Parenting Unit Teaches Students How to be Caregivers
While the ParentABLE On-Demand is available for parents and caregivers to learn better parenting skills and tips, did you know Illinois House Bill 4442 was signed into law in 2018 and require public high schools to include a unit on parenting education?
Topics covered – which can be taught as part of health class, consumer education, family and consumer science (formerly known as home economics) and other courses – include family structure, function, and management, prevention of child abuse, physical, emotional and social aspects of family relationships, childbirth and childcare and parenting skill development. The instruction is a prerequisite for receiving a high school diploma.
According to Kate Mallory of the Regional Office of Education #26, teachers can also use the ParentABLE curriculum as part of the unit. A recent pilot of 4,500 students throughout Illinois used the ParentABLE course. Currently, schools in nearly 40 Illinois counties, including McDonough, are using the Parent-ABLE curriculum to fulfill HB 4442 requirements.
By Darcie Shinberger
