Neighborhood Center for Families
The Neighborhood Center for Families (NCF) is an external component that brings about changing programs for changing needs. NCF encompasses non-profit organizations, government agencies, churches, and civic groups that work together to provide a family-friendly and accessible place to offer services and activities to families in their neighborhood, e.g., counseling, health-related services, and supports families and compliments educational programs. NCF supports families to help them attain the Rosen scholarship.
Family Service Center
In 1994, Harris Rosen and the community established the Family Service Center (FSC), an agency that provides support services for parents, day care providers, and Pre-K teachers. The early childhood specialist from the Two-Three-and Four-Year-Old Program also serves as the Family Service Center Supervisor and is the primary liaison from the elementary school to the community. The specialist holds parent workshops six times in the school year: four for Kindergarten through grade two and two workshops per year for the parents in the Two-Year-Old Program. The physical components of FSC include up-to-date shot records, direct links to services, and vision and hearing checks at the elementary school; FSC provides free glasses to children. Parents are required to attend meetings during the year and attend make-and-take workshops for activities for their children that supplement their learning in the Two-Year-Old Program.
The Family Service Center Administrator maintains the center and provides community and elementary school services:
• Resources for Early Childhood care providers, parents and children
• Coordination of Tangelo Park Elementary School, Neighborhood Center for Families (NCF), and YMCA activities
• Coordination of parenting classes with Elementary School, YMCA, and Tangelo Baptist Church
• Coordination of community health program with a nurse from Health Central
• Workshops for home care program professionals
• Home visits to parents and day care providers
Parent Leadership Training Program
The University of Central Florida developed the Parent Leadership Training (PLT) that a UCF faculty member facilitated initially at the Tangelo Park YMCA. Out of a series of successful parent effectiveness classes grew the Parent Leadership Training Program that maximizes parental involvement in their children’s lives. The purpose of PLT is to assist parents in rediscovering their leadership skills to help their children succeed in school and the community; to train parents to gain a better understanding of school system dynamics in operation; and to become effective leaders. The program, at no cost to the community, serves the parents of the 2-3-4-Year Old Program, Tangelo Elementary, Southwest Middle and Dr. Phillips High School. Training is held at the Tangelo Park YMCA and offers free childcare for students three-years-old+ with meals included for parents and their children.
Parents, school administrators, and community leaders have reported much success regarding parents’ involvement in their children’s education. In addition, data show PLT affects its participants’ lives at the personal, family, school, and community levels. PLT is an internationally recognized program and published in international and state educational journals.
PLT provides parents with the skills to overcome scheduling, cultural and environmental barriers at their child’s school to sensitively, and satisfactorily address their child’s needs. The initial program graduated parent leaders who have subsequently presented the program in the Parramore community, another Central Florida community.
Parents attend a two-hour session, once a week for six weeks. The final session involves a graduation celebration for the parents’ accomplishments. Parents that attend all six session and complete the assignments and activities graduate from the program and receive a certificate of completion.
The training includes:
• Goal setting
• Decision making
• Positive communication
• Parents’ rights & responsibilities
• And more