Hope4Families Support for Schools
Improving School Effectiveness by Enhancing Parent-Child Relationships
A Research-Based Program
Hope4Families Program provides school administrators with a research-backed approach to address concerning behaviors in elementary-age students, promoting healthier parent-child relationships and a positive school environment.
By offering resources and support to families, the program helps reduce conflicts and stress, fostering a nurturing environment that supports students’ emotional well-being and academic success.
The program emphasizes the importance of positive parenting patterns, which can positively impact children’s behavior, social interactions, and overall school experience, benefiting school administrators in managing student behavior effectively.
Through collaboration and shared parenting principles, the program helps foster healthier family dynamics, promoting open communication and cooperation, which can result in improved student behavior and a more harmonious school atmosphere.
By focusing on creating supportive and nurturing family environments, the program contributes to the overall well-being of students, supporting their personal growth and success in school, which in turn benefits school administrators in managing a positive learning environment.
The Support Program aligns with existing school performance
measures and initiatives in the following ways:
School Improvement Plan (SIP) for family involvement:
- The program emphasizes the importance of family involvement and engagement in a child’s education.
- By providing Parent Handbooks, facilitating parent training sessions, and involving parents in their child’s progress monitoring, the program actively encourages and supports family involvement as outlined in the SIP.
- The program’s focus on personalized interventions and collaborative solutions ensures that parents are active partners in their child’s educational journey, which aligns with the goals of the SIP.
Title 20 and Free and Reduced Lunch family participation:
- The program is designed to be inclusive and accessible to all families, including those who may be eligible for Title 20 or Free and Reduced Lunch programs.
- Efforts are made to ensure that program materials, resources, and interventions are affordable and available to families from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.
- By addressing academic struggles, behavioral challenges, and social-emotional well-being, the program aims to support all students, regardless of their economic circumstances, in meeting their full potential.
Parent Teacher Association/Organization (PTA/PTO) direct service hours:
- The program recognizes the importance of collaboration and partnerships with the PTA/PTO and encourages their active involvement.
- Opportunities are provided for PTA/PTO members to contribute their direct service hours by volunteering in various program activities, such as assisting with workshops, organizing events, or providing support to families.
- The program values the engagement and support of the PTA/PTO, working together to create a supportive network for student success.
- By addressing these existing school performance measures and actively involving stakeholders, this intervention program aims to enhance family involvement, promote equal access to resources, and strengthen the collaboration between the school, families, and community organizations. This alignment contributes to the overall improvement and success of the school community as a whole.
Group-Based Model
How it Works
The Hope4Families Program follows a group-based format, where parents and their school-age children come together for two hours, once a week for six consecutive sessions.
In the Parent’s Group, two concepts or content areas are covered each week. The first segment of the session typically focuses on the parenting role, nurturing children. After a break, parents reconvene in their group to address personal growth issues, nurturing themselves.
Each session is facilitated by trained professionals who guide participants through evidence-based activities, discussions, and interactive exercises.
Community stakeholders are invited to participate as SME facilitators, lay-mentors, and support.
Enhancing communication, fostering positive discipline techniques & promoting healthy relationships within the family.
Program Elements
Skill-Building Activities: Engaging activities, role-plays, and interactive exercises tailored to reinforce the concepts discussed in each session.
Home Practice Assignments: Parents and children are given weekly assignments to practice the skills learned during the program in their daily lives. This is supported by Lay-Mentors who check-in with the family between sessions.
Parent-Child Activities: Occasionally, the program organizes joint activities where parents and children come together to practice the skills learned and strengthen their relationships.
Resource Materials: Participants receive handouts, worksheets, and resources to support continued learning and application of the skills learned in the program.
Meals/Snacks: Another opportunity that is significant to the effectiveness of the program is to eliminate any obstacles to participation. Providing snacks for participants is an easy way to keep participants engaged. This can be provided by the host school or any other community participant organization.
Technology Requirements: Parent Sessions may require a standard internet-enabled laptop and projector to deliver multimedia presentations. With expansion, it may be possible to allow presentations from SMEs to be delivered remotely thereby eliminating a barrier to participation for a community partner.
* It is not the design of the program to allow Parents or Children to participate remotely, as the value of an in-person program based upon personal connection may be lost with remote participation.
Evaluation
The program’s effectiveness is assessed through pre- and post-program evaluations measuring changes in parent-child relationships, communication, discipline strategies, and overall family functioning.
