TEEN & YOUTH ... PARENTING

In the town of Dover, the Trust is working on the teen and youth issue by identifying and developing collaborative programs aimed at equipping families with more parenting skills. The goal is to encourage mutual cooperation and communication between parents and children by fostering a more responsible, self-reliant attitude among children.

"It's no secret that parenting in the 90s is a tough task," says Maggie Fischer, Ed. S., Dover Schools Superintendent and Trust member. "There are several excellent programs currently available in Dover, sush as the Systematic Training for Effective

Parents (STEP) program, that can be expanded through the collaborative efforts of the Trust. If we can enhance the services available to parents, rather than duplicate efforts, it will benefit the kids, the families and the entire community."

The Community Health Trust brought over a dozen organizations from Dover together to submit an application for a grant to fund a bilingual parenting education program for the town. For some, it was the first time they collaborated -instead of competed -on a project.