RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
"Promoting Healthy Families" is the theme of Child Abuse Prevention Month, which is observed in April each year.
It is also the everyday theme of Randolph's Family Advocacy Program. The program's mission is to prevent family maltreatment and support Air Force readiness and retention.
Randolph's FAP will showcase its services, which are designed to improve parenting skills, during Child Abuse Prevention Month. They will exhibit displays at Fam-A-Ganza, set for April 12 at Eberle Park, and at base locations like the Medical Group and the library. Personnel will participate in Kids' Day in the Park April 19 at Travis Park in downtown San Antonio.
Though Family Advocacy Program personnel respond to reports of family violence, including child and spousal abuse, their goal is to head off problems from the start. Their comprehensive education program includes an assortment of classes at the Airman and Family Readiness Center, among them Precious Minds New Connections, Dads 101 Boot Camp, parenting workshops and Home Alone, and more personalized services like the New Parent Support Program.
Togetherness and communication are two of the hallmarks of a healthy family, according to Mitzi Wood, Family Advocacy intervention specialist.
"The biggest thing is spending quality time with your children," she said. "You should also listen to your children. Kids know when you're not paying attention to them."
Ms. Wood said lack of communication can lead to abuse.
"A lot of abuse happens because of misunderstanding," she said. "Parents and children aren't communicating well with each other."
Other factors are parents' expectations, which can be too high, and stress.
"If you're calm and present, the situation will be better," she said. "You can't act like a child. You're not supposed to be immature. Children don't have the same mental capacity. They're egocentric."
Ms. Wood said mealtime provides families with a great opportunity for communication.
"When you sit down to dinner, you accomplish two things," she said. "You get to eat and talk. But be sure to make eye contact and repeat what your children say."
Activities such as taking a walk after dinner give parents and children another chance to talk to each other, Ms. Wood said.
"If you allow them space, you'd be surprised what they bring up," she said.
It's also important for parents to give each child one-on-one time.
"That's especially important with older children," she said. "But you also have to form a bond with a teen-ager when they're younger. You have to do that early in childhood."
Family Advocacy's New Parent Support Program gives young military couples the tools to form those early bonds. The program provides home visitation, education and resources to expectant parents and parents of children up to age 3.
"The New Parent Support Program is a prevention program," said Debra Spencer, nurse for the program. "It provides information about a child's growth and development and assistance with concerns parents have regarding children."
Military families face the same stressful situations that civilian families confront, but they also deal with deployments and frequent moves. The Family Advocacy Program and other programs and organizations on base help military families deal with issues related to these periods of change.
"We don't always think of the impact of deployment on children, but we have to reach out to them and support the parent who stays behind," Ms. Wood said. "There are organizations like the deployed spouses' group and the Airman and Family Readiness Flight and programs like the Key Spouses who keep up with the families of Airmen who have been deployed and see what they need."
Education is at the heart of the Family Advocacy Program, and it is what helps couples become better parents.
"When people have education," Ms. Wood said, "the likelihood of abuse will be less."
She also advised parents to strive for a healthy mind and body, which help them maintain their composure when dealing with their children.
"Be aware of your need to take care of yourself," she said. "Learn to manage your own stress."