Power of Parents Program to be offered
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HELENA – The Department of Revenue’s Liquor Control Division and the Interagency Coordinating Council on State Prevention Programs have partnered with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to provide the Power of Parents® program in Montana.
Three out of every four kids say their parents are the leading influence on their decisions about drinking – that’s why MADD developed the Power of Parents program to help parents begin an ongoing conversation with their kids about the dangers of underage drinking.
The first train-the-trainer session, offered to current state-certified trainers of the state’s responsible alcohol sales and service training program Let’s Control It, was held on April 9. Additional sessions will be available for interested parties later in the year.
Once certified, trainers can go back to their communities and provide the 25-minute presentation to parents through a variety of different events such as town hall meetings, PTA meetings, and community fairs. The program helps parents understand the problem of underage drinking, how adolescents develop, and the social pressures and moral dilemmas that affect a teenager’s world. The program also helps parents identify what style of parent they are and how to help their teen make good choices and promote a safe community.
“We know that kids who drink are more likely to die in a car crash, flunk school, become an alcoholic later in life and take their own lives through suicide. That’s why this program is so important. We want to help parents prevent these terrible consequences,” said Lisa Scates, alcohol education coordinator for the Department of Revenue.
The implementation of the Power of Parents program was made possible by a grant received from the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association (NABCA).
The ICC is charged with developing, through interagency planning and cooperation, comprehensive and coordinated prevention programs that will strengthen the healthy wellbeing and safety of children, families, individuals, and communities – particularly families that are deemed to be at risk. The ICC is comprised of the following agencies: Attorney General’s Office, Public Health and Human Services, Office of Public Instruction, Montana Children’s Trust Fund, Board of Crime Control, Labor and Industry, Department of Corrections, Department of Revenue, Office of Indian Affairs, Military Affairs, Department of Transportation, Higher Education, and community member Diane Cashell of Bozeman.
For more information, call Lisa Scates at 406-444-4307 or Vicki Turner at 406-444-3484.
