Eau Claire | 4800 Golf Road, Suite 450, Eau Claire, WI 54701 | phone 715.833.1735 | fax 715.833.

1215 | email frcec@frcec.org

Menomonie | 2602 Hils Court, Menomonie, WI 54751 | phone 715.828.2440 | fax 715.833.1215 | email marie@frcec.org

Spring 2016

FRC Staff

Karis Corner
There is a national initiative that has a great ring to it

Kari Stroede | Executive Director

kari@frcec.org
Suezette Baysinger | Admin. Assistant
frcec@frcec.org
Melissa Lokken | Parent Educator
melissa@frcec.org
Marie Guzman | Parent Educator
marie@frcec.org
Sharon Ivers | Parent Educator
sharon@frcec.org
Stephanie Macik | Resource Educator
stephanie@frcec.org

Strengthening Families
It is coordinated by the Center for the Study of Social Policy and lays a
common sense foundation for ways to build family strengths & support
a family environment that promotes optimal child development. The
Strengthening Families 5 Protective Factors, when well established in a
family, will also reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect.
When you turn to the next several pages of this newsletter, you will find
a column written by each of the Family Resource Center staff that
highlights one of these Protective Factors:
1. Parent Resilience

Board of Directors

2. Social Connections

President Melanie Koehler | Peoples

Bank Midwest

Vice President Katy LoRusso | Create A

World Preschool

3. Concrete Support in Times of Need

4. Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development
5. Social and Emotional Competence of Children

Treasurer Ann Kaiser | Sacred Heart

Hospital

Secretary Dr. Jennifer Eddy |

Family Physician

Laura Olson | Bremer Bank

Also within this newsletter you will find information about our very own
initiatives: Our popular Parent Caf in Menomonie and Eau Claire and
our new Baby Caf and Milk Depot in Eau Claire!

Michelle Vorpahl | Community Member

Brian Nodolf | Attorney-Nodolf Flory, LLP
Christine McCorkle| Charter Bank
Dr. Naghma Husain | Marshfield Clinic

Stop in and visit the

FRC playroom,
sponsored by

Center Hours | Monday through Thursday 9:00 am - 3:00 pm and Friday 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

Drop In and Play Hours | Monday 9:00 am 3:00 pm

Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm, Friday 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Center Closed | March 25, March 28, April 6, May 30

The 5 Protective Factors For Strengthening Families:

Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development
What makes your family strong? Knowledge of parenting and child development builds on your family
strengths and instills within your family an environment that promotes optimal child development.
Having accurate information about raising young children and appropriate expectations for their behavior helps
you as a parent see your children in a positive light and gives you tools and resources to promote their healthy
development.
Children thrive when parents provide not only affection, but also respectful communication and listening, consistent rules
and expectations, and safe opportunities that promote independence. Successful parenting fosters social emotional
development, helps children prepare and succeed in school, encourages curiosity about the world, and motivates children to
achieve.
Oh, yes, parenting is hard work! Parenting is confusing, frustrating, exasperating, and, above all, the most important,
wonderful, rewarding job you will ever have! Rest assured information is available when you need it, that is, when it is
relevant to your life and your child.

The Family Resource Center is here to help Because Children Dont Come with Instructions! Here at the FRC we offer not
only opportunities for play in our open play area and play groups, but free information on all facets of parenting! Stop into
the FRC! Take advantage of our free home visiting program or our parenting classes!
Curious about your childs development? Ask us about the Ages and Stages Questionnaire! This free tool creates a
snapshot for you to celebrate your childs milestones and catch delays. Receive feedback on your childs development and
skills, as well as fun, appropriate activities to do together at home.
Yes, parenting is hard work! We look forward to being an integral part of your team!

