Parent Education VCE-Prince William

Virginia Cooperative Extension leads the engagement mission of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and Virginia State University, the Commonwealth's land grant universities. Building local relationships and collaborative partnerships, Virginia Cooperative Extension helps people put scientific knowledge to work through learning experiences that improve economic, environmental, and social well-being.

VCE Parent Education offers 3 distinct programs: Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP), Juvenile Justice Parenting Program (JJPP), and When Families Get Angry (WFGA). Participants are required to complete all required instructional hours to successfully complete each program: STEP (parents of children from birth-17)- 14 hours; JJPP (adults and teenagers)-14 hours; WFGA (adults), 6 hours of instruction. VCE-trained instructors teach a research-based, skills-oriented curriculum aimed at enhancing family strength, resilience and communication; improving the stability of children and families; supporting stronger relationships and enhancing parental effectiveness. Parents learn they are not isolated in their struggles. Programs are facilitated in Spanish and English, in-person and virtually. Parent Education partners with DSS, the Juvenile Justice Court Services Unit, CSB, and local churches to deliver cost-efficient programs to support adults and teens in strengthening families to prevent abuse and neglect, juvenile detention, and interpersonal violence-- ultimately safeguarding the well-being of the entire community.