Case Study: Liberty Church

We asked Liberty Church how they have been supporting and equipping families using Care for the Family’s Positive Parenting courses. Their story shares how their team of volunteers were trained and resourced and how the courses have impacted families in their church and community.

Liberty Church values the importance of healthy families and empowering and equipping people with the right tools to help them. Last year we arranged for a team of our volunteers to be trained to become Positive Parenting course facilitators with Care for the Family, so they could deliver courses within our church and community. The Time Out for Parents courses range from ‘early years’ to ‘teenage years’, and there are also more specific courses for dads, parents of children with additional needs and those who want drug awareness. The training days (and the facilitators in particular) were informal yet professional and provided  a great mix of theory and practical sessions, with time for questions and thoughts. They were useful and provided the team with everything they need to deliver the courses.

The resources provided by Care for the Family are exceptional. The facilitator pack has everything planned for you (down to the minute!) and the content is both professional and organised, which enables facilitators to feel confident in delivering the course. The parent handbook is written without jargon and has a good mixture of theory (which is taught in the session) and time and space for reflections and note-taking. This is such a valuable resource, as it’s all in one book which parents can keep and refer back to whenever they need.

We have delivered a selection of courses and have received great feedback from the families who have attended. The courses equip families with practical skills and tools they can use in their homes and in their relationships with their children. The majority of parents who attended the courses have seen and demonstrated that when the tools are tried and used, their relationships have improved. Parents feel more confident in their skills and abilities, knowing they have the tools to deal with parenting issues that may arise. The course also teaches parents some ideas and skills for establishing good routines, boundaries/discipline and traditions, as well as reflecting on their own upbringing and parenting styles and how past experiences can influence the present. The courses have allowed parents to feel safe to share their thoughts and information, which has then allowed the facilitators to identify more specific needs within families and for referrals to be made to organisations who can provide additional support.

It really has made a difference to families. This is what some of the parents who have attended the courses have said:

“It’s really helped me to consider the small things in family life.”

“I’ve learnt loads and have put things into place which have helped family life.”

“We have already seen positive differences to our family.”

“The tools shown have helped bring calm to family life and allowed us as a family to be able to make new family traditions and routines that our children can be a part of.”

“The practical ideas and exercises are so helpful and even a small change is making a big change in our lives.”

We have really enjoyed walking this journey with parents and cannot recommend the courses enough.

Find about more about the course and how you can become a facilitator.