Programs

We offer the community a place to go for help that is family orientated and provided at no cost. Families can come here for emergency food assistance, and a clothing closet will be also available for families in need. We also offer special events to our case managed families like our Back to School Events, Ice Cream Socials, Super Hero Event, Christmas With Santa, and our annual Special Lives without Limits Event. If a family is in need of health insurance, we have Certified Application Assistants who will help fill out the applications for Medi-Cal/Insurance. There are Budgeting, Parenting, Sign Language, and Nutrition Classes available and groups such as: Mommy & Me, Parenting, DIY Class (non-toxic products) and our teen group TLC.

Medi-Cal Application Assistance Available 

To successfully complete the application, you will need the following items:

• child’s birth certificate
• current paycheck stubs
• proof of address
• child support check stubs
• alimony check stub
• child care receipts

After a child is diagnosed with a medical complication, parents often feel that some core-level dreams for their family have been shattered. They may experience confusion and frustration as they try to find information that will help them raise a child with special needs. They may feel like they are riding on a roller coaster.

The staff of the Early Start Program are parents, grandparents, or siblings of a child with special needs. We have navigated the system ourselves. We have researched the resources and programs available in our community and our nation. We would like to share this information with you.

The Early Start Program provides free parent-to-parent support services to any family in Tulare County who has a child born with a special need, medical concern, or delays in development.

Parenting Network believes strongly in teaching our families to effectively advocate for their children, which requires families to have an understanding of their rights and to understand the importance of self-health. We provide yearly IEP trainings and monthly Parent to Parent Support Groups.

Family Empowerment Centers (FECs) provide training and information to families of children and young adults with disabilities, between the ages of 3 and 22 in California. Parenting Network offers specialized training, peer-to-peer support, information and referral services.

They aim to assist parents to better understand their child’s educational and developmental needs, effectively communicate with service providers, serve as a resource for the IEP process, participate in school reform and improvement activities, promote alternative dispute resolution, and support positive relationships between parents and professionals.  

This is open to all fathers in Tulare County area. It includes services geared towards fathers and children. Services may include: case management, peer-to-peer support, parent-child enrichment activities, financial literacy, healthy marriage workshops, employment assistance, guest speakers, and knowledge and understanding of the “Five Protective Factors.”

Project Fatherhood’s mission is ” To renew the biological imperative for fathers to care for their child so that no child feels like a fatherless child. And to accept the fact that the public sector will never be able to raise children as well as a family can.”

The Family Check-Up is designed for families with children ages 2 to 17.

The three main Family Check-Up components are scheduled individually with families based on their availability. After completing a feedback session, families may choose to follow up with the in-home parenting services offered by Parenting Network.

The Everyday Parenting Program is designed as a companion program for the Family Check-Up. When used together, parents who wish to improve their parenting and family management skills can work with their Family Check-Up provider to address those goals after completing the Family Check-Up.

This program is designed to follow the FCU components but can be offered as a standalone service as well. The Everyday Parenting program is a research-based family management training program that addresses three main skill areas: supporting positive behavior, setting healthy limits, and building family relationships.

The PLAY Program is a collaborative effort to support CalWorks families who have a child under 24 months or to support a pregnant mother, and CalLearn families, who are teen parents or pregnant teens. As a strategy for reducing teen pregnancy rates and long-term welfare dependency, the Cal-Learn program was designed to assist teen parents receiving California Work Opportunity and Responsibility for Kids (CalWORKs). CalLearn helps pregnant and parenting teens attend and graduate from high school or its equivalent. Services may include: Prenatal, infant, and toddler care, infant and child nutrition, developmental screenings and assessments, parent educations, parent and child interaction, job readiness and barrier removal, domestic violence and sexual assault, mental health, and substance abuse treatment.

The Play program utilizes the Parents as Teachers Curriculum. Parents as Teachers (PAT) is a home-visiting parent education program that teaches new and expectant parents skills to promote positive child development and prevent child maltreatment.

Our Community Navigator Program provides vital low-level case management and comprehensive resources to families with loved ones who have special needs, spanning from birth to the end of life. We recognize that caring for a family member with special needs requires ongoing support, guidance, and access to essential resources throughout their entire lifespan. Our program aims to empower families by offering personalized assistance, advocacy, and connections to community services that meet their unique needs. 

