W hen Donna Parker's two sons were removed from her care due to
substance abuse, she knew it was time to live a different life. After years of battling her addiction, she had hit rock bottom and found herself serving time in county jail. Parker decided to do something different in her life and successfully completed substance abuse treatment and an anger management class. However, these things alone weren't enough to get her children back in her care.
Parker needed to complete a parenting class, which is how she found herself in Kentucky State University’s Strengthening Kentucky (SKY) Families Program working with Carla Jordan, Fayette County Extension agent in Family and Consumer Sciences. SKY Families is a court-ordered, Department of Community Based Services-approved parenting program that provides instructional information on relevant issues that help divert crisis situations when parenting.
Parker completed the 12-week class and said that the most important things she learned through the program was how to communicate with her children. She has been sober since Aug. 26, 2011, and after completing her goals with the state, her children were returned to her care. Today she is a constant and positive role model in their lives.
important things she learned through the program was how to communicate with her children. She has been sober since Aug. 26, 2011, and after completing her goals with the state, her children were returned to her care. Today she is a constant and positive role model in their lives.
Parker’s story has a happy ending, but hundreds of other families are going through similar issues as a result of the state’s opioid crisis and other issues plaguing the state. Over the past few years, Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky reports that more than 54,000 reports of abuse and neglect occurred across the state. Fayette County alone accounted for nearly 3,500 of those cases. Neglect was cited in 75 percent of all reported cases.
SKY Families uses a strength-based, community partnered approach to facilitate the Nurturing Parenting curriculum, which enhances existing parenting skills. The program focuses on preventing or intervening in familial crisis situations that lead to abuse or neglect. The goal of the SKY Families Parenting Program is to help parents develop effective parenting skills that promote positive health and wellness as well as to learn accountability, responsibility and effective communication skills. Parents also learn to model healthy behaviors, such as anger management and conflict resolution, increase family bonding and non-violent discipline techniques.
Families Parenting Program is to help parents develop effective parenting skills that promote positive health and wellness as well as to learn accountability, responsibility and effective communication skills. Parents also learn to model healthy behaviors, such as anger management and conflict resolution, increase family bonding and non-violent discipline techniques.
During this 12-week program, participants meet once a week and receive a light meal, free childcare, and instructional information in small group settings. Program facilitators like Jordan encourage and engage parents to strengthen their protective factors to enhance the quality of life for families and their communities. SKY Families offers an evidence-based, culturally competent program to aid the family reunification process and helps individuals move toward self-sufficiency.
Over the past two years, Jordan has served more than 100 families in central Kentucky through SKY Families.
Top: Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent Carla Jordan with SKY Families participant Donna Parker. Bottom: Donna Parker is honored at the 2017 Kentucky Small, Limited-Resource, Minority Farmers Conference by Associate Extension Administrator Dr. Johnnie Westbrook and Land Grant Director Dr. Kirk Pomper.