What Is SFP

What is SFP?

     The Strengthening Families Program (also known as SFP) seeks to help families:

     - Strengthen communication
     - Prepare for the teenage years

What is SFP in McKean County?

Click here to watch an SFP Preview.

     SFP in McKean County is a seven session series geared for families with youth in 5th and 6th grade.  There are six locations where SFP takes place in the County (look at the chart to the right).  Each session starts at 5:30 p.m. with a family dinner that is provided.  After dinner, youth and parents split up to spend an hour with their peers (younger children go to the childcare that is supplied for free).

     Youth are led by two trained facilitators.  During the program, they talk about goals, appreciating parents, stress, following rules, peer-pressure, friends and reaching out to others.  The youth session is an interactive time with activities, games, and discussion.

     When the youth are in their session, parents explore, with the help of a trained facilitator, topics including love and limits, making house rules, encouraging good behavior, using consequences, building bridges, substance abuse and getting help for special family needs.  The format of this group consists of discussion, led by a video and a facilitator.
                                                                                Facilitator Training for McKean County SFP
     After being with peers for an hour,
the two groups come back together to have a one-hour family session.  The topics covered during these times include supporing goals, appreciating family members, family meetings, family values, family communication and peer pressure.  This part of the evening is interactive with games, discussion, and activities.

     At the last session, all families who attended at least five sessions are recognized and considered to be SFP Alumni. The SFP Alumni occasionally are given the opportunity to participate in activities that strengthen the family. One particular activity is the Old Fashioned Alumni picnic. Another opportunity they can take part in is the SFP Booster sessions. These sessions follow the SFP format and they seek to remind families of what they went over in the first seven sessions as well as touching on new topics.

What's the Big Deal with SFP in McKean County?

     So why is the Strengtheing Families Program in McKean County a big deal?  Below, you will find charts that show the increase in the percieved abilities of parents and youth who graduated from the Strengthening Families Program.

Parents

Youth

     These charts show that both parents and youth came out of the program with a greater understanding of, and better able to:

     - relate to others (family members, friends,...)
     - handle stress
     - communicate as a family and to peers

     This change results in better interactions within the family and a lower rate of substance abuse, among many others.

     For a more detailed look at how families are changing, check out reports showing both the McKean County results as well as the indivdual district reports here.