Services & Programs

Family & Children
Youth Programs

Family & Children

Click through the red buttons below to read about the different programs available in Clarion County for families with children of all ages. These programs can be brought to you, free of charge, through home visits by our Parent Educators.

Prenatal-Three

Prenatal to Three

All programs are free of charge for residents of Clarion County
and are brought to you through our parent educators.

Special Delivery Baby Basket Program: This program is volunteer-based and provides a basket filled with goodies for parents and babies delivered to the home FREE of charge. This program is currently serving most of Clarion County. If you know of a family expecting or one who has a newborn up to six months old, if you wish to get involved by offering a free product for the basket, or if you want to volunteer in another capacity, please contact our office. If you have access to a printer, you can download and fill out a referral card to have a basket delivered.

Ages and Stages: The first five years of life are the most important in your child's development. As a parent, this tool can help you prepare your child for school. Just full out a questionnaire specific to your child's age and send it to Clarion County's Promise for review. The results will then be sent back to you with suggested activities for your child. For more information, please call Clarion County's Promise and speak to a parent educator.

Home Visits and Parents as Teachers Curriculum: Our parent educators are available for bi-monthly home visits using the Parents as Teachers curriculum, offering free developmental screenings, and referrals. This curriculum includes preparing children for kindergarten and other developmental activities, offering suggestions and answering any questions that parents might have. Click here for the Parents as Teachers website. Home visits are for children from infant to school-aged.

The Happiest Baby on the Block: Half of all new babies cry and fuss more than two hours a day. Dr. Harvey Karp reveals to the world a treasure sought by parents - the calming reflex - the virtual off-switch for most of baby's crying. Dr. Karp, a pediatrician and child development specialist for 25 years, has found there is a remedy for colic.

Learn about:

  • The missing 4th Trimester
  • The Calming Reflex
  • The 5 S's
  • The Cuddle Cure

Lessons provided by Certified Educators Dedicated to Parent/Infant Bonding. Visits can take place in your home at your convenience. Simply call us at 814-223-1950. The opportunity is FREE and available to ALL families through a grant from the PA Children's Trust Fund.

Four to K

Four to K

Parents as Teachers: The Parents as Teachers Born to Learn model consists of four service delivery components: personal visits, group meetings, screenings, and resource networks.

The Incredible Years: The Incredible Years program acts on the belief that a child is the most important of all human beings, and that the ability to withstand emotional and social challenges as a teenager clearly rests upon a caring relationship between parent, teacher, and child.

Early Childhood STEP (Birth to Six): Early Childhood STEP (Systematic Training for Effective Parenting) can help parents meet the challenges of parenting as the program adapts and expands the proven principles and techniques of STEP, while vividly illustrating how they can be applied to babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.

Six to 12

Six to 12

STEP: Ages 6-12: This program goes through a progression of topics - misbehavior, motivation, discipline - and helps parents to gain confidence in their abilities. The Parents' Handbook is written in an easy-to-understand, colorful style with cartoons, charts, and "Points to Remember," as well as questions for discussion.

Teen

Teen

STEP for Teens: STEP For Teens focuses on the building blocks of parenting teenagers: how to handle misbehavior, discouragement, discipline, and the problems that face every parent-teen relationship. This program has been helping parents build close relationships for over 30 years. Topics include everyday problems such as messy rooms, moods, and meals, in additions to today's more complex issues, such as drug use, sex, gangs, and depression.

Active Parenting of Teens: This program can be used on a group or on an individual family basis. It is unique in that it offers both a teen component and a parent component that brings them together in the third component. Parents and teens will learn together through this program, learn common group for conversation and when this is learned, they can solve problems together as well.

Stay Connected with Your Teen: This program focuses on what role the parents and teens each play in problems and solutions within the family. Staying Connected, also known as Parents Who Care, relies on working with the family to solve problems while parents are bonding with their teens to strengthen resiliency.

Family

Family

Family Group Decision Making (FGDM)

What is FGDM?

