HISTORY
of The Nonnie Hood Parent
& Family Resource Center
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Our History
In 1986 the Corning/Painted Post School District’s Early
Childhood Curriculum Committee convened to examine early childhood
programming, write a program philosophy and make recommendations for
the improvement and growth of the early childhood offerings already
in place in the community. Johanna “Nonnie” Hood was the director of
the district Head Start program, and was instrumental in making
connections within the community with regard to future funding.
In 1988 the New York State Education Department issued a request for
proposals to fund parent education programs. Ten districts were
funded. Corning-Painted Post School District was one of the ten
districts chosen. The Nonnie Hood Parent Resource Center opened for
business in the Corning-Painted
Post School District Administration building on Charles Street in
Painted Post in 1988.
In 1991 The Nonnie Hood Parent Resource Center moved to the Frank
Pierce Early Childhood Center in Painted Post.
In 1997 a five-year strategic plan was developed.
From 2000-2001, The Nonnie Hood Parent Resource Center formed its
first Board of Directors and moved to its current home in Civic
Center Plaza in Corning in order to be more centrally located within
the community. That same year, the PRC became incorporated and was
granted federal and state not-for-profit status.
In 2004 a collaborative was formed between ProAction, Inc., Woodhull
Community Family Resource Center, The Jennie Mose Family Resource
Center, and the Nonnie Hood Parent Resource Center, in order to
create the “Steuben Family Enrichment Collaborative”. This team was
awarded funding through the New York State Office of Children and Family
Services/ William B. Hoyt Children and Family Trust Fund, in order
to build a community-based family resource and support program
throughout Steuben County.
In 2006 The Board of Directors of the Nonnie Hood Parent Resource
Center unanimously voted to accept a new direction for the PRC which
enhances parent and family support and education by securing staff
that possess specific education, experience and expertise in early
childhood development and education, grant writing and fund
development. Additionally that year, the “Steuben Family Enrichment
Collaborative
successfully secured funding through the United Way of the Southern
Tier.
In 2007 despite a $20,000 strategic deficit, the PRC
successfully secured stellar staff and within twelve months the
number of financial donors, the number of new grants received and
the number of visits to the center by families all increased
significantly. Additionally the PRC was used as a model to
assist with the creation of another PRC out of state. Also the
PRC secured a place at the State level in the creation of a
statewide Fatherhood Intitiative. The Nonnie Hood PRC is the
only Resource center in the state represented in that collaboration.
In 2008, we started a new program called, "Nurturing Connections",
which provides supervised visitation observation services for
parents who are court-ordered to have someone observe visits with
their child(ren) at the PRC. Recently the PRC received funding from
the NYS Unified Court Systems to offer "Flexible Families", an
educational program for people who are going through separation
and/or divorce. This encourages cooperation among the parents, in
order to support their children through the separation/divorce
process. Some parents are mandated by the court system, while others
are self-referred.
2009- The parent education program "Flexible Families" began in the
beginning of 2009. Eight sessions were offered, and nine people
completed the program. During the series, parents receive
information regarding the emotional experience of separation and
divorce, tools for helping parents and children adjust to the
changes in the family, strategies for keeping the children out of
the middle of parental conflicts, understanding the legal process of
separation and divorce, and discovering local resources that can
help these families. PRC staff use the A.C.T. (Assisting Children
Through Transition) For the Children Curriculum. It is an innovative
prevention program that helps reduce the impact and long-term
effects of divorce or separation on children by teaching their
parents how to contain conflict and act in the best interest of
their child(ren). Specifically, it teaches parents how to keep their
children and family healthy. It focuses on effective communication
skills, problem solving, conflict resolution, and strengthening
parent-child relationships. Looking ahead, the staff are eager to
continue the program, and are anticipating more participation from
families in 2010.
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