History of the Parent Mentoring Program

Parenting is about developing nurturing bonds between parent and child - but parents need nurturing too! Neighbor-to-neighbor, parent-to-parent, we can let parents know that they are part of a community that cares about their families. While most parent mentoring programs focus primarily on "at-risk" families, the Parent Mentoring Program of Project Y.E.S. is a unique, one-of-a-kind program, in that we are helping regular parents to parent regular kids. Project Y.E.S. established the Parent Mentoring Program in 2004 to bring more of the child's ‘system’ into the picture. While the tremendously successful "Big-Brother/Big-Sister Program" focuses exclusively on the needs and perspectives of the child, the Parent Mentoring Program expands the "family system model" by focusing on the needs and perspectives of the parents who are raising the child.

The goal of the Parent Mentoring Program is to help parents integrate tried and tested skills and strategies into their parenting repertoire. Parent Mentoring has both an empathetic component which focuses on listening and encouraging parents; as well as a directive psycho-educational aspect designed to help parents learn more about the art of parenting. The beauty and power of the Parent Mentoring Program is derived from the ongoing relationship parent mentors build with parents while working with them towards the acquisition and integration of parenting skills that parents can call their own. Unlike the many parenting workshops that work on the hope that parents will take some of the ideas home with them, the Parent Mentoring Program works on the belief that the optimal way of ensuring parenting success is to work with parents one-on-one towards parenting skills development.

In short: the Parent Mentoring Program of Project Y.E.S. wishes to increase parent nachus and instill menuchas h'nefesh in the parents we serve.

Become a Project Y.E.S. Parent Mentor today!