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The Parent Project®

The largest court mandated juvenile diversion program in the country!

The American Bar Association’s Center on Children and the Law

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Parent Project:Designed specifically for parents of adjudicated youth:• Family conflict• Truancy• Drug Use• Runaways• Violent Children• Youth Gangs• Teen Suicidality

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Key Elements of Parent Project’s Success

• Solution-focused / Behavioral approach / Offers concrete, no nonsense answers

• Activity-based instruction• Community collaborative / LE / Schools / Courts &

Probation• Empowers parents • Offers on-going, emotional and practical support

(parents call each other instead of calling you)

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Concrete Answers Example: Runaway Kids

• Call the Police & File Report• Call every parent• Call School• Aggressively Pursue Child• Remove all Clothing/Valuables from Home• Print & Post Missing Flyer• Disconnect, or, GPS child’s cell phone• Check My Space, email, etc.

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Minidoka County, Idaho

• Juvenile court petitions -33%• Juvenile probation drug violations -20%• Total # of kids on probation -30%• Number of days in detention -24%• School dropouts fell from 17% to 0• School expulsions plummeted from 72 to 0• (Parents in the class stopped calling their child’s JPO

for help!)

Source: OJJDP’s Journal “Juvenile Justice”, 2004

In three years:

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Do Parents Care?

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How do parents of strong-willed or out-of-control

children feel?• Overwhelmed

• Guilty

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Parents of high-risk kids are often burnt out. . . but they still love their kids.

You are the key to getting your parents out!

The Point!

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No Surprise

• Handing a flyer to parents will not get them out.

• Parents of high-risk kids need a personal invitation from YOU.

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Think back to the way parents of high-risk children “feel”. If you were one of these parents, what would you want to hear? What words would motivate you to

come to a Parent Project class?

Hint: Your parents are looking for a life-changing experience. Not another program.

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Don’t be afraid to push . . .• “Your child needs you now more than ever.”• “This program will help keep your child out of our

system.” • “You called me for help. Here it is.”• “This class is only 24 hours long. Are you saying your

child is not worth one day of your time?”

What else could you say / do to encourage your parents to attend?

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Open Forum

•Questions

• Finding classes

• More information