Programs Offered

 (Approved program of the Lancaster County Children and Youth Social Service Agency)

13 sessions, 2 hours per session
A free 26-hour, comprehensive program designed to nurture and support parents and their children (birth to 12 years old).  Parents will learn developmental information, helpful attitudes and basic skills for nurturing themselves and their children in order to promote the healthy development of children. Childcare will be provided during this program. Recommended reading: The Incredible Years, A Trouble-Shooting Guide for Parents of Children Aged 2-8 years old, by Carolyn Webster-Stratton, PhD.

6-8 sessions, 1.5-2 hours per session

Girls Circle is a structured support group for girls in middle school and high school, teaching skills that are designed to increase positive connection, personal and collective strengths, and competence.  When girls voice their ideas and opinions in a safe environment, it strengthens their confidence and self-esteem, and encourages them to express themselves more fully.  It also helps them critically think through their behavior and choices, raises awareness of their options and strengthens their ability to make choices that are consistent with their values, interests, and talents. The Girls Circle aims to counteract social and interpersonal forces that impede girls’ development by promoting an emotionally safe setting and structure within which girls can develop caring relationships.

11 sessions, 2 hours per session

This 11-session program is geared to parents of young children (aged 2-9) on the Autism spectrum or with language delays in order to promote children’s emotional regulation, social competence, language skills, school readiness, and relationships with others.

Topics discussed will include:

• Child-directed narrated play promotes positive relationships
• Pre-academic and persistence coaching promotes language development and school readiness
• Social coaching promotes friendship skills
• Emotion coaching promotes emotional literacy
• Pretend play promotes empathy and social skills
• Promoting children’s self-regulation skills
• Using praise and rewards to motivate children
• Limit setting and behavior management

(A court-approved alternative adjudication program in Lancaster County)

1 session, followed by at-home online course completion.

Parenting Wisely, evidence-based curriculum, provides parents and youth (ages 9/10 and over) with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to build stronger parent/child relationships and to promote regular school attendance. This program is a highly interactive family education online program. Participants will be instructed how to use the online program by a COBYS Family Life Educator. The program may be completed at home or anywhere internet access is available. Computer access and educator assistance are available as needed. There is also a Parenting Wisely Young Child program available for parents of elementary-age children (ages 4-8). This program receives funding by the PA Department of Health through the Lancaster County Drug and Alcohol Commission and the Lancaster County Children & Youth Agency.

Read about one family’s experience with the Parenting Wisely course.

Families will learn to:

• Strengthen family and school bonds;
• Enhance family communication;
• Help children develop responsibility;
• Establish family policies against problem behaviors, including truancy, violence, drug and alcohol use, etc.;
• Develop mutual support.

Seeking Safety is an evidence-based group therapy program that focuses on coping skills in the present moment.

Many people affected by trauma may turn to addictive behaviors to try to manage difficult feelings. Seeking Safety discusses tools to help you manage these symptoms and to cope effectively.

Learn to navigate triggers and successfully build a life of safety, security and wellbeing.  People do not share stories of their traumas, but instead look towards the future and practice new ways to cope, safely.

Topics include: safety, stress and trauma, healing from anger, grounding, when substances control you, recovery thinking, community resources, healthy relationships, and boundaries.

Seeking Safety is an open-enrollment, mixed gender group.  Participants may join the group at any point and receive a certificate after participating in 10 complete sessions.

Trauma is widespread and leaves long-lasting effects.  Trauma can undermine a child’s ability to learn, form relationships, and function appropriately.  This workshop gives an overview of childhood trauma, how trauma changes the brain, and how to recognize signs and symptoms of trauma.  Discuss trauma-sensitive practices and explore “next steps” for your group to effectively respond to children and youth exposed to trauma.

Help your children’s ministry team create a warm, caring environment that children will love coming to each week! This workshop focuses on specific tools your staff can use to provide an environment in which kids feel safe, loved, and stimulated.

This workshop focuses on giving children’s ministry workers the skills to successfully manage classroom behavior while maintaining positive relationships. Information discussed includes building a plan based on the goals of your children’s ministry, preventing problems, meeting emotional needs, and correcting problem behaviors.

This workshop focuses specifically on successfully including children with autism into a church classroom setting. Information includes general characteristics of children with autism, such as communication patterns, social interactions, sensory responses, play patterns, strengths, and abilities. Practical tips are given on creating room arrangement, routines, and rewards that will offer a successful church experience for all involved.

Trauma is widespread and leaves long-lasting effects.  Trauma can undermine a child’s ability to learn, form relationships, and function appropriately.  This workshop gives an overview of childhood trauma, how trauma changes the brain, and how to recognize signs and symptoms of trauma.  Discuss trauma-sensitive practices and explore “next steps” for your group to effectively respond to children and youth exposed to trauma.

This workshop will discuss ways that we as parents can build the self-esteem and confidence of our children.  Participants will learn the connection between self-esteem and helping children make positive choices, using praise, giving children responsibilities, and encouraging children to make decisions that are appropriate for their age.  The hosting agency may choose the target audience: parents of early childhood (ages 4-7), school age (ages 8-12), or preteen/teen (ages 13-18) aged children.

Based on the Book, The 5 Love Languages, by Dr. Gary Chapman, this workshop discusses the ways we can show love to one another using the five love languages: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch.

Learning Through Play will help parents discover the importance of play in children’s lives. The use of play helps children learn skills and strategies in problem solving, cooperation, self-esteem, and attachment. Learn ways to let your child take the lead in play and support them as they learn. Also learn how playing with children encourages their academic, social, and emotional development.

This workshop discusses how to effectively utilize the power of positive reinforcement to change and maintain our children’s behaviors.  Participants practice using praise, encouragement, and social and tangible rewards to change behaviors from negative to positive.  This workshop is for parents of preschool and school age children.