What is Safe Homes?
Safe Homes is a parent support and networking campaign based on the belief that to prevent a child from using drugs, you need to create an environment where drug use is not acceptable. One of the reasons youth use drugs and alcohol is because they feel that adults in the community and/or parents don’t disapprove of the behavior. When parents and adults join together and take a united stand against alcohol and drug use, they become much more effective than if they act separately. Parents can benefit from the support of other parents by helping each other resist pressure from parents who do not set the same limits on their children's behavior.
The goals of the campaign include:
1. Providing information to parents/guardians about the use of alcohol and other drugs by adolescents
2. Encouraging parents to openly communicate with one another about parenting concerns
3. Assisting parents in establishing reasonable guidelines for their children's behavior
4. Promoting and creating alternative activities available to youths and families
5. Functioning as a continuing support network for parents and youth
This campaign focuses on current trends/substance abuse education; communication/listening skills; building family strengths and family management – setting boundaries and expectations. The goal of this campaign is to increase protective factors or assets (things in kids lives that buffer them from negative behaviors) and reduce known risk factors (things in kids lives that increase the likelihood that they will engage in negative behavior) while bringing parents up to date on the world of teens today and sharing information to help build parenting skills.