USAID And Grenada’s Ministry Of Social And Community Development Announce Parent Support And Family Systems Strengthening Program

From left to right: Principal Officer Frances Herrera (US Embassy), Minister Delma Thomas (Ministry of Youth and Sports), Permanent Secretary Naomi Jeremiah (Social Development and Gender Affairs), and Y-RIE’s Chief of Party, Phelps Feely, join school children in celebrating the (FSS) Parenting Program launch.

USAID’s Youth Resilience, Inclusion, and  Empowerment (Y-RIE) Program, in partnership with the Ministry of Social and Community Development,  Housing and Gender Affairs, marked a major stride in family welfare enhancement with the launch of the  Family Systems Strengthening (FSS) Parenting Program. Following the signing of a grant agreement in  October, this holistic initiative is set to transform the parenting landscape in Grand Anse and Mt. Horn by  engaging parents and caregivers, providing support, education, guidance, and access to resources to  empower communities and equip them with the tools to create and maintain positive family dynamics,  including mental well-being.

Phelps Feely, Y-RIE’s Chief of Party, shared that “Through 14 weeks of comprehensive support provided  in group sessions and at-home coaching, parents and trained coaches and counsellors will co-create  effective strategies for supporting youth who are facing today’s most critical challenges, as well as learn  how to take care of themselves so they can be the parents and individuals they want to be.”

The launch included representatives from various Ministries, USAID, and the US Embassy in Grenada,  among other guests—most notably Naomi Jeremiah, Permanent Secretary with responsibility for Social  Development and Gender Affairs, Delma Thomas, Minister for Youth and Sports and Member of  Parliament for Mt. Horne, Frances Herrera, Principal Officer at the US Embassy, and Stephanie Mikulasek,  USAID/ESC Programme and Strategy Office Director. Dale Neptune, a community parenting activist,  gave the keynote address.

The FSS Parenting Program paves the way for focused, preventative actions that mitigate the underlying  social challenges, create safer communities in Grenada, and offer support where it is most urgently needed.  The program embodies the strategic vision of the Ministry of Social and Community Development’s  Parenting Education Unit, which works to elevate the overall well-being of families through parental  education and awareness-raising of family-related issues. It is also integral to Y-RIE’s efforts to strengthen  community and family systems, recognizing the essential role of families in cultivating youth resilience.

Up to forty parents of youths aged 10-17—referred by schools, social services, and community  organizations—and parents aged 18-29 with a history of involvement in the justice system will benefit from  the program’s interactive two-fold curriculum between April and September 2024. Recruitment for parents  is ongoing, with the curriculum aiming to cultivate the protective factors of parental resilience, social  connections, and social-emotional skills in the youth of enrolled parents. Youths will receive psychosocial  support to strengthen parent-child relationships. The parental curriculum will include child development,  trauma and trauma-informed parenting, effective communication to encourage open and effective dialogue  within the family, and positive discipline to support healthy social interactions. Specialized counsellors will  also be onboard to provide clinical supervision and individual counselling as part of the program’s mandate  to provide a supportive environment for families.

In a significant step towards this partnership, Y-RIE facilitated a workshop in June 2023 focusing on  positive youth development and trauma-informed care designed for youth practitioners. The workshop  served as a foundation for enhancing the skills and knowledge of those working directly with young people. Collectively, these investments underscore the commitment of USAID and the Government of Grenada to  work together to address critical issues related to youth development and family support.

USAID Y-RIE was formally launched in Grenada in March 2023. Y-RIE is working with government and  non-government partners to strengthen social services that serve youth and their families, improve learning  outcomes for youth, improve youth preparedness for the world-of-work, and strengthen the resilience of  families and communities.

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