Shore Area Parents Teens Offered A Free Communication Program

If you and your teenagers are doing more yelling than communicating there's a free program to help. Applications are being accepted for the latest cycle of the Strengthening Families Program in Ocean and Monmouth Counties presented by the Barnabas Health Institute for Prevention next month.

Program Coordinator Alyson Zilai says the program centers around the benefits of the family meal. "We bring families together to share a catered family meal. Parents and children then seperate to learn different skills for the evening. They then reunite to practice the skills."

Zilai says the 14-week Families Strengthening Educational Program is in it's 15th year. She says they offer four cycles in Ocean County and three in Monmouth.

Zilai says the program has a great track record "our data from our program shows that there has been a 75 percent increase in parent-child communication, positive parenting, parental supervision, parental involvement, family resilience, family organization, family cohesion, child social skills, improved grades and a 50% decrease in anti social behaviors and aggression."

She says the Monmouth County program begins Monday, January 30th at the Samaritan Center at the Jersey Shore. The Ocean County program begins Tuesday, January 10th at the Lakewood Middle School and is bilingual.

To register call Alyson Zilai at 732-942-5753.

Space is limited. RSVP by Tuesday, January 3rd.