Families CAN!

Support and services for parents, caregivers, and educators in Sagadahoc County.

Families CAN! uses award-winning, evidence-based programs, providing enrichment opportunities to parents, caregivers, community service providers, and educators about topics affecting families with children from birth through the teen years.

Eligibility

• Enrichment Workshops are open to all parents and caregivers at no cost.
• Families CAN! serves parents, caregivers, community service providers, and educators in Sagadahoc County.
• Professional trainings are available on request at no cost.

Parent & Caregiver Enrichment Workshops

Our enrichment programs are designed to offer parents and other caregivers information, strategies and resources that can help them build a strong foundation for a safe and happy family.

 

To join Families CAN! email list to be notified of upcoming programs and events: https://forms.office.com/r/gnmyMXrcuP

 

Enrolling Now:

Upcoming Events:

 

 3rd Annual Community Baby Shower & Resource Fair

Spring 2025 at Midcoast Maine Community Action

Registration will be required for this event.

For more information, contact Dawn at (207) 442-7963 x230 or email dawn.flagg@mmcacorp.org

For more information about the baby shower, go to our baby shower website: https://bit.ly/3JjxFkq

 

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Parent & Caregiver Enrichment Workshops:

 

1-2-3 Magic: Effective Discipline- 3 session series

This program takes a humorous look at parenting and a serious look at discipline for children aged 2 to 12.  Learn the simple techniques to get your children to STOP whining, arguing, and having tantrums.  Discover effective methods to get your kids to START doing those things you want them to- cleaning up, doing homework, and going to bed.

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Surviving Your Adolescents- 3 session series

Adolescents can be both confusing as well as aggravating to their parents, and Surviving Your Adolescents gives concrete solutions while at the same time recognizing the emotional complications that are involved in parenting teens.

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Active Parenting: First Five Years- 4 session series

This series is designed for parents and caregivers with children from birth to age 5.  Learn about parenting styles and roles, ages and stages of development, discipline techniques that work, how to prevent tantrums, building a strong family bond, and much more.

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Active Parenting: 5-12- 6 session series

Active parenting will give you the skills to achieve a fuller, more satisfying family life, and to help your children achieve greater happiness and success. This workshop is geared toward parents and caregivers with children 5-12 year olds and will show you effective ways to:

• Use positive discipline that works
• Open up lines of communication
• Defuse power struggles with your children
• Build closer relationships through family fun

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Active Parenting: Teens- 6 session series

This series is designed for parents and caregivers with children from 11-16 years old.  Active Parenting: Teens will give you the guidance and support you need to turn the challenges of raising a teenager into opportunities of growth. You’ll learn:

• Methods of respectful discipline
• Skills for clear, honest communication
• Concrete strategies to prevent risky behavior
• How to be encouraging to your children
• Insight into important issues such as teens online, bullying, and depression
• How to handle sensitive issues such as drugs, sexuality, and violence

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Circle of Security Parenting- 8 session series

At times all parents feel lost or without a clue about what our child might need from us. Imagine what it might feel like if you were able to make sense of what your child was really asking from you. The Circle of Security® Parenting™ program is based on decades of research about how secure parent-child relationships can be supported and strengthened.

Circle of Security will help you:

• Understand your child’s emotional world by learning to read emotional needs
• Support your child’s ability to successfully manage emotions
• Enhance the development of your child’s self esteem
• Honor the innate wisdom and desire for your child to be secure

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Nurturing Fathers – 13 session series

This program is for any male identifying parent of a child.  The series focuses on the value of male role models in a child’s life.  We explore topics including the roots of fathering, nurturing children and self, positive discipline methods, managing emotions, resolving conflict, teamwork with a partner, balancing work and fathering, and more.

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Nurturing Parenting – 10 individual topics

This is an open series of 10 enrichment classes.  Attend as many as you want or can.  Increase positive nurturing skills and behaviors to strengthen your family’s communication.  Topics include: ages and stages of development, enhancing brain development, dealing with feelings, developing self-worth, praise and encouragement, communicating with respect, family values and rules, and nurturing discipline techniques.  And the end result- you’ll have more fun together!

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Active Parenting for Blended Families – 3 or 6 session series

Learn how to blend family histories and prevent or stop problem behaviors such as loyalty conflicts and power struggles.  Set boundaries that work for the whole family, improve communication, build new relationships, and teach responsibility and cooperation.

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Cooperative Parenting & Divorce – 8 session series

This program gives divorcing or separating couples strategies to make positive changes that shield their children from parental conflict.  This series guides parents and caregivers through techniques to help children establish long-term relationships with both parents so children living in two different households can thrive.

