Parents Raising Safe Kids

The Program Mission

The ACT Parents Raising Safe Kids program is a national research-based initiative designed to educate communities and families to create safe, healthy environments that protect children and youth from violence.

Key components of the program

1. Partnerships with community-based organizations, agencies, coalitions, colleges, hospitals, and churches.
2. Train the trainer model to prepare professionals to disseminate research-based knowledge and skills to adults.
3. Sensitivity to different cultures and backgrounds.
4. Importance of evaluation as a tool to assess the impact of the program on the parents and to guide program improvement as well.

The curriculum

The ACT program research-based curriculum is designed to help families and caregivers from all types of backgrounds raise children without violence by learning:

1. Basic information on child development
2. About risk factors for violence and its consequences
3. Protective factors and skills for effective parenting, such as anger management, peaceful conflict resolution, discipline, and media violence education
4. About participating in the community’s efforts on prevention

Back to top

Settings for the program

ACT can be implemented in diverse settings including childcare centers, family support organizations, hospitals, public libraries, churches, prisons, adult education centers, schools, community agencies, and shelters.

Materials

Materials are available in English and Spanish and include the Facilitator manual, the parent handbook, fact sheets and handouts, brochures, the ACT TV PSA CD, and posters. They can be ordered or downloaded here.

Back to top

ACT Regional Centers

APA created ACT Regional Centers in order to expand and decentralize the ACT program. These Regional Centers are located in selected institutions that have been APA’s partners in the past years for the program replication. Such institutions include large established social service providers, universities, and health or mental health clinics.

The mission of the ACT Regional Centers is region wide and includes the following:

1. Promoting the program in the area through local media and events and working with local organizations and coalitions.
2. Organizing the training of professionals who recruit from organizations in that region
3. Supervising the implementation of the 8-week Parents Raising Safe Kids program in the area
4. Organizing follow-up activities for trained professionals
5. Disseminating the program and the violence prevention messages and materials in the community
6. Creating a variety of opportunities and partnerships to disseminate the program

The ACT Regional Centers are located in Chicago, IL, Toledo, OH, Miami, FL, Pleasant-Hill, CA and Waltham, MA .

Back to top

ACT on the Road Click here for more information