Family Life

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Family life is both universal and particular. Each of us comes from a family, and throughout our lives we experience family in a variety of ways. That's the universal aspect. On the other hand, families come in every color, size, shape and language. Besides married mothers and fathers with children,  there are single mothers and fathers with children, multigenerational families living together, grandparents raising grandchildren, couples with adopted children, couples with no children, stepparents and stepchildren, to name just a few. Some families are separated by divorce, death, temporary job assignments, college, prison, economic hardship or immigration policies. Some reflect privilege, others poverty. Some are steeped in education; others are limited by functional illiteracy. Some exhibit many strengths, others are fragile and vulnerable. Single, married, blended, extended and step-families are all called to "participate in the mission of the larger church." 

Each family life contains within it moments of great significance for the development of the person and for the vitality of the whole church.  The Second Vatican Council aptly noted the importance of the Christian family when it referred to it by its ancient name, the "domestic church."  The intention of the Office of Family Outreach is to support families in finding the path that draws on the strengths of a God who loves them and promises to be with them always in all of the ups and downs of family life. To that end it offers:

  • Workshops/retreats for parents in any parish or mission by request.
  • Assistance to pastors/parish administrators or volunteers who would like to facilitate a parish workshop or retreat for parents. 
  • Resource materials for parents and pastors/parish administrators to borrow from the Family Outreach Library.
  • Assistance to parents and families in finding local resources for counseling and other support. Check the Local Resource list below.

Family Resource Library

These materials are available for couples,
parish volunteers and pastors to borrow.

Books:

  • A Book of Family Prayer, Gabe Huck
  • A Call to Peace, Jim McGinnis
  • A Family Journey with Jesus through Lent: Prayers & Activities for Each Day, Angela Burrin
  • Because We Love Them: Fostering a Christian Sexuality in Our Children, Sheree Whitters Havlik
  • Bless My Child:  A Catholic Mother's Prayer Book, Julie Cragon
  • Bradshaw on: The Family, John Bradshaw
  • Families Nurturing Faith: A Parents' Guide to the Preschool Years, Leif & Rene Kehrwald
  • Families Sharing Faith: A Parents' Guide to the Grade-School Years, John & Nancy Trokan            
  • Families Experiencing Faith:  A Parents' Guide to the Young Adolescent Years, Janet Drey
  • Families Exploring Faith: A Parents' Guide to the Older Adolescent Years, Audrey & Joe Taylor
  • Families Encouraging Faith: A Parents' Guide to the Young Adult Years, Jerrie Ann & Ken Goewey
  • Family Night: Lent and Easter, Terry and Mimi Reilly
  • Family Prayer, Dolores Curran
  • Family Secrets: What You Don't Know Can Hurt You, John Bradshaw
  • Family Spirituality, Leif Kehrwald
  • Forbidden Grief: The Unspoken Pain of Abortion, by Theresa Burke
  • Helping Kids Succeed - Alaskan Style, by and for Alaskans
  • Helping Little Kids Succeed - Alaskan Style, by and for Alaskans
  • In the Beginning.There Were No Diapers:  Laughing and Learning in the First Years of Fatherhood, Tim Bete
  • Loving the Everyday:  Meditation for Moms, Elizabeth Bookser Barkley
  • More Devotions for Families that Can't Sit Still, Carolyn Williford
  • Peoplemaking, Virginia Satir
  • Ready for College: Everything You Need to Know, Michael Francis Pennock
  • Reminders of God:  Altars for Personal and Family Devotion, Anne Grizzle
  • Sacred Dwelling:  A Spirituality of Family Life, Wendy Wright
  • Shame: Spiritual Suicide, by Vicki Underland-Rosow, Ph.D.
  • Stress and the Healthy Family, Dolores Curran
  • The Blessing Cup: 24 Simple Rites for Family Prayer-Celebrations, Rock Travnikar
  • They're Your Kids Not Your Friends, Shirlee Smith
  • To Dance with God: Family Ritual and Community Celebration, Gertrud Mueller Nelson
  • Traits of a Healthy Family, Dolores Curran
  • Weaving Faith & Family.When You're Hanging on by a Thread! Eileen Marx
  • Who's Calling the Shots?  How to Respond Effectively to Children's Fascination with War Play and War Toys, Nancy Carlsson-Paige & Diane Levin

Videos:

  • Bradshaw on the Family
  • Common Sense Parenting
  • Gathered in My Name: An Introduction to the Spirituality of Family Life, ACTA
  • Prayertime, Familytime, Kathleen O'Connell Chesto
  • The Essentials of Discipline: The Toddler and Preschool Years
  • The Essentials of Discipline: The Middle Years (5-11)
  • The Essentials of Discipline: The Teen Years

