunteer from a
community-based substance abuse agency and a staff person from a
community-based social service agency.
F&ST is followed by a monthly group for "graduates"
called FASTWORKS. Parents assume the leadership role in organizing
FASTWORKS activities, with team members acting in a secondary role,
providing resources where needed or asked for. Through FASTWORKS
parents stay connected with one another, broadening their support
network and extending their involvement into the community.
To learn more about how the program operates, please click here
to view the F&ST
National Website
