Kids Advocacy Resource Effort

PO BOX 1392
Waynesville, NC 28786
phone: 828-456-8995
fax: 828-456-8905

Ending Child Abuse and Neglect Through Advocacy, Education, and Support.

A message from the Director

At KARE our mission is to end child abuse and neglect through advocacy, education and support. We offer programs that strengthen families by providing resources and tools parents and relative caregivers need in raising their children. We offer specific services to families that have experienced abuse situations, and we provide programs that prevent problems before they occur. In short, we meet families where they are.

As part of our effort to reach families, we publish a monthly article on parenting issues in The Mountaineer. Our most recent article can be viewed below. We hope that you will find this information useful and thought provoking. If you would like more information on this topic or have questions about other parenting issues, please contact us @ 456-8995.

Thank you for your interest in KARE.

Yours in service to our children,

Theresa Morgan

For the Love of Family

Written by Marguerite Smith
Posted: 2008-08-01

Alex Haley once said, "Other things may change us, but we start and end with the family."

A child's special little morning smile, their "I love you so very much" with hugs and kisses, their wondrous curiosity of everything new along with "there are scary monsters in the closet", "please eat your vegetables", "no more television today", attending teacher-parent meetings, or the anxieties of teaching a teenager to drive ... are a few of the pleasures and challenges that parents experience every day. Sometimes though, life's circumstances and the love of a child create the need for a Grandparent, Aunt and Uncle or possibly a close friend to take on the primary role of the parent.
According to GrandFacts publication in North Carolina, there are 135,158 children living in grandparent-headed households (6.9% of all children in the state). There are another 39,043 children living in households headed by other relatives (2.0% of all children in the state). Specifically, out of the 10,829 children in out-of-home placements under the supervision of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Social Services, 2,574 of these children were placed with relatives.
In response to the growing population of Grandparents or Relatives raising children in Haywood County, Kids Advocacy Resource Effort (KARE) is collaborating with The Brookdale Foundation, Jonathan Valley Elementary School, Maggie Valley First Baptist Church, Haywood Community Connections, Region A, Family & Consumer Sciences Cooperative Extension, Department of Social Services, Shady Grove UMC and Healthy Haywood will begin a new Circle of Parents Program that will support this special group of individuals. The new program, Relatives as Parents (RAPP) will be an addition to the three already existing Circle of Parents programs KARE facilitates for Single Parents, Teen/Young Parents, and Parents of Preschoolers.
The North Carolina Circle of Parents Network, sponsored by Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina, uses the principles of mutual self-help, family support, and shared leadership between parents and professionals. The Circle of Parents support groups are formed to provide a place to build a sense of competence and power. The group also helps members build relationships and connect with others who share common experiences, successes and challenges of raising children. This is accomplished in a weekly or a bi-monthly group setting that is co-led by parents and a KARE facilitator.
The Circle of Parents members:

Gain a sense of belonging and relief as they learn that their family dynamics and their child's behavior are more typical than problematic
Become resources to each other inside and outside of the group by sharing coping strategies and parenting skills from parents who have "been there"
Advocate for themselves and other parents as they both give and receive help while recognizing that seeking help is a sign of strength-not a sign of weakness

Circle of Parents Program objectives will:

Help reduce isolation, build self-esteem, and reinforce positive parenting.
Expose participants to other families, letting them know that their child's behavior and their family dynamics are typical and providing reassurance that the challenges a parent or relative as a parent faces are neither unique to their family, nor insurmountable.
Improve communication and problem-solving skills by allowing participants to discuss the frustrations and successes involved in particularly challenging family circumstances.
Promote leadership qualities by giving participants the opportunity to provide help as well as receive it.
Link participants to resources throughout the community and within the group.
Help participants become more competent and confident in parenting roles.

If you would like more information about Circle of Parents Support groups, or any other programs available through KARE please call 456-8995

View Other Articles
2010-02-11 - TEMPER TANTRUMS! WHAT NOW?
2009-06-03 - Parenting- Summer Fun and Safety
2009-05-08 - Parenting-Back to the Basics
2009-04-13 - What you need to know about Child Abuse and Neglect
2009-03-17 - Basics of Parent Communications
2009-02-02 - Catch your Children being Good!
2009-01-13 - Fantasic Parenting
2008-12-04 - To Love and be Loved
2008-11-11 - Parenting through the Holidays
2008-10-03 - Teens- Love and limits
2008-09-04 - Labor of Love
2008-08-01 - For the Love of Family
2008-07-11 - Encouraging Your Child to be Independent
2008-06-11 - Fatherhood-The Never-Ending Story
2008-05-12 - Calling All Nurturers

KARE is proud to partner with these organizations.

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