Independent Living Program - Florida's Center for Child Welfare

Pregnancy Guidebook Supplement, Parenting Infants Guidebook Supplement, Parenting Young Children GuidebookSupplementIn response to a need for education on prenatal care and positive parenting expressed by many social workers, teachers, youth, andparents, Casey Family Programs with Dr. Kimberly Nollan (Momentum Partners Consulting) and Ray Hoskins (SuccessTechnologies) created the Guidebook Supplements for the areas of Pregnancy, Parenting Infants and Parenting Young Children. Theyare based on and companions to the Casey Life Skills Assessment Supplements of Pregnancy, Parenting Infants, and Parenting YoungChildren Supplements. The assessment supplements were created by Casey and Frances Elbert (Teen Parent Coordinator, State ofIllinois). As co-creator of these supplements, Ms. Elbert drew on her practice wisdom and experience gained from 25 years of workwith youth in transition, and helping them deal with issues surrounding pregnancy and parenting. They are appropriate for allprospective, new and other parents.These Guidebook Supplements closely mirror the Assessment Supplements which underwent extensive reviews by national experts inthe fields of nursing, pediatrics, obstetrics, mental health, social work, cross-cultural issues, and child development. In addition, youthand alumni of foster care were included as reviewers of the supplements.Several assumptions and values guided the creation of the Learning Goals and Expectations in the Pregnancy, Parenting Infants, andParenting Young Children Guidebook Supplements. First, Casey desires that parents acquire certain parenting skills from thesesupplements, without imposing a particular parenting style. Effort was made to offer several approaches to parenting and discipline.Second, Casey believes that children need discipline to help them attain maturity. However, corporal punishment is never appropriateor acceptable. Children in out-of-home care are an especially vulnerable group. Their life experiences are often different from those ofchildren who have always known parental love, understanding, and consistency. Children in out-of-home care have experiencedLife Skills Guidebook 14©2004 by Casey Family Programs.