PARENTING
Research reported by the National Children's Bureau (1994) in Confident Parents, Confident Children showed that parents benefit most from groups where the facilitator has received some training in group facilitation. In response to this finding the Mothers' Union Millennium Project developed Parenting 2000, now called MU Parenting Programme, a training course for volunteers who facilitate parenting groups (or who may do so in the future) in a variety of settings, eg toddler groups, family centres, prisons, schools, churches, community centres, health centres and colleges.

Purpose of the Course
Through the course the MU hopes to support parenting group facilitators by ensuring that they are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills for their work. A network of facilitators who have completed the Parenting Course satisfactorily will be established across the UK and Ireland thus enabling the MU to strengthen and extend its encouragement of Churches and local communities through the provision of trained volunteers to facilitate parenting groups.

We are currently looking for volunteers to train as facilitators in Suffolk. For further information please contact, Mrs Lilian Rose on 01473 298511 or email lilian@stedmundsbury.anglican.org