Free parenting courses offered
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News from the Sunburst Community Service Foundation
LAKE COUNTY — The Sunburst Community Service Foundation, a nonprofit organization providing a range of services and classes in eight communities in western Montana, recently received a grant from the Montana Children’s Trust Fund that will allow six of the Sunburst sites to offer courses for parents.
The courses are based on the Circle of Security®, an early intervention program designed to enhance attachment security between parents and children.
Sunburst staff, certified trainers in the Circle of Security® program, will offer the free eight-week course, “Connecting with Your Kids,” in Polson and St. Ignatius, as well as four other communities outside of Lake County.
Although the course is free, registration is required as class size will be kept to a maximum of 10 students per site. Childcare will be available. Students who successfully complete the course will receive a Circle of Security Certificate.
The developers of the program report that “decades of university-based research have confirmed that secure children exhibit increased empathy, greater self-esteem, better relationships with parents and peers, enhanced school readiness, and an increased capacity to handle emotions more effectively.”
Traditionally, staff has worked with families and children through Sunburst’s Family Concepts and Families in Partnership programs. Services were then limited to referred individuals rather than the general public. Now with support from the Montana Children’s Trust Fund, the six Sunburst sites can offer “Connecting with Your Kids” to any interested parent, especially those with babies and toddlers. The course in Polson will begin on March 7 and run eight weeks. For more information or to register, call the Sunburst office at (406) 883-4060 or (406) 396-4577.
