Group Program for Moms & Kids Experiencing the Effects of
Victims of Domestic Violence
Pamela Vernace Strenning and Linda DeFrancisco
Family Shelter Service
1223 E. Elm St.
Wheaton, IL 60187
p-strenning@sbcglobal.net
The Mom and Kids program at Family Shelter Service has been around for many years. Ithas evolved through various stages and has recently been revised into its current successful form. The group is offered twice a year and is available for both English speaking and Latina families.
The Mom and Kids program is a 10 week group specifically for mothers and their children, ages 0 to 13, who have experienced domestic violence. Each group (except for the youngest children) follows a specific curriculum. Children's groups coordinate topics on the same night while the moms' groups follow a slightly different schedule. Topics covered include expressing feelings, anger management, the cycle of violence, abusive relationships, family dynamics and appropriate communication styles. Two of the sessions include a family project where moms and kids work together to create a family shield and a final project to celebrate graduation. A theme that is highlighted throughout the program is that the children are not alone in their experience of abuse and that the abuse is not their fault.
Every family attends a pre-group interview with a counselor in order to determine if this program would best meet the needs of the family. It also helps determine which group the children will be assigned to. The children's groups are formed loosely by age, but maturity and sibling arrangements are also taken into consideration. There are two mother's groups, one for English speaking moms and one for our Latina moms conducted in Spanish. There are four children's groups. The rainbow group (ages 0 to 3), the yellow group (ages 4 to 6), the green group (ages 7 to 9) and the blue group (ages 10 to 13).
The presentation will include an overview of the curriculum, goals, organization and evolution of the program and practical issues in running the program. Attendee's participation will be encouraged and there will be time allowed for questions and answers through out the workshop.
For additional information on this program you may contact Pamela Vernace Strening at Family Shelter Service, 605 E. Roosevelt Road, Wheaton, IL 60187 or p.strening@sbcglobal.net.
To return to the Table of Contents, click here.