By Sara Castañeda, Family Services Manager |

Parents and primary caregivers are a child’s first and most important teachers, which is why supporting the family of each child in our program is so important. One of the ways we do this is by offering a variety of Parenting Education opportunities, as well as connections to additional resources and trainings throughout the county.

All parents and caregivers in our program can attend any parenting class at our centers (not just the center where their child is enrolled). Every class is offered at no cost to families. The classes include a family meal and childcare so the parents can focus on learning. Parents who take the full curriculum of classes will have the tools to navigate the challenges of parenting and supporting a family successfully.

The Classes are offered in both English and Spanish. Find a full list of classes with all the details at this link.

Some popular classes include Cooking Matters, where parents learn how to cook healthy meals on a budget. Participants receive a bag of the groceries with the necessary ingredients to cook at home the recipes they learn in the class each week.

Another popular class is Circle of Security, which is designed to help parents develop new insights into the meaning of childhood behavior and to foster secure and loving bonds that last a lifetime. The classes are intended to be interactive and reflective. Parents who have taken the class share that it has been life-changing. Both Spanish and English classes have 100% attendance.

Two new classes are What to Do When Your Child Gets Sick (WTDWYCGS) and Family Economic Mobility: Taking Charge of Your Future. WTDWYCGS helps parents determine when it’s necessary to take their child to the ER and when home remedies should be sufficient. They get a book with a lot of helpful information, a thermometer, and a spoon for measuring medicine. Family Economic Mobility helps parents learn how to budget and save money. Participants are given tools including a calculator, budgeting journal, envelopes, and a book to help them talk about saving money with kids.

Currently enrolled families are given priority registration. If there are openings in the class, families on the waitlist can enroll, and if there is room, community members can enroll.  Learn more about our Parent Education Classes and for a register today.