Provide resources and services to help parents
and caregivers communicate with their children
about sexuality in a way that is easily accessible
and convenient.
To encourage parents and caregivers to talk to their children
about sexuality issues, it is helpful to provide resources and services
that are easily accessible and convenient—including audiotapes,
newsletters, videotapes, hotlines, and programs.
Auto Talk (UPDATED)
Organization: Hopkins School District 270, Hopkins, MN
Original Target Audience: Parents and caregivers of young people in grades
four through six statewide
Language: Audiotapes available in English and Spanish
Auto Talk is a 14-minute audiotape available in English and Spanish and is also available in a CD-Rom format.
It was developed by the Hopkins (MN) School District 270 in
response to parents' questions about how to talk with their children
about alcohol, tobacco, and sexuality. The tape is designed for parents
of young people in grades four through six to listen and learn on
their own while they are driving in the car. On the tape, fifth
grade students ask their parents questions about tobacco, alcohol,
and sexuality. The tape provides parents with information and
guidance on how to respond to children's questions, including
possible follow-up questions that parents might ask to keep a
conversation going. In addition, parents are guided in how to initiate
conversations about risk-taking behaviors. Auto Talk has been
distributed to over 5,000 parents/caregivers of fifth-grade
students in Minnesota and other states. Over 95% of the parents/caregivers that have heard the tape report that they have used the information to talk with their children.
Auto Talk
"We have learned the value of quality media materials in
communicating a message. Having parents, staff, and students
respond to drafts of the script for the tape is an important way to seek
input and gain support during the development process. Building
this support, however, does lengthen the production time.
Translating the text and recording it in Spanish has worked well
and has helped us to reach an ever-increasing number of
Hispanic families."
-Hopkins School District 270
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“Parents report that the CD-Rom is easy to listen to and a very effective tool to remind them how important it is to communicate with their children about risky behaviors.”
-Bonnie Young Johnson
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For more information:
Auto Talk
Hopkins School District 270
Bonnie Young Johnson
2400 Lindbergh Drive
Minnetonka, MA 55305
Phone: 952/988-4626
Fax: 952/988-4079
E-mail: bonnie_johnson@hopkins.k12.mn.us
Web site: http://www.hopkins.k12.mn.us
There's No Place Like Home. . .
For Sex Education
No hay lugar como
el hogar. . .para la educación sexual (UPDATED)
Organization: Planned Parenthood Health Services of Southwestern Oregon,
Eugene, OR
Original Target Audience: Parents and caregivers nationwide
Language: Materials available in English and Spanish
There's No Place Like Home. . .For Sex Education/ No hay lugar
como el hogar. . .para la educación sexual was designed by Planned
Parenthood Health Services of Southwestern Oregon to promote
partnerships between parents, schools, and communities to
provide sexuality education.
Published in 1999, the second edition of this spiral-bound book
consists of reproducible parent handouts in both English and
Spanish that schools, religious organizations, community agencies,
and other groups can photocopy and distribute. Five newsletters
are available for every age/grade level (pre-school through 12th
grade). Each issue contains sexuality information relevant to a
particular developmental stage, useful strategies, communication
hints, and suggested resources that support parents as the primary
educators of their children. Currently, a Native American version adaptation is underway. In addition, the English and Spanish version can be downloaded for free at http://www.noplacelikehome.org
There's No Place Like Home. . .For Sex Education/
No hay lugar como el hogar. . .la educación sexual
"This book has appealed to a diverse group of parents with
different beliefs. It is very gratifying to see broad interest.
Reproducing the book is a fundable project. Organizations can
purchase a master set and then write a grant to pay for reproduction
and distribution."
-Planned Parenthood Health Services of Southwestern Oregon
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"One of our local churches distributes There's No Place Like Home to members of its very large congregation. They have subsequently scheduled Planned Parenthood to provide parent workshops on talking with kids about sex."
-Mary Gossart
"Parents are hungry for support in talking with their children about sexual issues, but are often reluctant, "too busy," or a bit shy about participating in a public workshop or program. Part of the beauty of There's No Place Like Home is that parents can digest the information in their own time, allowing for their own sense of readiness in a private setting. Parents return to the book again and again as they and their children grow and move through different stages."
-Mary Gossart
|
For more information:
There's No Place Like Home. . .For Sex Education/
No hay lugar como el hogar. . .la educación sexual
Planned Parenthood Health Services of Southwestern Oregon
Mary Gossart
360 East 10th Avenue, Suite 104
Eugene, Oregon 97401
Phone: 541/344-1611, extension 13
Fax: 541/342-6088
E-mail: mary@pphsso.org
Web site: http://www.pphsso.org
Raising Healthy Kids: Families Talk about Sexual Health
Organization: Family Health Productions, Gloucester, MA
Original Target Audience: Parents and caregivers of young people from birth
through the teenage years nationwide
Language: Videos and materials in English
In response to educators' need for a tool to help parents learn
how to communicate about sexual health, Family Health
Productions produced Raising Healthy Kids. It was revised
in 2000.