  • FGDM is a voluntary process that draws on family experiences, knowledge and resources to create plans that provide for the safety and well-being of children.
  • FGDM involves immediate and extended family support people, community members, and service providers.
  • FGDM fosters cooperation, collaboration, and communications between professionals and families.
  • FGDM recognizes that families have the most information about themselves to make well-informed decisions.
  • FGDM is a process that values and respects the ability of families to plan for the care and safety of their children.
  • FGDM provides the family with the decision-making tools needed to use in the future.

The FGDM Process

  1. Referral to hold a family meeting
  2. Preparation and planning for the family meeting (3-4 weeks)
  3. The family meeting
  4. Writing and distributing the plan, delivering services, reviewing and monitoring the decisions
  5. If necessary, a follow-up FGDM meeting

Role of the FGDM Coordinator

  • Meet with family after referral is made to discuss the process and see if the family is interested in proceeding
  • Have family complete a Consent to Release/Exchange Confidential Information form with other agencies
  • Work with the family to determine who they will invite to the meeting
  • Meet with all participants to discuss their role in the meeting
  • Arrange for meeting location at a safe and neutral location
  • Notify all those invited of the meeting location and date
  • Facilitate the family meeting

The Benefits of FGDM

  • Shared Responsibility: Family members and service agencies come together to make important decisions.
  • Strengths are Identified: Service providers and family members identify and discuss the strengths of the family.
  • Concerns and Issues are Discussed: Service agencies discover that family members are often concerned about the same issues.
  • Improved Relationships: Family meetings build trust and expand communication among meeting participants.
  • Identify Resources: Along with identifying resources that are available from agencies and community, family meetings seek to identify the sources within family systems.
  • Family Specific Service Plans: Family meetings provide opportunities to develop service plans that are specific to the needs of the individual's family.

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

This group has been formed to support this growing trend in our society. At the monthly gatherings, a potluck meal is served and a relevant topic is discussed.

WHO: Grandparents raising their grandchildren

WHEN: The second Monday of each month from 5-7 PM

WHERE: Clarion Free Library downstairs meeting room

WHY: To share experiences with others who understand what you're going through

Childcare is provided at each meeting

Please contact our office at 814-223-1590 for more information.

Parent Educators

Clarion County's Promise offers free parent education home visits to any family living within a Clarion County school district regardless of income. These services are free and confidential to families who seek them. 

A parent educator plans, coordinates and offers support to parents or care givers using a researched based instructional curriculum that best fits the family's needs or concerns. Parent education seeks to support respectful, reciprocal interactions between parents and their children. A wide range of parenting techniques are presented in addition to offering many resources for parents. Parent educations have access to numerous community supports and services available in the Clarion County areas that families may need.

Additionally parent educations can offer developmental screens to be sure that a child is on task developmentally. if a child is found to have a developmental delay through these screens, the parent educator can work with the parent meet those needs or refer to an appropriate local agency if needed.

Parent educators service families from prenatal to teen and will work with families to meet at their convenience. Visits typically last an hour with times and location left up to the family and parent educator.

For a list of current programs being offered by Clarion County's Promise parent educators, please click here.

Play Groups

For more than just "play time" play groups offer a safe place to support each other through sharing their ideas and questions about experiences in parenting. Playgroups also help with social developmental growth for children and allow them time to grow and interact with their peers. Playgroups are parent educator facilitated and include a craft or story time, free play, special celebrations and more.

Grandparents and other care givers are more than welcome to bring the children in their care to these playgroups as well!

List Playgroups here

Knox Area: Salem Township Building
Address
Days/Times
Details

Clarion Area: We are partnered with Clarion Free Library and Ms. Jean who hosts this playgroup in the library.
644 Main St, Clarion, PA 16214
Days/Times
This playgroup offers free play with a parent educator facilitator along with story time from Ms. Jean. Parents/Care givers bring their child a snack.

Redbank Area: We are partnered with the Redbank Valley Public Library who hosts this playgroup in the library.
720 Broad St, New Bethlehem, PA 16242
When: Every Tuesday 10:30-12
Details: Free play, craft and related story. Parent educator facilitated, snacks are provided through parent and other donations. Holiday parties and more!