This week iWoman speaks to Ms. Miriam Foster, the Programme Manager at the Family Resource Centre, and she tells us what the facility has to offer.

The Family Resource Centre is comprised of the National Parenting Programme, the Young Parenting Programme and the Women’s Resource Centre.

The centre currently has a variety of support programmes including crisis counseling sessions, a legal Befrienders walk-in clinic and telephone hotline. There is also a programme called Owning –Up which takes place in local schools and an Adolescent Parenting Services for parents under 25
years old.

The parenting programme is geared towards helping young moms learn life skills and parenting skills, as well as giving the support and proper information they may need. The programme is held from Monday – Thursday weekly.

Topics include parenting skills, nutrition, exercise and sexual health. The participants are also treated to a weekly guest speaker who will discuss parenting matters and tell them what employers are looking for and how to get and maintain a job.

“We work as their family, providing support where they may not be getting it. We are planting the seed and making them aware.”

“When parents enter the programme we ask them to bring their babies along too because it helps them learn. So when they come here they have to be moms, they have to learn to multi-task.”

The Family Resource Centre still maintains the Honouring Women Month in March and is hoping to expand to provide programmes for men’s issues.

“We will be celebrating the first official international Men’s Day on the 19th November which will have a football tournament as well as an expo on resources for boys and men.” said Ms. Foster.

“We are always looking to make our services more available to everyone who needs them and have recently made our monthly newsletter electronic.”

The Family Skills Programme, where families come together once a week, for 6 weeks, is to learn communication skills, self-esteem, home management, dealing with emotions and feelings and goal settings.

This programme is offered four times per year and follows a setting of dinner and games and for learning experiences.

Ms. Foster touched on the subject of awareness and what more can be done.

“The way people receive information here is quite different. Cayman tends to work by word of mouth.

“The type of clients we have are not very media savvy so we depend on recommendations or suggestions from other people to get the word out.

“Prevention is not everyone’s top priority when it should be.”

Speaking on the topic of volunteers and services, Ms. Foster was happy to share with iNews that they have recently trained a batch of new volunteers to help the centre.

“I have trained 12 new volunteers to help us with various programmes. Their help is invaluable. They help keep the centre functioning.”

Ms. Miriam Foster has big plans for the Family Resource Centre and there is a possibility of a non-crisis parenting hotline being implemented next year.

The Legal Befrienders programme was initiated by the Business and Professional Women’s Club and has been in operation for 9 years. It provides an opportunity for qualified attorneys to assist our community by giving free and confidential legal advice to those who need it most.

The Legal Befrienders walk-in clinic is on Tuesdays from 5pm – 6:30pm and the telephone hotline is on Fridays from 2pm – 5pm at 945-8869.

For more information on the programmes and services offered at the Family Resource Centre, you can stop by their office on the 2nd Floor of the Windjammer Plaza on Walkers road or call 949-0006.

PHOTO: Left to right

Samantha Ewers (intern), Janett Rivers (Child Caregiver), Miriam Foster (Programme Coordiantor), Juneau Barnett (intern), Cindy Blekaitis (Programme Facilitator), Brenda Dawkins (Programme Facilitator)