Project Family History : Project Family : Arlington, Virginia

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Project Family History

Origin

Project Family is a cooperative effort of Hispanic community leaders and Arlington County service providers. Project Family which originated with Proyecto Familia in Venezuela, began in Arlington in 1989, when a partnership between Arlington County Department of Human Services (DHS) and LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) Council 4606 was formed to fund and begin the project. The Project Family model was seen as a preventative program with emphasis on good parenting, helping young children reach their full potential, and a means of helping new Latino families acculturate to the Arlington community.

The Project Family Executive Board, composed of Arlington County employees and LULAC members, was instrumental in organizing and providing leadership and quality control to the project. In 1990 a full-time Project Coordinator was chosen and hired, volunteers were recruited and trained to instruct classes, Dr. Beatriz Manrique came to Arlington to train facilitators/instructors.

Dr. Beatriz Manrique, a well known international lecturer, Professor of Developmental Psychology and Personality Psychology at the Central University of Venezuela and at the Metropolitan University of Caracas, and author is one of the creators of the Proyecto Familia parent education model. She gave Project Family permission to use the parent materials she had developed.

mothers in Project Family class Project Family focuses on the whole child and teaches parents specific activities related to daily life that reinforce the child's physical, language, cognitive, and social-emotional development, as well as positive parent-child interaction. It is culturally attuned to the Latino community, with Spanish used to maximize understanding and learning and to increase the comfort level of participating parents. Class activities related to expectations, procedures and safety help families transition into the American culture. In addition Project Family classes provide an opportunity for support and networking.

Classes

From its inception, Project Family classes have been free of charge and open to all with no registration requirements. The original classes in 1990 for parents of infants birth to four months were taught at Fenwick Center, Family Education Center, Woodberry Park and Park Warren. Later four to eight-month olds and pre-natal classes (1991) were added. During that first year Project Family worked with 56 families.

In September 1992 the Executive Board approved extending classes to parents of 8-12 month-old babies. In 1993 Dr. Manrique gave Project Family permission to use and adapt the curriculum for children ages 12-24 months. The Ford Foundation funded the rewriting of five booklets for parents in English/Spanish with adaptations for use in the U.S. Classes were expanded to age two. Weekly Project Family classes were begun at the Bilingual Outreach Centers in Buckingham in 1994 and in Arna Valley in 1997. In 1994 Dr. Fernandez, an obstetrician /gynecologist, began teaching the pre-natal class. Classes began at Arlington Mill Community Center in 1997 and were extended to age five. In 1997 a playgroup class in English was added at Arlington Mill. Project Family started weekly classes in two elementary schools, Barcroft and Key in 2000. A music component was added to classes with musicians through grants from the Levine School of Music and Wolf Trap Baby Steps in 2000.

All classes were originally taught by volunteers, but were gradually replaced with experienced instructors paid on an hourly basis. Instructors not only plan and teach classes, provide needed referrals, but also implement assessment procedures and participate in staff development sessions. At the beginning classes were in Spanish only, bilingual classes were added, and then English.

Partnerships

Project Family has relied on outside funding from the beginning. Over the years, partnerships were formed with the following organizations: the Ford Foundation for curriculum development, PIE (Parent Infant Education) to purchase educational equipment, March of Dimes to fund an outreach worker, Freddie Mac, Arlington Community Foundation grant to finance one instructor, and Arlington Health Foundation grant in partnership with the Child Development Center/Easter Seals to fund instructors, the Levine School of Music, and Wolf Trap's Baby Steps funding of musicians.

Publications

Project Family publications include parent modules in Spanish and in an English/Spanish format, keyed to child's age and developmental level. Manuals and curriculum include Acaba de Nacer tu Hijo, The Second Year of Life series, and The Development of the Young Child.

Awards

Arlington Yarn Crafters Team received the County's Outstanding Volunteer Group Award for 2007.
Project Family was awarded the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition Community Impact Award on May 15, 2003. The Impact Awards acknowledge innovative programs that bring important health messages to individuals and organizations across the communities they serve. Project Family was recognized for its work to enhance parenting skills and promote the development of children in Arlington, Virginia.
Etta Johnson, volunteer curriculum developer and instructor for Project Family, received the "Arlington Community Hero" award, 2002
Project Family Team, Dr. Miguel Fernandez, Etta Johnson and Maria Isabel Hoyt, received the "Outstanding Volunteer Award" from Arlington County, 2000
Gloria Starr, Project Family Coordinator, received an Overall Excellence Award by Arlington County's Department of Human Services, 1997
Ingrid Anderson. Project Family volunteer instructor, received an "Outstanding Volunteer of the Year" award from Arlington county, 1996
Gloria Starr, Project Family Coordinator, received a "Special Project Award" by Arlington County's Department of Human Services, 1996
Project Family received honorable mention in "Community Solutions for Education," national awards program of the Coalition on Educational Initiatives, 1995
Emma Violand-Sanchez, the president of LULAC Council 4606. was selected as one of the "Notable Women of Arlington," 1993
Project Family "Volunteer of the Year Award," 1992
National Association of Counties "Achievement Award," 1991
Maria Lyda, Project Family Coordinator received "Outstanding Work on a Special Project Award", Department of Human Services, 1990