Baton
Rouge, La - The Southern University Ag Center has received funding to replicate
the 4-H LIFE Continuation-Only project, engaging 50 youth, the incarcerated
parent, and the caregiver at both the St. Landry and East Baton Rouge Parish
Prisons. The National 4-H Council has issued a letter of intent to award
a grant in the amount of $71,425.28 under the 4-H National Mentoring Program –
OJJDP Award 2013-JU-FX-0022 – to Southern University. The Office of Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) funds the 4-H Living Interactive
Family Education (4-HLIFE) through the National 4-H Council. Subsequently, the Council
provides a request for application to qualified candidates to apply for the
funds. There is stiff completion for the grants since applicants include Tech
Wizards, 4-H Youth and Families with Promise – 4H YFP, and 4H LIFE. The SU Ag
Center has been a sub-awardee to 4-H Council for four years.
The
program is set up to replicate Missouri’s program that has been operating
successfully over the past 14 years. The
SU Ag Center has been conducting the 4-H LIFE program in East Baton Rouge and
St. Landry Parishes since 2010. Over the past three years, Louisiana’s 4-H LIFE
Project has reached more than 800 individuals, including youth (ages 8-17),
inmates, and caregivers. Beginning February 2014, the age range for
qualifying youth participation will be 5-17 years old.
“The
impact is definitely positive on inmates and family members,” said Tiffany
Franklin, Principal Investigator.
The
purpose of the 4-H LIFE program is to enhance familial relationships between
incarcerated parents, their children, and caregivers. The program targets
youth ages 5 to 17 and seeks to reinforce critical elements that inmates,
children, and caregivers encounter during the parent’s incarceration. The
program intends to continue to use best practices to increase familial
relationships during visits, increase participation in family activities, and
inspire parents to regain control of the relationship as an authoritative
person in their child’s life even though they are incarcerated.
In
the coming year, the SU Ag Center will replicate the 4-H LIFE Continuation-Only
project, engaging 50 youth, the incarcerated parent, and the caregiver at both
the St. Landry and East Baton Rouge Parish Prisons. Each site will begin
using the Nurturing Parenting Programs by Dr. Stephen J. Bavolek, who is recognized
nationally in the fields of child abuse and neglect treatment and prevention,
and parenting education. He is also the principal author of the
Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory, which is designed to assess high risk
parenting attitudes. The evidenced-based curriculum’s engaging lessons
and activities are ideal and will encourage positive interactions between the
children, inmates, and caregivers. The 4-H LIFE team has been trained to
implement all parts of the aforementioned curriculum.
The
program is directed by Tiffany Franklin, Principal Investigator and Milissia
John-Baptiste, Program Assistant. The program staff is scheduled to attend the
annual mandatory training January 6-9, 2014.
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Contact:
Bridget
Udoh
(225)
771-5714
