Extended Family is proud to have partnered with the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education as they hosted an Extended Family for Kids (EFK) Leader Training in Montgomery earlier this month. This training drew professionals from around the state who work with children in multiple community agencies and programs. We were excited to work with such a dynamic group of people, more than half of whom plan to start an EFK group in their community in the near future.
According to the responses from our survey at the end of the training, 100% of participants agreed that the EFK Leader Training was “very helpful” and that they would recommend the training to others. Additionally, all of the participants reported learning techniques during the training they could use in their professions. Some of the EFK Lessons that stood out as especially beneficial were “Who’s to Blame,” “Stress Busters,” and “Picture This.”
In EFK Leader Training, participants are led through all nine lessons of the EFK curriculum guide. At the completion of the training, participants have everything they need to start an EFK group in their community immediately. Training participants recognized the importance of offering EFK for children who have an incarcerated loved one, which was reflected in their comments, “The entire training was an eye opener for me. It helped me to learn how to approach children that may have incarcerated family members and how to go about helping them.” Another wrote, ”Today was awesome! Every community should have access to this program. Thank you!”
EFK Leader Training provides participants with tools to work with an underserved segment of our population, children affected by the incarceration of a loved one. Statistics show that 1 in 28 children have a parent who is incarcerated. EFK is available for children with any incarcerated family member and teaches skills to help them overcome the stigma and shame and to manage their feelings of anger, stress, and more in ways that will not get them into trouble.
Extended Family offers EFK Leader Training to communities across the nation. We work with local hosts to bring EFK to your area for a one-day training at a time that works for you! If you are interested in learning more about hosting an EFK Leader Training, email Daphne@extendedfamilyhelp.org.
