The Clayton Schools' Family Center program believes that a positive parent-child relationship is the core of a healthy and productive family. It is the family that has primary responsibility for fostering a child's emotional, intellectual and physical growth from the very important early years through adolescence. Because children receive an abundance of nurturing and education in the context of the family, it is possible to positively affect the growth of the child by understanding and supporting the entire family system. Family experiences are the foundations for success in school and in every other facet of life.

Successful parenting requires creativity, intelligence, emotional stability, connection and capacity for growth. It also requires conscious examination of parenting practices. Too often, the critical parent-child relationship develops in isolation with little support from community. All parents, regardless of economic status, education, racial or ethnic background, benefit from opportunities to share experiences and information with each other, to learn about their child's development and to receive help in clarifying their parenting issues.

Support for families is most effective when it is based in the communities where families live, work, or educate their children. Recognizing that schools are focal points in communities as well as direct beneficiaries of healthy parent-child interactions, parenting programs are an important investment and an integral community resource in the School District of Clayton.

Providing continual information on child development and parenting supports and strengthens parents' skills and their feelings of competence and self-worth. This combination of skill and confidence promotes the child's development and becomes a foundation for families to be strong, resourceful, and connected. This, in turn, enhances the community as a whole.

You are a resident if you: live in the School District of Clayton, own residential property in the School District of Clayton, or have a child enrolled in Clayton's K-12 program, including the voluntary transfer program. When you enroll in parenting classes, you receive priority for all class registration.

We welcome non-residents in our parenting classes and Stay, Play & Learn. Please refer to non-resident fees in the class descriptions.

If you do not live in the School District of Clayton, but your children's grandparents do, you are given second priority in class registration. You pay the same fees as School District residents for Stay, Play & Learn and parenting classes.

If you employ a caregiver 20 or more hours per week, your caregiver may participate in several of the Family Center programs. Caregivers and children may enjoy the following programs: Stay, Play & Learn and the class for caregivers/nannies.

We ask that you, the employer family, arrange for your caregiver's participation as part of the registration process. In certain circumstances, consideration will be given to caregivers employed less than 20 hours per week. Families with caregivers employed less than 20 hours per week may discuss permission to participate with Debbie Reilly, Director.

We strive to make classes and parent-child activities available to all interested families. If you are in need of financial assistance to meet the cost of any of our programs, these options are available.

• In-kind payment: volunteer hours are credited for fees for parenting classes and Stay, Play & Learn.
• P.T.O. Scholarship grant for residents only; requests for grants are to be addressed to the Family Center Director, Debbie Reilly.
• Any other fee reduction to be arranged with the Director.