DVD Series

  • Child Development
    -From Prenatal to Birth
    -From Birth to One
    -From One to Three
    -From Three to Five
    -From Five to Eight
  • Active Parenting NOW
    -Parenting in the 21st Century
    -Active Communication
    -Effective Discipline
    -Sidestepping the Power Struggle
    -Building Character, Courage and Self-Esteem in Your Child
    -The Magic Family Meetings
  • Active Parenting of Teens
    -Current teen issues; styles of parenting, sexuality and violence: the problem
    -Building courage and self-esteem: drugs, sexuality and violence: the "think, feel, do" cycle
    -Problem-solving; five goals of teen behavior; problem-prevention talks; drugs, sexuality and violence
    -Helping teens develope responsibility; respectful discipline skills; mutual respect; drugs, sexuality and violence: stages of drug use
    -Effective communication skills; avoiding communication blocks; drugs, sexuality, violence and communication
    -Family talks and council meetings; drugs, sexuality, violence and active problem-solving

Recommended Distance Learning/Online Parenting Courses Available

 Resource Links

On Fathering:

On Mothering:

Spiritual Based Site for Parents:

  • At Home with Our Faith (www.homefaith.com) provides spiritual helps to parents with ideas and resources to assist them in passing on a living faith.
  • Catholic Parenting (www.catholicparenting.com) is a meeting place for Catholic parents looking to exchange ideas and experiences of being a Catholic parent; site features a bulletin board, resources, articles and crafts.
  • Christian Family Movement (www.cfm.org) is a national network of Action Groups, dedicated to "improving the quality of family life by reaching out."
  • Family Life Center International (www.familylifecenter.net) is an excellent resource for Catholic families.
  • Holy Cross Family Ministry (www.hcfm.org) promotes and supports the spiritual well-being of the family.

Families with Special Needs:

  • Alaska Chapter of National Downs Syndrome Congress (www.alaskadownsyndrome.ak.org) provides education and disseminates information for members, new parents and the community as a whole; provides parent-to-parent support to families of children with Down syndrome; gathers parents to share experiences; acts as an advocacy group for political effectiveness.
  • Alaska Mental Health Association (www.alaska.net/~mhaa/) is a Division of the National Mental Health Association and is dedicated to the promotion of good mental health, the prevention of mental illness and ongoing improvement in the care and treatment of the mentally ill through advocacy, education, referral, research, legislative input and the monitoring of existing programs.
  • Alaska Vision Resource Center (www.alaskabvi.org) provides quality rehabilitation and training to persons who experience blindness or visual impairment so that they may reach their highest level of independence.
  • Alaska Youth and Family Network (www.ayfn.org) advocates for families and children with social/emotional/behavioral challenges and related disabilities to be included as equal partners with professionals in developing policies, programs and ensuring adequate services and information.
  • Center for Community, Inc. (www.ptialaska.net/~cfcsitka/) is a statewide provider of home and community-based services for people with disabilities, and others who experience barriers to community living in Alaska.
  •  FAS Parent Support (www.stonesoupgroup.org/fas) provides information about community-based diagnostic teams, local agencies and programs that works with families, children and adults affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum, Disorders (FASD).
  • Maternal, Child and Family Health - Infant Learning Program (www.hss.state.ak.us/ocs/InfantLearning/) provides access to care for children with special health care needs in need of consultation, screening and follow-up.  Cleft Lip and Palate, Cardiac and Neurodevelopmental specialty clinics are included.
  • National Alliance for the Mentally Ill - Alaska (www.nami.org/MSTemplate.cfm?MicrositelD=111) is dedicated to the eradication of mental illnesses and to the improvement of the quality of life of all whose lives are affected by these diseases.  It's a nonprofit, grassroots, self-help, support and advocacy organization of consumers, families and friends of people with severe mental illnesses.
  • Parents, Inc. (www.parentsinc.org) is a parent training organization based on the philosophy that parents of all children with disabilities can help other families face similar challenges.
  • Programs for Infants and Children, Inc. (www.picak.org) provides early intervention services for infants and toddlers with special needs.  Training is individualized and implemented in a family centered home environment.
  • Project FACTS: Fetal Alcohol Consultation and Training Services (www.fasalaska.com/) provides information on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), Alcohol Related Birth Defects (ARBD), and Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND) with a focus on intervention techniques.
  • Special Olympics (www.specialolympicsalaska.org) provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of sports for people eight years of age and older with mental retardation, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympic athletes and the community.  Programs in Juneau, Ketchikan and Sitka.
  • National Catholic AIDS Network (www.ncan.org) assists the Church in recognizing the pain and the unique challenges inherent in the HIV/AIDS pandemic and in living out the Gospel mandate by offering compassionate support, education, referral and technical assistance.

