Now Recruiting Families for Our 11th FAST Cycle

FAST® (Families and Schools Together) is an internationally-acclaimed parent engagement program that supports the family bonding necessary for children to thrive.

Built on evidence-based practices and rigorously tested, FAST:

1. Empowers parents as leaders of their families.
2. Builds positive connections and social capital between families and schools.
3. Creates a supportive community engaged in fostering children’s well-being and education.

During FAST, families have an opportunity to:

1. Spend time together.
2. Eat a meal.
3. Play games.
4. Get to know other families.

The FAST Team invites families to “just try it once.”

The result: 80% of families who attend one FAST Session will successfully complete the program (attend 6 out of 8 sessions) – one of the highest retention rates among parent empowerment programs.

After a single FAST Cycle:

1. Children’s school behavior improves and emotional problems diminish at home and at school.
2. Parent-child bonding strengthens and family conflict declines.
3. Academic performance improves and children get along better with their parents and with their peers.

In short, FAST applies research and evidence-based family therapy practices to promote the full potential of every child.

Weekly connection with the FAST Team and other families will help:

1. Reduce parental isolation by providing social and emotional support to parents and families.
2. Increase connection between families and the school during (for most schools) virtual learning.
3. Facilitate referrals for families to needed community resources.

In light of the global coronavirus pandemic, FAST has also adapted to an at-home and/or virtual format. Because families are much more isolated than usual, and because families are staying home in order to keep one another safe, the biggest focus of the program is to provide tools families can use at home to:

1. Help support positive family interactions.
2. Reduce conflict.
3. Increase cohesion.

What makes FAST special?

Several characteristics make FAST a strong choice among prevention and early intervention programs and parenting skills courses, including:

Family-to-family interaction.

FAST brings multiple families together in dynamic groups to build connections. These connections support families at home, in the school, and within their larger community.

Learning by doing, not lecture.

FAST is an experiential program, where families can learn and practice positive parenting and family behaviors, rooted in practices from child psychology, family therapy, and family stress theory, among others.

Parent empowerment.

Throughout the program, FAST Team Members respect and support parents as the leaders and decision-makers of their families. Team Members utilize a specific technique to facilitate the session, allowing parents to give direction and instruction to their own family.

Cultural adaptation.

FAST Teams reflect the local culture, ethnicity, language, gender balance, and socioeconomic status of the families served. Up to 60% of FAST can and should be adapted to fit local priorities and needs.

Pre- and post-survey assessment.

FAST Parents, teachers, and youth (level-dependent) complete surveys before and after each FAST Cycle to assess program effectiveness and identify opportunities for improvement. These findings are also collected and tabulated at the national level to continually evaluate and evolve FAST.

Holistic and systemic impact.

By building social capital among families and within the existing social structures of schools and communities, FAST accrues benefits that extend beyond the effects of traditional categorical programs. For example, a community that implements four different programs to reduce school failure, truancy, delinquency, and drug addiction could accomplish the same outcomes with the FAST Program.

Because of these differentiating features, FAST supports systemic change in the family, school, and community to promote the full potential of every child. Learn more about the statistically-significant, positive outcomes of https://www.familiesandschools.org/

‍More than 60 One City Families have successfully went thru the program since it was offered at our school in 2016 and give it rave reviews!