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They Do Come With Instructions: Effective Black Parenting Classes

March 9, 2019

March 9, 2019

Children don’t come with instructions but 40 years ago the Center Improvement of Child Caring (CICC), a non-profit organization in Studio City, California seized an opportunity to create a parenting skill-building program for parents of Black children. Essentially, providing parents the instructions they need to be the best parents they can be.

The program also teaches skills that assist you with raising your children to be successful in the United States and does so in a culturally affirming manner. “The major issue is to be very positive with children. Seek out and find ways to acknowledge their growth. You cannot be too positive in relating to them,” said CICC’s founding Director, Dr. Kerby Alvy.

You can go to CICC’s website to learn how to bring these programs to your communities, and professional practitioners can even take classes to become instructors where they can implement the Effective Black Parenting Program at-large. CICC’s Effective Black Parenting Program incorporates Black history and culture into the lessons, including dealing with racism, which makes this program stand out from other general parenting classes. Since the late 1970s, CICC’s effective parenting programs have educated more than one million parents nationwide.

“CICC’s Effective Black Parenting Program incorporates Black history and culture into their lessons, including dealing with racism, which makes this program stand out from other general parenting classes.”

The Effective Black Parenting Program is a course. You sign up for 15 training sessions at three hours each. It is a commitment. In the classes, you will learn about the developmental stages of children, social learning, charting behavior, implementing family rules, and applying appropriate discipline. There are several sessions that teach parenting topics through African proverbs.

    When you enroll in the program, you will receive the Effective Black Parent Handbook, which contains homework assignments for you and your family to complete. Instructors utilize manuals, which contain scripts, guidelines, and charts for teaching each session. A newly revised manual will be published soon and it includes inspirational messages from the former First Lady, Michelle Obama.

    The Effective Black Parenting Program’s website can be accessed at AfricanAmericanParenting.org. On the website you will find the handbook, downloadable materials for parents, program materials, you can also review the original research that went into the program, and join their mailing list to stay informed of upcoming workshops. On the ciccoarenting.org website, you can obtain materials like the Parent Handbook and the Instructor Manual as well. Visit the link and then click on Shop/Books.

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