In addition, weekly Reflection Surveys are collected to gather qualitative data from the prior week’s learning. Data may include information about their current life conditions, their childhood, their relationship with their partner, their relationship with their children, how much they already know about parenting, and the beliefs they have about raising children.
Assessment and Evaluation data are gathered using valid and reliable self-report inventories and rating scales, as well as observing parent-child interactions. All the data collection is designed to ensure parents are acquiring the knowledge and skills in developing their nurturing parenting competencies.
Each Session Follows a Structured Outline:
Session 1: Building Strong Foundations
Parents’ Session: Introduction to the program, establishing goals, and understanding the importance of positive parent-child relationships.
Children’s Session: Icebreaker activities, team-building exercises, and promoting self-expression. (S-3)
Session 2: Stress and Anger Management
Parents’ Session: Identifying sources of stress, managing anger effectively, and teaching children stress coping mechanisms.
Children’s Session: Techniques for recognizing and managing stress, expressing emotions constructively, and relaxation exercises. (S-7)
Session 3: Effective Communication
Parents’ Session: Developing effective communication skills, active listening techniques, and expressing emotions in a healthy way.
Children’s Session: Enhancing communication skills through fun activities, role-playing, and fostering empathy. (S-8)
Session 4: Strengthening Family Relationships
Parents’ Session: Strengthening family bonds, creating quality time, and fostering a nurturing and supportive environment.
Children’s Session: Activities promoting family unity, appreciating diversity, and practicing teamwork. (S-9/5)
Session 5: Positive Discipline Strategies
Parents’ Session: Understanding positive discipline techniques, setting boundaries, and managing challenging behaviors.
Children’s Session: Learning about rules, consequences, problem-solving skills, and the importance of self-control. (S-10)
Session 6: Celebrating Success and Future Planning
Parents’ Session: Celebrating progress and accomplishments, reviewing learned skills, and developing future plans for maintaining positive parent-child relationships.
Children’s Session: Reflecting on learned skills, sharing success stories, and setting goals for maintaining healthy relationships.
Proper Guidance and Support Can Lead to Significant Improvements
+ Behavior
- Reduction in disciplinary incidents, such as referrals, suspensions, or expulsions.
- Increase in positive behavior reinforcement or recognition.
- Improvement in self-regulation skills and behavior management.
- Enhanced social skills and positive peer interactions.
+ Attendance and Engagement
- Increase in overall attendance rates and reduction in absenteeism.
- Improvement in punctuality and on-time arrival.
- Increase in participation and engagement in classroom activities and extracurricular programs.
- Decrease in truancy or unexcused absences.
+ Parental Involvement and Satisfaction
- Increase in parental involvement in school activities, such as attending parent-teacher conferences, workshops, or volunteering.
- Positive feedback from parents regarding their satisfaction with the program’s effectiveness and support provided.
- Improvement in parent-teacher communication and collaboration.
- Parental perception of increased confidence and ability to support their child’s educational needs.
+ Academic Performance
- Increase in standardized test scores or performance on subject-specific assessments.
- Improvement in grades or achievement levels in core subjects.
- Progress in meeting grade-level benchmarks or academic milestones.
- Decrease in the number of students scoring below grade level.
+ Social-Emotional Well-being
- Improvement in social-emotional skills, such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship-building, and responsible decision-making.
- Reduction in emotional or behavioral challenges, such as anxiety, stress, or disruptive behaviors.
- Increase in self-esteem, confidence, and overall well-being.
- Enhancement of coping strategies and resilience.
+ Long-Term Success
- High school graduation rates and post-secondary education enrollment.
- Achievement of college or career readiness indicators.
- Persistence in pursuing higher education or vocational training.
- Positive life outcomes, such as employment stability, community engagement, and personal growth.
These measurable outcomes provide a comprehensive framework for assessing the effectiveness and impact of the program, helping stakeholders understand the tangible benefits and positive outcomes resulting from its implementation. Considering potential negative measurable outcomes that could arise from non-intervention helps highlight the importance of implementing intervention programs to address academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs, ultimately fostering positive outcomes for students and their long-term success.
Let’s Get Your Family THRIVING Again! Connect with Us.
Partnership
Accompanying you through your journey so that you are not alone
Empowerment
Guiding families to choose a future of harmony and sustainability
Advocacy
Protecting the rights of families through community action
Compassion
Alleviating the suffering of families in high conflict custody matters
Education
Providing professionals and families with access to valuable resources