Kids and Kin announces programming
By Lauren Wester for the FCT
Thanks to Alisha Albright and the Family Guidance Center of Alabama, the first regular meeting of Franklin County’s Kids and Kin Program is right around the corner.
Kids and Kin targets relative caregivers like grandparents, aunts, uncles and older siblings of 19 years and older who provide care for a child younger than 13. The program provides classes, educational workshops, a quarterly newsletter, a network of caregivers and other resources for relative caregivers.
The first four meetings will be held in the Franklin Baptist Association’s Conference Room.
Albright, program coordinator, said a lot of time and care has been put into planning this program. She chose the speakers for each meeting, and the topics were chosen by the FGC of Alabama. Their curriculum specialist selected the topics based on what the participants have shown interest in and the Department of Human Resources’ guidelines.
A focus group that was open to the public chose the location and times they thought would be most convenient for participants in Franklin County.
Every meeting will be from 5-7 p.m. and is free, with no income requirements.
For the first meeting Aug. 10, the topic is “Keeping Children with Disabilities,” and the speaker will be Abright.
The second meeting, Aug. 24, will focus on “Respiratory Syncytial Virus.” Christina Sherer, a graduate of UAB’s nurse practitioner program, will be the speaker.
Sept. 7, the topic will be “Head Banging,” and the speaker will be Elysia Tucker from Southern Wellness Services.
The Sept. 28 meeting will feature Albright talking about “The Five Love Languages of Children.”
Not only are these meetings educational, but participants also have the chance to win prizes. At each session, a children’s book is given away or an educational toy is raffled off. There is also a chance for participants to earn up to $150 worth of items from Lakeshore Learning Magazine through a Volunteer Certification Program.
According to Albright, the community has expressed its excitement for the program. She said she hopes “all those in need of help will attend.”
Franklin County can continue to look forward to two workshops a month from Kids and Kin.
