Family Programs

Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) offers a variety of programs that support families in creating and maintaining nurturing environments to raise children. Whether you are a mother or father, through birth, adoption, or foster care, a grandparent, partner, family friend, or an aunt or uncle with parenting responsibilities, you are an important and irreplaceable person in your child’s life.

All CCE parenting and family life workshops and programs are designed to support parents in this important role. Children don’t come with instructions, and there is not one right or simple answer. You define what you need to be a successful parent, as you know your child best. CCE programs can give you ideas and support you in finding your own style and discover how best to relate to your child throughout all stages and ages.

Here is a list of our program offering:

Raising 0 – 12-Year Old Children

Programs offered are research and strength-based, focusing on encouraging children to practice and develop the ability to self-regulate, which leads to greater collaboration and an enjoyable family life.

Discipline is NOT a Dirty Word (for home and for the classroom)

A 4-week series that focuses on seven positive discipline principles. This series can be offered for parents focusing on creating nurturing environments in the home, or for teachers to create a nurturing environment in the classroom.

What you will learn:

• -Different parenting styles and which one style works best for you and your child
• -Why children behave the way they do
• -Effective communication and conflict resolution
• -How to set realistic limits
• -How to support social and emotional development in your child

“I am very grateful that this program was available. It was helpful and a very good experience.” – Parent and program participant in 2017

Raising Tweens and Teens/Children and Youth Ages 10+

The programs offered here are research and strength-based, as well as evidence-based, showing significantly improved outcomes in family relations and reduced risky behaviors in teenagers.

Raising Tweens and Teens – the T/ween-Age Jumble

A 4-week series that explores changing family dynamics during the adolescent years of your child, which will teach you skills that will help enjoy these transitional years. Topics include:

-Who is this stranger?

-Parent-t/ween relationships

-Effective communication

-Talking about sensitive topics, such as dating, sex and drugs

-Keeping t/weens safe and setting limits

-Kids and media

“I plan on incorporating everything I learned. I now approach situations very differently.” – Parent and program participant in 2018

Strengthening Families

A 7-week series for parents and youth aged 10-14 together. In this fun-filled program parents and youth learn about each other through activities that give them insight into each other’s worlds, offer them effective communication strategies that lead to deeper and lasting connection, and practice how to work through problems together.

The content of this program is designed to prevent problems with alcohol and drugs by teaching youth how to resist peer pressure and increase resilience and parents ways to support their teens with love and limits.

“Our relationship has gotten better and we learned different ways to teach our children at home. I learned to be a better parent.” – Parent and program participant in 2017

“There is less yelling and more conversation. My daughter helps out more, argues less and I keep my cool much more often.” – Parent and program participant in 2017

Raising Children of a Relative:

Are you a grandparent, a relative or a friend raising a child? As you’ll learn through our Relatives As Parents Program (RAPP), you are not alone! 

Cornell Cooperative Extension offers a variety of programs, workshops, events and a monthly support group for RAPP families at various sites in Orange County. Please refer to our RAPP brochure for additional details.

Parenting A Second Time Around – PASTA

This award winning 8-session series is designed to support grandparents and relatives on the unexpected parenting journey of being a kinship caregiver. Through interactive exercises, guided group discussions and engaging presentations, this program offers a refresher on effective parenting styles and positive discipline and explores solution-focused communication with your child’s biological parents. This program also includes a presentation on legal issues concerning kinship care, as well as how to be an effective advocate for your child and yourself.

“This PASTA series was a really great experience for me and my granddaughter. I am also very impressed with the RAPP program.” – Grandparent and program participant in 2018

General Workshops on Raising Children and Family Living:

Cornell Cooperative Extension offers a variety of programs for parents and those working with children that can be and often are tailored to specific requests or needs in our community. The content of all workshops is research and strength-based and aims to be interactive and engaging. Most workshops are two-hours long and topics frequently addressed include:

• Raising Children in this Wild New World
• Parenting with Less Stress
• Setting Limits
• Children and Media
• Strategies to Prevent and Address Cyberbullying
• Talking to your Children about Diversity & Inclusion
• Mindfulness for Stress Reduction
• Cooking and Nutrition
• Financial Management

Individual Parenting Consultations:

Cornell Cooperative Extension offers individual parenting consultations for parents who wish to explore ways to strengthen their family lives in more depth. Together with a certified Parenting Educator, you will have a chance to examine your family dynamic and set specific goals for you and your children. During your consultation timeframe, you will be introduced to new skills, plan out how to try them, take them home for practice, and come back to reflect and learn.

The goal for these consultations is to continue your parenting journey with added confidence and additional tools and resources to compliment your skills and knowledge as a parent or caregiver.

You can schedule up to five individual parenting consultations at no cost. Limited availability.

“This was so helpful. My son and I are enjoying a much better relationship, we finally listen to each other.” – Parent of a 12-year old and program participant in 2018

Last updated July 15, 2020