Activities in Arkansas

Shannon Butler, Social Work Trainee

Partners for Inclusive Communities (AR)

Role of Religious Organizations

• Spiritual formation and worship

• Social center

• Support network

Reasons Parents Give for Not Participating in Faith-based Groups

• Did not feel welcome• Not sufficiently supported• Too stressed/tired• Didn’t trust staff to care for children• Did not fit in• Concerned about child’s dietary restrictions

Faith-based Groups Respond to Parents’ Needs

• Training for workers• Buddy system - use either adults or peers• Video of child shown during worship service• Class where parents meet next to children with

one-way mirror – parents have religious education class combined with a support group; children are able to participate in class until ready to transition to typical class

Jonathan’s Child classroom

St. Paul United Methodist Church Fall Funky Festival

Searcy, Arkansas

Faith-based Groups Respond to Parents’ Needs

• Special events – Funky Fall Festival• Respite programs

- recruit and train respite providers- reciprocal respite among families- respite night, children stay at house of worship- parent candlelight dinner

• Organized parent support groups• Ministry steering committee

- primarily consisting of parents

UCEDD Responds to Parents’ Needs

• Regional training for religious education workers on strategies for supporting positive behaviors – attended by 100-250 persons in each setting

Evaluation comment, “I could never get my husband to attend any training the school or state offered. He trusts his church enough to come this time.”

UCEDD Responds to Parents’ Needs

• Hosted meetings of parents, leaders of local congregations, and state denominational leaders – represented religious education, worship leaders, mission coordinators, early childhood programs– Information exchange– identifying successful practices and

highlighting congregational efforts– coordinating training events

Contact Information

Shannon Butler, Trainee

sebutler@ualr.edu (until May 2007)

David Deere, Director

• Partners for Inclusive Communities,

Little Rock, AR

501-682-9900

deereglend@uams.edu