To help prevent child abuse and neglect, LFS offers the Parent Education and Support Program (PES). The program teaches parents safe and effective discipline methods, appropriate developmental expectations, and healthy communication practices. These classes preserve and strengthen families, with a focus on building coping techniques and resiliency so parents can safely parent instead of resorting to violence out of frustration or learned negative behaviors. The following classes are provided:

• RETHINK: Anger Management for Parents: LFS offers this class 4 times per year, and the class meets for 4, two hour sessions. Participants receive 8 hours of instruction.
• Nurturing Parenting Program (NP) : LFS offers 8 to 10 14-week classes for parents of children aged birth to 12 years of age. NP participants receive 20 to 28 hours of instruction.
• Nurturing Skills for Teen Parents: LFS offers 1, 5-session class per year through the teen parenting program at Jefferson High School in Greeley at 2 hours per session. 10 hours of instruction is provided.
• Parenting Your Teenager: LFS offers this class 4 times per year, and class meets 2 hours per week for 4 weeks or 8 hours of instruction per participant.
• LFS also offers a variety of NP topic-specific presentations to parents at community centers in Northern Colorado 4 times per year for 2 hours of instruction each time.
• LFS approaches the prevention of child abuse and neglect using parent education classes because past research has demonstrated the effectiveness of parent education classes to promote family wellbeing. The NP curricula used by LFS is evidence-based and all other curricula incorporates  factors that are strong predictors of program effectiveness. 

2020-2021 People Served by Area of Weld County

• Carbon Valley (Berthoud, Dacono, Erie, Firestone, Frederick, Longmont, Mead, Northglenn, Thornton): 9
• County Seat (Evans, Garden City, Greeley): 48
• Outback (Briggsdale, Grover, New Raymer): 2
• Poudre River Corridor (Severance, Windsor): 7
• South County (Brighton, Fort Lupton, Hudson, Keenesburg, Lochbuie): 6
• Thompson River Valley (Johnstown, Milliken): 5
• US-85 Corridor South (Platteville, Gilcrest, LaSalle, Kersey): 13
• US-85 Corridor North (Eaton, Ault, Pierce, Nunn): 1
• Outside Weld County: 22

Find out more about this program:
2019-2020
2021-2022

A mother had a young child in the care of child protection services for almost a full year due to a substance abuse issues and being involved in an unhealthy relationship that led to ongoing domestic violence incidents. She took LFSRM’s Nurturing Parenting course in conjunction with working with one of LFSRM’s visitation supervisors during her court ordered supervised visitations and excelled throughout the program. This mother successfully completed both programs and now has her child back in her care.