*
*
*
*
*
*

Parental Resilience
Parenting can be a really tough job. It is an around the clock job commitment that doesnt end at 5pm. That
is why it is really important to take care of your health and well-being, we call these the, Protective Factors.
One of the important protective factors is called, Parental Resilience. Parental Resilience means being both
strong and flexible, your ability to manage stress, function and bounce back. How you bounce back from
stress plays a big role in how you respond to your children.
Ways to keep stress under control are:
Make time for you Taking care of yourself makes you a better parent.
Put things into perspective Close your eyes when the little things take over and think about the good in your life
and how these problems are not important.
Be honest with yourself Some problems are not small and need to be taken care of right away. Dont put big
things off. Moving in the right direction to take care of a problem, is usually less stressful than remaining in an
unhappy situation.
Make a plan The worst stress comes up when something is unexpected. Plan for what you can with schedules
and routinesorganization alleviates stress!
Breathe and relax- Try yoga, exercise or just taking a walk around the block.
Have Fun The occasional night out can do wonders for your stress level. Laughing and having fun is good for the

Parents as Teachers - Home Visiting Program

Serving Eau Claire & Dunn Counties
The Parents as Teachers program is designed to provide guidance and support to families. We come right to
your home and there is NO COST. We can visit weekly, every other week or monthly a visit lasts about an hour.
We provide timely Information on child development, intellectual growth, social development, and motor skills.
We offer practical ideas on ways to encourage learning. We support the whole family ~ child & parent.

Would you like a friendly Parent Educator on your team?

Contact us to learn more!

To give your child a great start, register today.

(715) 833-1735 | frcec@frcec.org
Online referral form at www.frcec.org
2

Social Connections
Social Connections are not just for the childs development but for the adults too. Families who
are isolated are at more of a risk than those who are social. Developing self-confidence and
social skills are the first steps to expanding your social network. The Family Resource Center has
many programs that help parents expand and/or create a social network. Our First Connections
program informs new parents what programs we offer in hopes that they will take advantage of
them and not become isolated. The Parent Caf is a social group of parents who come together
to discuss different topics and concerns. Our Play N Learns allow parents and children to gain new friends
and develop together. Our Home Visiting program helps those who are more isolated to break their barrier
and lean on someone else for advice, support, and interaction.
Benefits of a broad social network: Helps ease the burden of parenting, offers opportunities to
help others, models positive social interactions, provides support in crisis.
Ways to broaden a social network; Join a play group, access com m unity resources, overcom e
transportation barriers like carpooling or taking the city bus.

Social Emotional Competence of Children

Relationships are the way babies come to know the world and how they fit in it. They provide the
foundation that is necessary to comfort, protect, encourage, and offer a buffer against stressful
times. It is through relationships that children develop social emotional wellness, which includes
the ability to form satisfying relationships with others, play, communicate, learn, face challenges,
and experience emotions. In addition, nurturing relationships are crucial for the development of
trust, empathy, compassion and generosity. Social-emotional wellness is often known as infant mental
health by early childhood professionals. In a nutshell, it is the developing capacity to experience and
regulate emotions, form secure relationships, and explore and learn. There are a number of ways to help
promote this type of growth with your child. Play with your child and find out why it is important. Help you
children to develop friendships. Talk about how your child is feeling at emotional times. Motivate and
praise your child. Help your child to learn to problem solve, you want your child to make good decisions
when necessary. Manage your childs behavior and catch them being good! Teach your child to value and
appreciate other. And lastly, help your child to understand anger, a natural emotion that can be expressed
in acceptable ways.

