In 2007, ESCAPE launched the LearnToParent movement. Our aim is to create a new wave of parenting attitudes. This is not because all parents are “bad” or abuse their children. Many parents are simply misinformed about the most effective ways to raise their children to become healthy, productive individuals. This movement also seeks to be a refuge for families with a history of domestic violence. Our vision is to help these families remove pain from their lives and enhance their parent-child relationships toward the end of breaking the cycle of violence present in their lives.
Education is the root of the LearnToParent movement. Recent studies about neurological development lend credence to the importance of the project. The physical structure of a child’s brain is negatively affected by exposure to violence, especially in the home. See the Adverse Childhood Experiences section of this site for more information.
Through the LearnToParent movement, ESCAPE Family Resource Center is providing families with cutting-edge parenting techniques, including effective alternatives to corporal punishment. Parents and children are being taught skills to cope with stress, communicate effectively, and modify one another’s improper behavior without resorting to punishment. Most of our classes are available in English, Spanish and Chinese, and include children’s classes concurrently.