The Oklahoma City County Health Department’s new Productive Parents program is a solution-focused workplace parenting program for adults with child rearing responsibilities in both small and large businesses. “Being a parent isn’t always easy, and when employees are anxious and stressed out over parenting issues it can be difficult to focus on work. That’s why the Productive Parents program can be such a great benefit to both employees and employers,” explains Robyn Sears, Interim Program Administrator, Child Guidance at the Oklahoma City County Health Department.
“Because so many working parents have little time for attending parenting classes and contacting specialists for advice or encouragement, we want to bring the specialists to them,” explains Sears. “We are starting this program to make child development specialists, speech/language therapists and child psychological clinicians accessible to parents at their places of business.”
Professional child guidance staff meets with parents to answer questions and provide information regarding child development stages and milestones, positive discipline, bedtime routines and more. Referrals can be provided when further evaluation, treatment or additional support services are needed within a family.
For employers, the program offers benefits such as parents/caregivers who are less distracted by parenting worries and better able to focus and be productive; an increase of job satisfaction and loyalty by employees who feel supported and the ability to contribute to healthy families as the building block of a healthy community.
Productive Parents workshops can occur before, during or after work hours and include resources and parenting materials. A fee of $50 per hour, regardless of the number attending, covers the speaker’s time and materials. “We can come for a 30 minute brown bag lunch presentation, schedule consultations on an individual basis to take place during workers’ 15 minute breaks, or come to a specially scheduled meeting to present information requested by employees,” adds Sears.
Interested businesses can contact Child Guidance 405-419-4164 to schedule a personalized Productive Parents program.