Talking with Kids about Difficult Issues:

  • Talking with Kids about Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs (www.acde.org/parent/main.htm) is a substance abuse prevention and education agency that develops programs and materials for a range of audiences, including offering parents tips for talking with their children about drugs.
  • Talking with Kids about Tough Issues (www.talkingwithkids.org) encourages parents to talk with their children early and often about tough issues like sex, HIV/AIDS, violence, alcohol and drug abuse. Provides information and links to a host of websites and resources to support conversation with children 8-12 on these issues.
  • Partnership for a Drug-Free America (www.drugfreeamerica.org) has many online resources for parents, including information on how to talk to your children about drugs as they get older.

Family Projects:

  • Doing Good Together (www.doinggoodtogether.org) helps churches, schools and families find out about volunteering and develop projects.  Find volunteer ideas, sign up for a newsletter and more.
  • FamilyCares (www.1-800-volunteer.org/) offers many project ideas; some games and puzzles for younger children.

Parenting Info:

  • William Gladden Foundation (www.williamgladdenfoundation.org) sponsors an Internet project designed to inform children, parents and professionals about youth and family issues. It has excellent, free parenting material on a lorge variety of topics.
  • World Family Connections' (www.worldfamilyconnections.org) mission is to support and strengthen parents and families from all nations in order to create a safe world for all children. It provides resources and opportunities for training locally or via telephone.
Blended/Stepfamilies:

Single Parenting:

Adoption/Foster:

  • American Adoptions (www.americanadoptions.com) provides resources for those considering adoption.
  • Alaska Center for Resource Families (www.acrf.org) offers a variety of educational opportunities, onsite and distance delivery programs, for families who are wishing to become foster or adoptive parents and on-going training to meet the State of Alaska requirements for foster parents.
  • American Pregnancy (www.americanpregnancy.org/adoption/adoptionprocess.html) The steps of the adoption process for the adoptive family.
  • Older Child Adoption (http://www.olderchildadoption.com/parenting/onlineparentingclasses.htm) offers a variety of online courses for adoptive parents of older children.

Local Resources

These local agencies/services can be helpful in providing or helping you to find counseling, educational programs and other resources for the family:

  • Craig: 
    Communities Organized for Health Options (COHO), 826-3662
  • Haines: 
    Lynn Canal Counseling Services, 766-2177
    S E A R H C, Family Services & Alcohol Counseling, 766-2680
  • Juneau: 
    Family Support Services, Catholic Community Service (CCS), 463-6129
    Healthy Families Juneau, CCS, 463-6132
    Young Families Program & Healthy Pregnancy Project, Juneau Family Birth Center, 586-1203
    Juneau Youth Services, 789-9103
    Parents Anonymous, CCS, 790-4102
    Teen Family Center, CCS, 463-5437
    Tlingit & Haida Tribal Family & Youth Services, 463-7162
    Juneau Alliance for Mental Health, Inc (JAMHI), 463-3303
  • Ketchikan:
    Ketchikan Indian Community, 228-4917
    Gateway Center for Human Services, 225-4135
  • Petersburg:
    Petersburg     Mental Health Service, 772-3332
  • Sitka: 
    Sitka Counseling & Prevention Services, Inc, 747-8210
    Islands Counseling Services, 747-8994
  • Skagway: 
    Lynn Canal Counseling Services, 983-2548
  • Wrangell:
    Wrangell Community Services, 874-237    3

Domestic Violence

In addition to these resources in your community, the following agencies/services can be helpful in providing or helping you to find support groups, counseling and safety when dealing with domestic violence:

  • National Domestic Violence Hotline: 
    800-799-SAFE 
  • The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) Hotline: 
    800-656-HOPE
  • Statewide: Crisis Line (24 hrs.) 800-478-1600
  • Juneau:
    AWARE, Crisis Line, 800-478-1090, Juneau office, 586-1090
    Alaska Network on Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault, 586-3650
  • Ketchikan:
    Women in Safe Homes (WISH), 225-9474
  • Petersburg: 
    Women's Aid In Violent Emergencies (WAVE), 800-478-9474
  • Sitka: 
    Crisis Help Line, 800-478-6511
    Sitkans Against Family Violence (SAFV) 1-800-478-6511