Benton-Iowa Decat is announcing that a new program will begin serving families in Benton and Iowa Counties starting October 1, 2015.  This In-Home Nurturing Parent Program will allow trained in-home family counselors to focus on using a parenting curriculum developed by Dr. Stephen J. Bavolek which has a proven record of preventing and treating child abuse and neglect. 

The funds are made available through Community Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP), which funds programs designed to prevent child abuse.  This year funds were awarded to Families, Inc. to serve families with children age birth-17 in Benton County and Iowa County.   Referrals will come from schools, DHS, hospitals, doctors offices, churches, therapists and individual requests.  Once referred, a family counselor will immediately set up appointments with the family to provide this parenting program in the home.

The families will participate in ten sessions to complete the program and they will be tailored to fit the needs of each family.  The sessions will be offered weekly in the home, averaging 90 minutes per session.  Lessons will includes topics on:  understanding feelings; alternatives to spanking; communicating with respect; building self-worth in children; praising children and their behavior; ages and stages of growth; philosophy and practices of nurturing parenting; learning positive ways to deal with stress and anger; understating and developing family morals, values and rules; and ways to enhance positive brain development in children and teens.  For more information on the program contact Joyce Johnson or Kerri Collins at Families Inc. at 319/643-2532. 

Benton-Iowa Decat offers services to families throughout Benton and Iowa County with children ages 0-18.  Decat utilizes child welfare and juvenile justice funding to support at-risk children and their families.  For more information on the Benton-Iowa Decat or the other service resources available in each county, contact Erin Monaghan or Heidi Schminke at bentoniowadecat@gmail.com.