Life Skills

The Life Skills Program is a county and non-profit partner initiative to support family resiliency and child safety, and intervene where there is suspected or known child abuse and neglect. MCHC Life Skills Program Coordinators are bilingual, bicultural, trauma-informed and trained to respond to instances of child neglect, or failure to meet any of a child’s basic needs, and help caregivers better support their children in the long term. Program Coordinators work with families in which there is a risk for child placement out of the home and into foster care, families that are fostering a child to help with the transition, families that are reunifying after the child was in foster care, or post adoption.

Program Coordinators cover a variety of parenting aspects during home-visits based on the family’s needs including establishing a daily routine, hygeine practices, appropriate discipline, healthy relationships, mental healthcare, and more. Program Coordinators become the primary support for parents in need of connections to stable housing, employment, education on budgeting, or other building blocks that make for a safe, stable home. As a result, more caregivers have the knowledge to parent and ability to overcome challenges to support their children’s well-being.

How does it work?

The Life Skills Program has been provided by MCHC in partnership with the Chester County Department of Children, Youth and Families (CYF) since 2014. A CYF Caseworker responds to a ChildLine report of an issue regarding child safety (i.e. suspected or known abuse or neglect, parent/child conflict, drug or alcohol use) by visiting the home to assess the situation. The CYF Caseworker determines the appropriate action based on severity, and if it merits support from an in-home caseworker to resolve the issues. Families may also be court-mandated to participate in the program. Families in this program are typically open cases with CYF and may only participate if they are referred by CYF.

The program serves caregivers (mother, father, relative, or adoptive parents) with children between the ages of 0-18 years. Families participate in the program for 4-12 months and receive weekly home-visits lasting 1-2 hours. MCHC Life Skills Program Coordinators work with Spanish and English-speaking families with support from the family’s CYF Caseworker. The home-visiting curriculum may include the Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) Level 4 Standard Teen or adapted education and activities to support younger children.