At Parenting Network Inc, we are committed to assisting families with loved ones who have special needs throughout their entire lifespan. Our Community Navigator Program aims to alleviate the challenges families face by offering low-level case management, resource coordination, advocacy, and emotional support.

Families are eligible to receive Healthy Families America (HFA) services beginning prenatally or within 3 months of birth. HFA is an in-home parenting education program designed to support families for an average of 3 years.

The goals of Healthy Families America are:

• To increase parent education.
• Decrease maternal depression
• To have children experience fewer adverse childhood experiences.
• To have children experience greater school success.

SafeCare is the parenting curriculum used in the HFA parenting program. SafeCare consists of up to 18 sessions. SafeCare consists of 3 modules:

• Health
• Parent and Child Interaction
• Safety

Respite Care is offered to families selected by Tulare County Child Welfare case workers or Tulare County approved resource families. The families must be participating in either Voluntary Family Maintenance (VFM), Family Maintenance (FM), or Tulare County Licensed Foster Parents..

Parenting Network’s Respite Care Program is designed to provide parents with in-home child care. This respite is offered to allow parents to run errands, go to doctor’s appointments, business appointments, and attend court-ordered classes.

The emphasis is on families who would benefit from the extra hand and who are in need of a “break”. Respite Care is flexible to the needs of the family’s schedule as much as possible.

The Visalia Family Resource Center is contracted with the Visalia Unified School District to provide case management services to families who have children enrolled in the Visalia School District. PN—VFRC Case Manager receives referrals from VUSD Student Welfare & Attendance Specialists Staff (SWAS), School Administration, and/or School Social Workers. Sometimes a referral can be about a family who is experiencing some difficulties in life or parenting challenges. Services may include: advocacy/case management, in-home parenting classes, counseling services, referrals to legal assistance, food assistance, clothing closet, alcohol/drug program referrals , medical service referrals, counseling referrals, free access to washer/dryer, housing/shelter linkages.

Open to any parent with an open Tulare County Child Welfare Services case. Have you had your children detained? Or do you have an open CWS case? Has your life been turned upside down? Do you feel like you’re all alone and need someone to help you through the system? That is what we, as Parent Partners, are here for. We are here to help you. We too have had our children removed from our custody and have successfully navigated through the system. The Parent Partner Program was created to be a support system of parents helping parents.

Parenting Network’s CPR/First Aid Program enables families to receive quick access to the required CPR/First Aid certification. The Adult First Aid/CPR/AED course incorporates the latest science and teaches students to recognize and care for a variety of first aid emergencies such as burns, cuts, scrapes, sudden illnesses, head, neck, back injuries, heat and cold emergencies, and how to respond to breathing and cardiac emergencies for victims about 12 years and older. Successful students will receive a certificate for Adult First Aid/CPR/AED valid for two years.

The Post Differential Response Program provides time-limited case management services to families with an open CWS case. Parents will utilize the new skills and tools they have acquired through their existing CWS Case Plan and will have a community partner to help guide them through the process of reorganizing their lives. The Post Differential Response Case Managers provide a variety of services, from advocacy, linkages to resources, and referrals to partner agencies. The primary goal of this program is to maintain child safety and well-being by empowering the family to continue the positive progress they have begun through Child Welfare Services and sustain a solid and stable home life.

The Pre Differential Response Program is a Preventative Program to provide support to families. Every month, hundreds of calls are made to the Child Abuse Hotline. Some calls are made to help protect children who are living in an unsafe environment and may be at risk of child abuse or neglect. And sometimes a call can be about a family who is experiencing some difficulties in life or parenting challenges. Their children are safe and not at risk of child abuse or neglect. However, depending on the family’s needs, they may benefit from receiving resources and/or referrals from community partners.

This is open to any Tulare County Resource Parent. The goals of the Resource Parent Partner are to pass on expertise on: trauma-informed care, the importance of the biological family’s involvement, dealing with problem behaviors, handling crisis, day-to-day problem solving, access to resources, navigating the “Foster Care System”, advocacy, and self-sufficiency.