Concrete Supports in Time of Need

No one said life was going to be easy, especially the life of being a parent. As a parent we face
trying and difficult times that can cause for a great deal of stress. Things that we tend to face as
parents can include help with the day-to-day care of children, help in figuring out how to soothe a
crying baby, help getting to the emergency room when something bad happens, help in
managing ones own temper when fatigued or upset. When we are faced with stressful conditions
such as losing a job, home foreclosure, substance abuse, not being able to feed our family or
trauma, we need to be able to reach out for support to help us make it through the difficult times.
At times asking for support can be stressful in itself. It may be because we are embarrassed to ask
for help because it makes us look weak or unable to take care of our own responsibilities. Others may not
reach out for help because they do not know where to go for help when it is needed, or may live in a
community that does not have a lot to offer, or even the worry that stigmas may be attached.
However, let it be known it is okay to ask for help. Asking for help shows that you want to take a
step in the right direction to address any concerns or stresses in your life or the life of your family.
According to the Center for the Study of Social Policy:
When parents seek help, it should be provided in a manner that does not increase stress. Services
should be coordinated, respectful, caring and strengths-based. Strengths-based practice is grounded in the
belief that is essential to forge a trusting relationship between parents and service providers.
A strengths-based approach helps parents feel valued because they are acknowledged as knowledgeable
and competent. They develop a sense of self-confidence and self-efficacy because they have opportunities
to build their skills, experience success and provide help to others. Thus, access to concrete support in times
of need must be accompanied by a quality of service coordination and delivery that is designed to preserve
parents dignity and to promote their own familys healthy development, resilience and ability to advocate
for and receive needed services and resources.

FRC Offerings

Registration is Required

April 2016 at the FRC

SUN

MON

Register at www.frcec.org

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

SAT

1 Grow with
Me Sensory
Experience
10-11am

3 Come see
us at the EC
Kids Expo
11am-4pm

4 EC Play N
Learn
Registration
10am

8
Baby & Me
Yoga
10-11am

10

11

12
Baby Caf
EC
10-11:30am

13
Parenting
Class 1-2:30

14
Parent Caf
EC
5:00-7:00pm

15

16

17

18

19

PG Fall Creek
9:30-10:45am
PG Augusta
5:30-6:45pm
Parent Caf Dunn
5:30-7:30pm

20

21

24

25

26

27
Play N Learn
Session Starts

28

EC Center
Closed for the
Brain
Conference

Spring
Cleaning Sensory
10-11am
PG Altoona
10am-11:15am
12:30-1:45pm

23

PG Fairchild
10am-11:14pm

29
eParenting
Little Ones
10-11am *

30

RMay 2016
Register
at FRC
www.frrgRegister at www.frcec.org
at the
SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

SAT

6
Dance with
Me 10-11am
10-11am

10

11
Parenting
Class 1-2:30

12
Parent Caf
EC
5:00-7:00pm

13 *Healthy
Kids/Snacks

14

15

16
Rural Play N
Learn Picnic
Week

17
Parent Caf
Dunn
5:30-7:30pm

18

19

20 Use Your
Imagination
Activity Hour
10-11am

21

22

23

24 Family
Fun Night
Drive-in Movie
6-7pm

25

26

27
Baby Signs
10-11am

28

29

30
Closed for
Memorial Day

31

BlueDunn County Offerings

GreenEau Claire Offerings
PurpleRural Offerings
* Means child care is provided
** Indicates not held at the FRC

The Parenting Class

Online* and in Center
The Parenting Class will cover various
general parenting topics such as:
co-parenting, communication,
discipline, routines and dealing with
childrens anger.
Class is offered in center every 2nd
Wednesday of the month
(See Calendar on page 4)
Online Class can be started at anytime!
Cost for class is $10
For more information and to register, call the
Family Resource Center
at 715-833-1735.
* To take online you must have an email
account to receive and submit assignments to
instructor. Class takes approximately 3 hours
to complete but is divided into 6 lessons. Each
lesson must be approved by the instructor
during normal business hours before new
lessons can be given. Class timeline works
best in a 5-10 day period at minimum, but can
be self paced to fit individual needs.
Approximately 3 hours to complete.

