Group Brings Families and Schools Together

As a Cub Scout leader, a school volunteer and otherwise involved parent, Melissa Schroeder didn’t know about the Families And Schools Together program.

The Caledonia mother came across a flyer for FAST as she waited for her visitor’s pass at North Park Elementary School.

For the first 15 families who signed up, the flyer offered opportunity for kids and parents to connect with their school and each other.

Schroeder was sold.

“I think that as parents we have every responsibility to be as involved in our kids’ lives as we can be. Sometimes over-involved! The FAST program seems like it reinforces that,” said Schroeder, 34, whose family – husband Brian, 33, and sons Jacob, 6, and Joey, 4 -- will start the program next month at North Park.  

It’s an opportunity parents throughout Racine County have been able to embrace since 1993, when the non-profit program came to the area with support from Lutheran Social Services, among others. Since then, more than 1,500 people have participated in FAST programs in Racine County, coordinator Karen Fetherston said.

Families meet once a week for 2 ½ hours. The program lasts for eight weeks.

In the first hour, families settle in and share a meal. Each week, a different family makes the main dish, often spaghetti, lasagna, tacos or chicken.

But, Fetherston said, “We always have peanut butter and jelly in case a kid is picky or a parent is a vegetarian.”

Before splitting into groups, families play games meant to improve family communication.

A charades-type game encourages children to act out their emotions. Through play, Fetherston said, they develop a better sense of themselves but also gain a deeper understanding of their parents, as one little boy learned.

For the longest time, the boy thought his mom had a mad face every time she came home from work. Through the game, he learned her “sad” face really meant she was tired.

“He never knew,” Fetherston said.

In the second hour of the program, kids do crafts and games with other kids; children ages three and under go to the nursery. Parents gather for a parents group.

Sometimes the talk skews serious, focusing on discipline, bed times, how to get kids to eat their vegetables. Other times moms and dads dish on American Idol and Dancing with the Stars or swap ideas for birthday party locations.

“We do get some really good support among the parents,” Fetherston said. “We had one parent who was able to quit smoking during FAST because the group asked her every week, ‘Have you quit yet?’ ”

The last 30 minutes are split into two segments.

Fifteen minutes are set aside for special play -- one parent and one child, no interruptions.

“The kids eat this part up,” Fetherston said. “The special part is the kids are in charge. The parent can’t lead or teach or judge.”

In the last 15 minutes, a family gets the weekly lottery prize basket.

“It’s a fixed lottery so every family will win eventually,” Fetherston said.

The prize basket includes a toy for each child, a family board game, cleaning supplies and an envelope with cash, usually about $25, which program organizers encourage the family to use toward the main dish of the coming week's FAST meal, which typically feeds more than 50 people.

“We don’t want that to have to come out of anyone's budget,” Fetherston said.

Families who attend at least six weeks of the program get to graduate. They get a red FAST t-shirt. They also get to invite friends and family to a special ceremony.

“We’ve had families tell us it’s the first time they’ve graduated from anything,” Fetherston said.

For most families, the program is a chance to spend time together.

It was something Schroeder was really looking forward to.

“We’ll play games together, talk about the different things in our lives and generally spend quality time with no TVs, no video games, no cell phones. I think that’s something that modern families should do more often, unplug,” she said.