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Parenting Apart: Positive Co-Parenting – 3 week program

This is a video and discussion-based seminar that provides guidance for a successful journey through separation or divorce for both you and your child. It will help you become aware of how your actions affect your child while providing you with the skills to maintain a child-focused relationship with your co-parent.

You’ll learn five steps to:

• Keep your child out of the middle
• Allow your child to love both parents
• Work on your own recovery
• Develop new communication skills
• Create a positive new relationship as co-parents

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Nurturing Parenting for Families Affected by Substance Use – 17 session series

This parenting enrichment program focuses on the effects of substance use has on the family, parenting style, and the caregiver/child relationship.  This program is open to parents, guardians, partners, extended family members, and any other adult who cares for a child.  Those adults in a parenting role who are working on recovery are especially encouraged to attend.  All are welcome!  You will:

• Explore, discover, and build on family member’s strengths
• Strengthen your connection with your child
• Learn new skills and parenting strategies to create a healthy, confident family

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Nurturing Parenting for Families and Their Children with Special Needs & Health Challenges – 12 session series

Families living with children with special needs and health challenges experience a profoundly personal journey. Each family brings to the experience a unique history, value system, cultural identity, and combination of strengths and challenges.  The Nurturing Parenting Program has been designed to provide families the support they need to successfully navigate the journey of parenting.  Topics include: understanding temperament & attachment, brain development, comfort & calming techniques, the power of play, helping children cope, identifying & meeting your needs, and more.

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Parent Cafe

The Parent Cafe is a physically and emotionally safe spaces where parents and caregivers talk about the challenges and victories of raising a family. Through individual deep self-reflection and peer-to-peer learning, participants explore their strengths, learn about the Protective Factors, and create strategies from their own wisdom and experiences to help strengthen their families.

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Circle of Parents – Ongoing Support Group

This friendly discussion environment is a place where all parents and caregivers are welcome to find support and share stories and lessons learned from parenting.  This group is led by parents and other caregivers.  Anyone in a parenting role can openly discuss the successes and challenges of raising children.

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Free Professional Trainings: (available upon request)

 

Infant Safe Sleep & Period of PURPLE Crying Training – 2 hours

These national initiatives focus on preventing Shaken Baby Syndrome and promoting a safe sleeping environment for infants. Get the most up-to-date information that promotes infant safety, and gain a new way of understanding the normal period of crying during a healthy baby’s first year of life.  Each topic can provide .1 CEU for a small fee.

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Protective Factors for Families – 2 hours

This program supports professionals who provide services to families. Identify ways in which your organization is already supporting the development of protective factors in families, and consider how you can increase capacity to build protective factors. Protective Factors are conditions in families, communities, and organizations that, when present, increase the health and well-being of children and families.  This training can provide .15 CEU for a small fee.

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Mandated Reporter Training – 2 hours

This training is for professionals and volunteers who are Mandated Reporters.  Learn about the laws regarding reporting, signs of abuse and neglect, how to report, and why it is important to do so.  All Mandated Reporters are now required to complete this training, or another type of training approved by the Department of Health and Human Services, once every four years.

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The Front Porch Project – 3-6 hours

The Front Porch Project® training for community members addresses why people do (and don’t) get involved and provides strategies on how to help by stepping in and supporting families. Specifically, this training teaches you to:

• Increase your awareness of importance of prevention in helping to protect children and support families.
• Identify when and how to get involved in situations involving a child.
• Increase your comfort level with stepping in during those situations.
• Identify and develop comfort with a range of parenting approaches.
• Think of possible responses, interventions and problem-solving strategies.

By attending this training, you are joining a community of Mainers committed to help prevent future tragedies from occurring to any more of our children. The training is free, available online and available to anyone in the state.

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Free School-Based Education:

 

Healthy Relationships Project

This project is made up of three school-based educational programs designed to promote healthy relationships and prevent sexual abuse.  The Healthy Relationships Project utilizes health-focused strategies that match children and youth’s social-emotional level and increase protective factors as communication skills, empathy and knowledge of support systems.

• Care for Kids: Early Childhood Sexual Abuse Prevention (ages 3-8)
• We Care Elementary (grades 3-6)
• SAFE-T: Sexual Abuse Prevention (grades 7-8)

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Families CAN! is supported by the Maine Children’s Trust,

a statewide nonprofit organization whose mission is to prevent child abuse and neglect.