Fridays at the FRC

Join us every Friday for an hour of fun.
Parent-child activities, parent education and
field trips. See the calendar on page 4 for
details. You can register online or by calling the
Family Resource Center at 715-833-1735
We continue to Grow!
The Family Resource Center is very excited about our new
initiatives!
The Baby Caf is a wonderful support group for parents with
infants (0-1). It is a place to come to learn, grow, connect
and feel supported. Our first Baby Caf will be a 6 week
series on Tuesdays from 10-11:30 in our Play Area in Eau
Claire beginning on April 12 (see invitation above). We are
looking for a small group of parents to help us pilot this new
initiative...this first group of parents will receive a thank you
of over $100 in infant related gifts. We are thankful for the
support of a grant from the Federal Race to the Top fund and
a collaboration with Western Dairylands Child Care
Partnership.
We officially opened a Milk Depot on March 1 in collaboration
with Mothers Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes. Once
prescreened, parents can donate excess breast milk that will
ultimately be processed to be used to support vulnerable
infants. As a Milk Depot, we are a collection port for milk on
its way to the Milk Bank where it is processed. For more
information on this valuable service see:
www.milkbankwgl.org
5

Spring Wishes
The FRC is in need of the
following items...

Toilet Paper

Baby Wipes

Postage Stamps

Clorox Wipes

Garbage Bags - 13 gallon

Napkins

Small Cups - 5 oz.

Paper Plates

Brown, Black, and White

Construction Paper

Eau Claire Spring Play N Learn Play Groups

At our Eau Claire office in the Oakwood Mall

A fun, interactive time for you and your child! Experience creative learning activities,
learn about your childs development and connect with other parents. Play N Learn sessions run for 6-7 weeks at a time. You can register by visiting our website or by calling the
center, on or before the registration date.

Spring Session
Wednesdays: 9:00-10:15 am

Register for Play N Learn groups

online at www.frcec.org or by calling
715-833-1735 starting at 10:00 am on
the following dates.

Wednesday: 10:30 - 11:30 am

Please indicate your 1st & 2nd Choice.

April 27th - June 2nd

Thursdays: 9:00-10:15 am
Thursday: 10:30-11:30 am

Registration Date for Spring Session

Monday April 4th at 10:00am

8

First Connections
Because Children Dont Come With Instructions
Highly-trained staff connect with families in the hospital
to offer educational programming, support,
encouragement, and resources for their most important
job, PARENTING!
Family Resource Center
(715) 833-1735 | www.frcec.org
frcec@frcec.org

Service Master Restore

715-723-9781
Our thanks for their great work
cleaning our
Play Area carpet!

La Leche League
Are you breastfeeding or considering it? This
group offers mother-to-mother support
through a series of monthly meetings based upon various topics. Evening meetings are at 6:30
pm on the first Monday of the month at the
FRC. Daytime meetings are 9:30 am on the third
Monday of the month at Hope Methodist
Church.
La Leche League and the FRC have partnered to
provide the Nursing Nook- a quiet, peaceful &
private space to feed your baby. The Nursing
Nook is now open for use during our daily business hours.

Volunteer Spotlight
Meet FRC volunteer, Teri Talmage. She
loves to watch movies and volunteer at
the Family Resource Center. A kind,
hardworking person, Teri has put in over
100 volunteer hours in the past year.
We appreciate you, Teri! It takes
caring people like you to make our nonprofit successful!

US POSTAGE

4800 Golf Road, Suite 450

Eau Claire, WI 54701
Phone: 715-833-1735
Fax: 715-833-1215
E-mail: frcec@frcec.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/frcec
Website: www.frcec.org

FRC Website

FRC Facebook

FRC Pinterest

A special thank you for the generous support from our sponsors...
Support was provided by
the Daniel F. and
Margaret J. Brown
Memorial Fund

A special thank you to Sacred

Heart Hospital for funding the
printing of the FRCs newsletter.
The mission of the Family Resource Center is to provide programs and services
that build on family strengths through prevention, education, support, and collaboration with
other resources in the community. The Family Resource Center is available to all families and children in
Eau Claire and Dunn Counties.
10