This video series consists of two 30-minute videos and supplemental
materials: For Parents of Young Children includes interviews with
children, parents, and experts about setting limits, telling the truth,
labeling body parts, making babies, self-touching, and appropriate
and inappropriate touch. For Parents of Preadolescent and
Adolescent Children includes interviews with young people, parents, and
experts on values, listening, avoiding absolutes, mixed messages,
and relationships.
The Raising Healthy Kids video series and supplemental written
materials are used by schools, youth organizations, faith communities,
and businesses. They are also used nationally as an icebreaker for
the Unitarian Universalist Association's sexuality education
curriculum Our Whole Lives.
Raising Healthy Kids: Families Talk about Sexual Health
"It is important to allow plenty of time for interactive discussion.
Many parents have never had the opportunity to talk about sexual
health. The videos often help participants recall and share their
own learning experiences and discuss the messages they want to
tell their own children. Leaders should encourage parents to
participate in discussion."
-Family Health Productions
For more information:
Raising Healthy Kids: Families Talk about Sexual Health
Family Health Productions
P. O. Box 1799
Gloucester, MA 01931-1799
Phone: 978/282-9970
Fax: 978/282-9550
E-mail: info@abouthealth.com
Web site: http://www.abouthealth.com
Sex Spelled Out for Parents
Organization: Carson Street Productions, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Original Target Audience: Parents and caregivers of young people three to
14 years of age in Canada and nationwide
Language: Videos and materials in English
Sex Spelled Out for Parents (1999) is a video series for parents
and caregivers of young people three to 14 years of age.
Produced with the assistance of Health Canada's Community
Action Program for Children and the British Columbia Ministry
for Children and Families, the four videos for parents and caregivers
are designed to help them increase their comfort level about
sexuality-related issues and to keep the lines of communication
open with their children.
Hosted by sexuality educator Meg Hickling, R.N., the videos
include an audience of parents and caregivers interacting with
Ms. Hickling and sharing their personal experiences and
questions.They also include anecdotes and facts to help parents and
caregivers give age-appropriate messages about sexuality to their children. The videos are accompanied by a viewer's guide.
For more information:
Sex Spelled Out for Parents
Carson Street Productions Ltd.
5510 Carson St.
Burnaby B.C. Canada
V5J 2Z2
Phone: 604/451-1746
Fax: 604/451-1746
Ordering information for video:
The Bureau for At-Risk Youth
135 Dupont Street
P. O. Box 760
Plainview, NY 11803
Phone: 516/349-5520
Fax: 516/349-5521
E-mail: info@at-risk.com
Web site: http://www.at-risk.com
Magic Lantern Communication Ltd.
#3-8755 Ash Street
Vancouver, BC Canada
V6P 6T3
Phone: 800/263-1818
604/324-2600
Fax: 604/324-4855
E-mail: bill@lanternimages.com
Facts of Life Line
Organization: Over 40 Planned Parenthood affiliates
Original Target Audience: Adults and young people nationwide
Language: Available in English and Spanish
The Facts of Life Line, sponsored by many Planned Parenthood
affiliates around the country, is a 24-hour automated hotline for
adults and young people that allows callers to hear recorded
messages on such subjects as "How to Talk with Your Child about
Sex," "Sexuality Education and Family Values," and "Teenage
Sexual Concerns."
First installed at Planned Parenthood of San Diego & Riverside
Counties (619/683-7543) in 1989, it is currently used in both
English and Spanish by over 40 affiliates nationwide including
Planned Parenthood Mar Monte (800/711-9848), Planned
Parenthood of New York City (212/965-7015), and Planned
Parenthood of North Texas (800/545-3751).
Each affiliate's Facts of Life Line information line receives thousands of
calls every year. For example, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte
receives approximately 70,000; Planned Parenthood of New York
City, approximately 30,000; and Planned Parenthood of North
Texas, approximately 25,000.
The technology for this voice response information system is
available from IDAP Information Systems in San Marcos, CA. It
offers a library of over 300 standard health-related messages in
English and Spanish that are reviewed and approved by experts.
It can also customize messages to the needs of organizations and
communities.The system also provides automated demographic
surveying to Planned Parenthood affiliates that allows them to
learn more about who is accessing the Facts of Life Line.
Facts of Life Line
"We are currently revising the Facts of Life Line to include a
female voice and a narrower focus on reproductive health
issues. We are also considering adding new topics, including a
special section on men's issues, and a possible partnership
with Columbia University's Young Men's Clinic to promote
men's reproductive health issues."
