Tuesday night marked the beginning of Greene County’s Strengthening Families spring session at Branch Heights Activity Center. The 14-week program aims to strengthen parenting skills and provide behavioral intervention for children and teens. Program coordinator Mrs. Mildred J. Morgan welcomed students and parents with a lovely barbecue sandwich dinner and an overview of the program.
Attendees were split into three separate classrooms: children, youth, and parents. Each classroom held introductions and an age-based topic for the group. Daisy Hutton, teacher leader for ages 5 to 11, highlighted the program’s impact for curbing challenging and dangerous behaviors. She stated that the Honorable Lillie Jones-Osborne asked her to join the program 10 years ago to volunteer as a teacher for the children’s class. Hutton commented that Judge Osbourne would order families to attend the program as a disciplinary intervention. “This program is about keeping the kids away from alcohol, tobacco, and drugs. It’s about teaching them to respect authority,” Hutton stated.
The youth class for middle school children and teens was led by Geraldine Walton, former program director for West Alabama Headstart from 1998 to 2012. Walton learned about the strengthening families program in 2022. “I love meeting the students and hearing about their lives,” Walton commented. She led the teens in a discussion about their dreams and how to set goals. Next week, students will discuss one step they can take to fulfill their visions.
Mrs. Morgan led the parent classroom meeting. She emphasized that all discussions from the parent class will remain confidential and equip parents with tools to reinforce positive behaviors. She stated that the space would be like a therapy session to assist with stress management. Parents were encouraged to hold weekly family meetings so everyone could voice concerns and plan for the week ahead.
The program will meet every Tuesday at 5:00 pm, serving dinner and new topics of discussion. Upon completion of the program, a ceremony will be held for parents and students on June 20th, 2026. Mrs. Morgan encourages families to come out each week with potential door prizes underway.