Family and Parent Support
Safe Sleep ActionAlert
Infants and children one year of age and younger are particularly vulnerable to injury and death when safe sleep practices are not followed. DHS issued the 
ActionAlert - Safe Sleep Education and the Safe Sleep Leave-behind Flyer to inform staff and caregivers about these dangers and how to reduce them.
Family Support Centers
DHS maintains a deep commitment to family support centers as a prevention strategy to nurture, protect and strengthen families. Family support centers are community-based and are governed by participants. They provide parents and neighborhoods with the resources and supports they need to raise healthy and happy children. Of the 33 family support centers in Allegheny County, 27 receive funding from DHS. All of the centers are included in the listing below. While each of the centers serves primarily families with children ages birth to five years and provides a core of services, there are optional services provided as well.
List of Family Support Centers
Map of Family Support Centers in Allegheny County
An interactive map of all the Family Support Centers in Allegheny County. By using the map, users can get directions to any Family Support Centers from any designated location.
Interested Allegheny County residents are urged to contact their nearest Family Support Center for more details about hours of operation and services.
Family Support Centers on HumanServices.net
Core Services
Optional Services
- After school, summer camp, and year-round programs for youth
- Career-readiness training
- Clothing and furniture exchange
- Computer use
- Counseling
- Child care
- Drop-in centers
- Early Head Start and Head Start
- English as a Second Language (ESL)
- Home visits
- Housing assistance
- Literacy programs
- Parenting support groups
- Substance abuse support
- Summer camp
- Teen parenting
- Transportation
- Visiting nurse
- Warm line
First Steps In-Home Visitation
First Steps is a home visitation program for pregnant women and families with children up to five years of age. Services include child development screenings, parenting education, home visits, nutrition counseling, and preventive health care.
First Steps on HumanServices.net
Parenting Classes
Allegheny County Department of Human Services supports a wide array of community- and faith-based programs designed to meet the needs of both parents and children so that families can be strengthened. Family Support Centers, Youth Places, after-school and summer camps in public housing communities, and other programs offered through DHS-contracted providers are designed to enable families to get the help they need before a crisis develops.
Parenting support programs are an important part of the DHS prevention strategy. They are available to families through Family Support Centers and other agencies.
Parenting classes focus on
- Pregnant women who are identified as high-risk
- Parents of infants through pre-schoolers
- Parents referred by child welfare
Parenting classes teach
- Age-appropriate child development
- How to connect with the child through low-stress, meaningful interaction/play
- Anger management
- Healthy forms of discipline vs. punishment
- Communications skills
- Healthy ways to relate to others in the family and outside the family
- Guidelines for preferred ways to supervise children and youth
Parenting classes also teach the parent about
- Self-esteem
- Empathy
- Personal power
- Interpersonal skills
Referrals are often made to help in other areas such as
- Health care (including Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol)
- Housing
- Food and clothing assistance
- Education including GED and English as a Second Language (ESL)
Parents choose to participate because
- Valuable information is provided
- The atmosphere for learning and interaction is supportive and constructive
Important aspects of parenting classes
- Classes are accessible and culturally sensitive.
- Topics for discussion are flexible enough to “meet families where they are.”
- The relationships established through the parenting classes (both in-home and group) are critical in reducing isolation and therefore child abuse and neglect.
- The use of strengths-based practices amplifies a family’s positive aspects to counter other seriously harmful issues.
- When combined with in-home visits, serious issues can be identified much sooner than would otherwise be possible.
Outcomes
Depending on the program, 60 – 90 percent of participating parents show improved self-awareness and more appropriate expectations of their children.
There are several models used throughout the DHS provider community. Two are used more frequently than others. All are selected according to the preference of the agency administration.
Models
- Parents as Teachers*
- The Nurturing Parenting Program*
- Values for Life
- Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP)
- Parenting Inside/Out (self design)
- Strengthening Multi-Ethnic Families and Communication
- Homebuilders
- 1,2,3,4
- Positive Discipline
*indicates commonly used programs
Evaluation Tools
- North Carolina Family Assessment
- Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale
- Family Empowerment Scale
- Adolescent-Adult Parenting Inventory
Length of programs
From eight weeks to several months (one to two times per week) depending on the program and needs of the family.
Related Resources
A Parent's Handbook
This handbook is provided to every family as they enter the child welfare system. It details the rights and responsibilities of the parents, court and child welfare system. It also provides an overview of what can be expected when involved with CYF. (Disponible en español, por debajo)
Home Alone – Is your child ready?
Helps parents think about all the factors that are important when deciding if a child is ready to be left home alone. (Disponible en español, por debajo)
Manual para Padres
Este manual se proporciona a cada familia cuando entran en el sistema de bienestar infantil. Este manual se proporciona a cada familia cuando entran en el sistema de bienestar infantil. En él se detallan los derechos y responsabilidades de los padres, los tribunales y sistema de bienestar infantil. También proporciona una visión general de lo que se puede esperar cuando se involucren con CYF.
Solo en casa – ¿Estu listo tu hijo?
Ayuda a los padres pensar en todos los factores que son importantes al decidir si un niño está listo para ser dejado solo en casa.
Back to top