Unique school-based parenting program targets child abuse prevention

June 21, 2011 - PRLog -- MILWAUKEE, WI - Launched in Missouri schools in early 2011, Changing Our Parenting Experience, or COPE, is a practical, effective parenting skills program. The COPE24 Parenting Skills Program is playing a key role in educating young people about the stresses of parenting and ways to notice and prevent child abuse. COPE has already positively impacted the more than 13,000 high school students who have already participated in the two-week program. Other target groups include community youth centers, foster care agencies, churches, and parent-teacher organizations (PTOs).

"I felt compelled to put this program together to help kids in middle schools and high schools, as well as community organizations, church groups, and others, understand that parenting is very stressful and it’s very easy to slip into neglectful abusive parenting" says COPE24 founder, Rene Howitt, also author of "Whose Best Interest? A Fight to Save Two American Kids."

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Every year in the United States, nearly 500,000 children end up in foster care due to neglect and abuse, mostly at the hands of their own parents. The annual Child Maltreatment report issued by the US Department of Health and Human Sources Children's Bureau states that in 2009, almost 2,000 children died from abuse, neglect, or single impulsive incidents, such as shaking an infant or suffocation. Infants and toddlers are most vulnerable to maltreatment. One-third of the 2009 child victims reported were younger than 4 years old, and one-fifth of them were between the ages of 4 and 7.  

“Parenting infants, babies, and toddlers can be a very frustrating experience. Babies can only cry to communicate their needs and it takes time to figure out what they want,” added Howitt.

http://www.cope24.com/SpeakerSeries.html

Since 2008, Howitt has been traveling extensively throughout Missouri and the Midwest, speaking to groups of educators, and in 2010, established COPE24 as a non-profit organization. She feels that the more preparation young people receive about parenting, the less likely they will be to start their own families at a young age. "We also want to help kids and adults understand that drugs and alcohol play a significant role in child abuse, and that learning good parenting skills can really help down the line."

The Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003 defines child abuse and neglect as, at a minimum, "Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or exploitation; or an act or failure to act, which presents an imminent risk of serious harm."
In many cases, teachers are the ones to spot potential physical abuse, neglect, psychological mal-treatment, or sexual abuse, and are a primary source of professional reporting to child welfare agencies.  

"My students had lots of questions after going through this two-week program, one scenario a day. The compelling dialogue and videos really help kids 'get it'," according to one Missouri high school teacher who participated in the pilot program.  

Published by MavenMark Books, a division of HenschelHAUS Publishing Inc. of Milwaukee, WI, http://www.henschelHAUSbooks.com, the COPE24 program consists of a professionally produced DVD with ten parenting scenarios, including shaken baby, co-sleeping, bedtime challenges, potty training, tantrums, homework, negative parenting, and sexual abuse. Each of the ten videos was created by actors with a reality-based theme to effectively connect with today’s youth. The instructor's manual, written and vetted by experts in their fields, includes detailed support materials and exercises to bring the messages home.

The COPE24 Parenting Skills program is discounted through August 31, 2011 to get as many COPE24 programs into schools nationwide before the 2011 fall semester and help lessen the strain on school budgets (purchase orders accepted). For order details for both the COPE24 program and "Whose Best Interest: The Fight to Save Two American Kids," please visit http://www.COPE24.com or http://www.HenschelHAUSbooks.com.  

COPE24, a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational and charitable organization based in St. Louis, MO, is also exploring grants and funding to provide communities, hospitals, child advocacy groups, and churches with the program. Ms. Howitt is also available to speak to organizations concerned about the health and welfare of our youth. For details, Please visit http://www.COPE24.com.

HenschelHAUS Publishing is a full-service book publisher specializing in positive non-fiction that uplifts, educates, and fosters self-development.