Cape May County Parenting Workshop Held Oct. 19

COURT HOUSE — The first ever Cape May County Parenting Opportunity Partnership was held Oct. 19 from 10 to 3 at the County Special Services School District in Cape May Court House. Approximately fifty parents and 75 children of all ages signed up to attend and hear Keynote speaker Mike Huber address the parents before they went into a series of workshops. Huber, a pastor and licensed counselor called parenting the “most important job in the world.” He brought his expertise and humor to the subject, and also his daughter to share her thoughts about “how he did as a parent.” Huber’s presentation “Trajectory: Parenting as a vehicle to change the future, one life at a time,” was well received.
Following the keynote, parents rotated through the various 20 minute workshops designed to add more focused support to their love and their “job”. Presenters included Pat Rocanella from the Family Success Center on Helpful Parenting Tips, Sandra McGarvey from Bridge Wellness Services on Who’s Stressed?…and How to Manage It?, Julia Sangillo from Lower Township School District on the Importance of Understanding Child Development, Kathy Steiger of Sturdy Bank on Family Budgeting and Making Ends Meet, Mary Allen of Quality Care on Saving with Coupon Clipping, and Mary Lou Rochford / Chanelle White, from Rutgers Cooperative Extension on Keeping your Family Healthy Through Good Nutrition.
The free workshop was open to any and all parents in the county. It was coordinated by the Cape May County Prevention Partnership in its collective effort to strengthen county families and promote child safety, wellness, and school success. In addition to local parents and agency representatives, the workshop also was attended by Commissioner Allison Blake, of the NJ Department of Children and Families who entered into the activities and enjoyed browsing the resource tables with the parents.
As the day’s workshops were wrapping up, door-prizes were distributed. Each prize, a large basket, was created to represent one of the six “Protective Factors” that are lifted up to help all children thrive: Nurturing and Attachment, Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development, Parental Resilience, Social Connections, Concrete Supports for Parents, and Social and Emotional competence of Children. A good time was had by all.