Nurturing Parenting Curriculum | Nashville-Davidson County, TN
Nurturing Parenting is a family-centered, trauma-informed parenting curriculum developed by Dr. Stephen J. Bavolek and published by Family Development Resources, Inc. since 1983. It teaches nurturing parenting skills as an alternative to abusive and neglectful parenting practices, for families with children from birth through age 18. Family Development Resources reports that the curriculum is recognized by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) as a proven program for preventing and treating child abuse and neglect, and that it is listed by the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare (CEBC). The Nashville-Davidson County, TN grantee site uses this curriculum to deliver its Positive Parenting programming.
Who might use it
Primary audience: agencies delivering Positive Parenting or family-strengthening programming under Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program (COSSUP) or similar grants, such as the Nashville-Davidson County site. Secondary audience: home visiting programs, family preservation and child welfare staff, and treatment court or reentry programs working with justice-involved parents and their families.
How to use it
Nurturing Parenting is delivered through home-based sessions, group-based sessions, or a combination of both. Materials include parent handbooks in standard and easy-reader formats, available in six languages, facilitator lesson guides for both parents and children, and specialized versions for families of children on the autism spectrum and for teen-focused programming.
Agencies adding or strengthening a positive parenting component can use the Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory (AAPI), the curriculum's built-in assessment tool, to measure parenting attitudes before and after participation. That pre/post structure gives you an outcome measure you can report to funders without building one from scratch. The publisher's site also carries a trainer directory and workshop calendar for locating certified trainers or scheduling staff training, so plan for training time and materials cost in your budget before committing to the model.