-Planned Parenthood of New York City
"We have learned that many of our callers do not have
access to the Internet. We also learned that we need to
expand the hours of the information line to augment the
pre-programmed tapes."
-Planned Parenthood Mar Monte
"We have learned that affiliates who promote their Facts of
Life Line have much greater success with the program."
-IDAP Information Systems
For more information:
Facts of Life Line
IDAP Information Systems
Christine Davis, General Manager
1635 South Rancho Sante Fe Road, Suite 104
San Marcos, CA 92069
Phone: 800/842-4327, extension 213
E-mail: chris@idapinc.com
Web site: http://www.idapinc.com
Planned Parenthood Mar Monte
Lisa Houts
1746 The Alameda
San Jose, CA 95126
Phone: 408/297-5090, extension 409
Fax: 408/297-6063
E-mail: lisa_houts@ppmarmonte.org
Web site: http://www.ppmarmonte.org
Planned Parenthood of New York City
Kitte Haynes
26 Bleecker Street
New York, NY 10012
Phone: 212/274-7334
Fax: 212/274-7300
Web site: http://www.ppnyc.org
Planned Parenthood of North Texas
7424 Greenville Avenue, Suite 206
Dallas,TX 75234
Phone: 214/363-2004
Fax: 214/696-2091
Web site: http://www.ppnt.org
Planned Parenthood of San Diego & Riverside Counties
1075 Camino del Rio South, Suite 200
San Diego, CA 92108
Phone: 619/683-7526
Fax: 619/291-0255
Web site: http://www.planned.org
Parents Assistance Line
Organization: Agency of Human Services, Waterbury, VT
Original Target Audience: Parents and caregivers statewide
Language: Available in English
The Parents Assistance Line (PAL) is a statewide "warm line" that
provides counseling via phone for parents and others concerned
about young people. Sponsored by Vermont's Agency of Human
Services, the program has served over 12,000 Vermont families in
17 years. Its goal is to promote the health and well-being of
Vermont residents by helping parents meet the needs of their
children by listening, giving support, and providing referrals to
other Vermont services.
The "warm line" is available by calling an 800 number from 8 a.m.
to 7:45 p.m., Monday through Friday. There is also 24-hour voice
mail. The counselors, many of whom are parents, have experience in
different areas of study, such as psychology, family therapy, social
work, substance abuse, public health, guidance counseling,
women's health, early childhood education, and sociology.
PAL also develops and distributes educational materials focusing
on family communication to parents/caregivers across the state
that address sexuality-related issues, including situational examples,
developmental information, AIDS issues, gender issues, and
cultural values.
Residents learn about the "warm line" at conferences; through
mailings to schools, faith communities, child care providers, and
mental health agencies; or through the police, community action
programs and/or any other agencies that work with parents
and children.
For more information:
Parents Assistance Line
Agency of Human Services
103 South Main Street
Waterbury,VT 05671
Phone: 800/PARENTS
How to Talk to Your Kids about Sex (UPDATED)
Organization: Zero Adolescent Pregnancy, Cortland, NY
Original Target Audience: Parents and caregivers in the local
rural community
Language: Materials and sessions in English
In 1993, Zero Adolescent Pregnancy (ZAP), a coalition of over 12 community
agencies, developed How to Talk to Your Kids about Sex, a lunch 'n
learn worksite series to reduce teen pregnancy in Cortland, NY.
These free workshops run for six weeks and are held during
lunchtime once a week at the workplace. Since the start, over 22 workshops have been held, attended by over 275 parents.
Focusing on improving communication between parents/caregivers
and their children, the workshops address age-appropriate messages,
values, and steps to becoming an "askable" parent. They also discuss
sexual development, abstinence, contraception, and STDs, trends in teen sexuality, and “popular language” that kids use these days. Parents
receive homework assignments after each lunch 'n learn workshop
to help them use the skills they have learned. Following the class, parents/caregivers have reported an increase in comfort in communicating with their children about these important topics and a decrease in their own level of embarrassment and discomfort.
How to Talk to Your Kids about Sex
"Parents who come to these classes are hungry for information.
We once presented a class to a group of mothers who were
friends. We feel that the home is a great place to offer this
class outside the work environment."
-Zero Adolescent Pregnancy
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“A mom who had strong beliefs against pre-marital sex found it difficult to communicate her values to her 15-year-old daughter. After attending How to Talk to Your Kids about Sex, the mother and daughter were able to sit down and talk about how they both felt. Mom was able to reassure her daughter that no matter what their differences she would always love her.”
“In the 13 years I have been leading this workshop, I have raised my own 2 children into young adults. I think we as parents underestimate how much our children DO listen. The trick is finding the balance between letting your children grow and make their own choices, and guiding them to keep them safe.”
