What We Do

The AVANCE Parent-Child Education Program teaches its participants that their role in their child’s development is very important. Parents are taught that their parental responsibilities go far beyond simply caring for and protecting their children.

Parents are taught that children learn through play and their home must be a safe haven free from violence and abuse. Parents are assisted in creating a cognitively enriching environment in their homes rich in language experiences. Parents are also taught how to provide positive early learning experiences that will foster optimal physical, social, and emotional development that will provide the foundation for success in school and throughout life.

AVANCE participants receive classroom instruction on the clarification of family values to help them understand how moral values and attitudes are transmitted within the family and their respective cultures. This enables them to teach their children about their culture, teach them about appropriate behavior within their family, and help prepare them for the larger roles they will play as adults in our society.

Most AVANCE participants are poor, inexperienced, and uneducated. Many of them were victims of abuse and neglect as children and had inappropriate parental role models when they were growing up. Very often they are living chaotic, socially isolated, stress-filled lives and are either unable or unwilling to play an effective parental role. Our previous experience in working with this population has shown us that most often, the will is there, but the parenting skills are underdeveloped or absent.

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