Betty Olbar joined Strong Families—part of CYP’s It takes a village to raise a child program—in late 2012 and has been consistently working towards graduating.
‘I joined because it was part of my Child Safety plan’, said Betty. ‘I really want to do all I can to have my grandchildren returned to my care.’
Working with her Parenting Consultant in group and one-on-one sessions, Betty is close to completing the program.
She has attended nine of the ten Strong Families sessions, and is developing her skills in positive parenting techniques to use with her grandchildren.
‘Doing parenting has helped me a lot. It has given me many good ideas on how to have a better relationship with my grandchildren and manage their behaviour’, she said. ‘I would like to keep getting support from the Parenting Consultant, even after I’ve graduated. I will make time to attend any workshops they hold.’
Participation in parenting programs has become a family affair, as Betty’s family now see the change in her and recognise the benefits of increasing their own parenting skills.
And as their skills increase, so does their pride in the children, in one another, and in themselves.
‘My sister thinks it is helpful so she has joined as well’, said Betty. ‘And my daughter has just finished the program. She is very proud of me for working towards getting my grandchildren back into my care.’