~Mary Dykeman
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For more information:
How to Talk to Your Kids about Sex
Zero Adolescent Pregnancy
Mary Dykeman
60 Central Avenue
Cortland, NY 13045
Phone: 607/753-5088
Fax: 607/758-5514
E-mail: mdykeman@cortland-co.org
Web site: http://www2.cortland-co.org/zap/
Talking Parents, Healthy Teens (UPDATED)
Organization: UCLA/RAND Center for Adolescent Health Promotion,
Los Angeles, CA
Original Target Audience: Parents and caregivers of young people in grades
six through 10 in Southern, CA
Language: Materials and sessions in English
Currently being evaluated in a randomized, controlled trial, Talking Parents, Healthy Teens is a worksite-based program for
parents of adolescents in grades six through 10 developed by the UCLA/RAND Center for Adolescent Health Promotion.
This interactive program, first implemented in 2000, aims to help parents
develop skills to improve communication with their adolescents,
particularly about sexuality issues, with the goal of promoting
healthy sexual development and reduced sexual risk behavior. It
teaches parents diverse communication skills to use with their
adolescents; the importance of parental monitoring and involvement in
their adolescents' lives; and basic facts about adolescent development,
sexuality, decision-making, and assertiveness. The program
includes assignments for parents to complete with their
adolescents at home and other activities.
The parenting program is provided in the workplace to facilitate
attendance and to establish a convenient support network. The
program is offered during the lunch hour to groups of 15 parents
who meet for one hour, once a week, for an eight-week period.
Currently, Talking Parents, Healthy Teens, is being evaluated with a multi-year longitudinal randomized controlled trial. Since the start, the pilot studies and main study have included 21 workside programs with over 600 parents, half of whom receive the program and half of whom are in the control group. The study enrolls the adolescent children of the participants to fill out the surveys.
"We have learned that conducting group role plays in class, as well as giving parents the opportunity for private videotaped role play session with facilitators is invaluable to participants. In addition, parents often comment on the value of having the opportunity to discuss parenting challenges and solutions with other parents, in the supportive setting of the program sessions."
"We have learned the importance of designing a program that takes into account the cultural, religious, and family influences and values that can affect sexual communication and behavior. In the program, facilitators acknowledge the range of parental values and feelings, actively creating a discussion environment that supports diverse viewpoints. While we teach communication skills, provide facts and options, and offer opportunities to practice talking in a supportive setting, we do not tell parents what values, beliefs, or practices to promote. For example, to provide balance for families of diverse views, we teach both assertiveness skills for abstinence (e.g., how to say no to sex) and risk reduction skills (e.g., how to use a condom) in the same session.
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During and after the program, parents describe how much they enjoyed attending the program, how much they learned, and how much the experience meant to them.
One of the most striking stories was of a mother who, a couple of years after attending Talking Parents, Healthy Teens, had a heart attack. During a follow-up survey session some time after the program ended, she told a staff member that when she was hospitalized and thinking about her life, she realized that attending Talking Parents, Healthy Teens had been one of the best things she had done.
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For more information:
Talking Parents, Healthy Teens
UCLA/RAND Center for Adolescent Health Promotion
Mark Schuster, M.D., Ph.D., Director
Karen L. Eastman, Ph.D., Assistant Director
Rosalie Corona, Ph.D., Study Coordinator
1700 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138
Phone: 310/393-0411, extension 6240
Fax: 310/393-4818
E-mail: center@rand.org
Web site: http://www.rand.org
Practical Parenting Partnerships (UPDATED)
Organization: Practical Parenting Partnerships, Jefferson City, MO
Original Target Audience: Parents/caregivers and schools statewide
Language: Materials and sessions in English
Practical Parenting Partnerships (PPP), created in 1992 by the
Missouri Department of Education, is a K-12 family resource/parent
education program offered through the state's public school system.
Designed to provide parents/caregivers and educators with support as
they teach and nurture their children, PPP helps young people
become responsible, confident individuals and community
members through a variety of services involving the school and
the community.
Since 1998, PPP has offered training to school-based home
visitors. These classroom teachers, social workers, school nurses,
and other service workers receive six hours of training on
conducting home visits. PPP has also worked with other states,
including Mississippi, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, to adapt
this program.
Trained home visitors work with families on a variety of issues,
including literacy, school attendance, anger management, grief and
loss, single parenting, violence, and drug and alcohol abuse.
PPP has created a sexuality resource to help individuals increase
family comfort about sexuality-related issues. The resource, available only with PPP training, is specifically designed to
help home visitors address communication issues within the family.
For more information:
Practical Parenting Partnerships
2412-C Hyde Park Road
Jefferson City, MO 65109
Phone: 573/761-7767
Fax: 573/761-7760
E-mail: jshepard@pppctr.org
Web site: http://www.pppctr.org
