Strengthening Families

Program Highlights

• El Valor families go to Springfield to advocate for “NO CUTS” for disabilities and early childhood program
• Father’s Initiative wins Soccer Cup

El Valor believes that the future of our communities lies within the strength of our families.  We take a relationship driven approach in program delivery.  Relationships are developed with the family and caregivers of the child or individual enrolled in our programs.  The best possible outcomes are achieved through this approach.  

Early Childhood

El Valor believes parent involvement in their child’s early education strengthens their relationship for future success. Ninety percent of El Valor’s staff is culturally and linguistically skilled to build relationships with parent, families and caregivers.  Families are able to identify and communicate with program staff through formal and informal support opportunities, such as home visits twice a year, parent conferences, informal daily communication with teachers/caregivers, monthly parent meetings.

El Valor believes that for a child to have successful outcomes, parents and caregivers must assume their role as the primary educator of their children.  El Valor provides opportunities for parents and caregivers to strengthen their ability to be their child’s first and most important teacher.  Parent strength development and engagement opportunities include:

§  Raising a Thinking Child*

§  Mis Padres, Mis Maestros**

§  Father’s Initiative***

§  Early Literacy Father’s Conference

§  ESL Computer Classes

§  Family Literacy

§  Parent Support Group

§  Child Development

§  Financial Planning

§  Domestic Violence

§  Transition to Kindergarten

§  Prevention of Child Abuse & Neglect

§  Respite Services****

* Raising a Thinking Child stresses the importance of developing critical thinking skills in growing children. This 8-week course for parents complements I Can Problem Solve, the curriculum used in the classroom, where parents learn the same kind of activities the teachers used to raise a creatively thinking child.

**El Valor’s Mis Padres, Mis Maestros Campaign that emphasizes parents as the first teachers of their children. This campaign for children provides an ideal framework for building strong parenting skills. 

***The Father’s Initiative encourages fathers and father figures to participate by tailoring family activities that accommodate father’s work schedule. A variety of programmatic strategies are used to involve fathers in all facets of the program.  For example, to ensure fathers participate from the onset, Social Service staff make every effort to develop the intake assessment and Family Partnership Agreement at a time when the father is able to be an active participant, in home visits, parent conferences and prenatal health education are planned every effort will be made to schedule time when the father can be present.  

****For families who have a child with special needs, El Valor provides Respite and Family Support.  Respite, a program of the Illinois Department of Human Services, provides a trained professional to care for the child while parents and caregivers and opportunity to attend additional family responsibilities.