Founder visit to mark 10 Incredible Years in Drogheda

TEN years since the introduction to Drogheda of the ‘ Incredible Years’ series will be marked this week, with a visit to the town of the developer of this programme for parents, teachers and children.

Carolyn Webster-Stratton, founder & developer of Incredible Years will be here as part of a tour of Louth to see the programme in action in Drogheda and Dundalk, as part of The Genesis Programme, the Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme funded by the Department of Children & Youth Affairs (DCYA).

The Incredible Years is a series of interlocking, evidence-based programmes for children, their parents and teachers.

Its goal is to prevent and treat young children’s behavioural problems and promote their social, emotional and academic competence.

Hugh Doogan is programme manager with The Genesis Programme in Louth and says there is a busy week ahead for the team.

“This is very exciting for us to welcome Ms Webster-Stratton here and we have a packed schedule of activities in Drogheda and Dundalk for her,” he explains.

“As well as paying visits to several local schools, there will be graduation events and an accreditation ceremony, as well as a welcome dinner, so we will keep her busy.”

The Genesis Programme is delivering the Incredible Years suite of programmes to children, families and communities in areas of entrenched disadvantage in Dundalk and Drogheda.

The vision is to measurably improve the development outcomes for children aged pre-birth to six years of age in the targeted areas using separate training programs, intervention manuals and DVDs for use by trained therapists, teachers and group leaders to promote children’s social competence, and problem solving skills and reduce their behaviour problems.

The objectives of these interventions are to help parents and teachers provide young children (0-12 years) with a strong emotional, social and academic foundation to achieve the longer term goal of reducing the development of depression, school drop out, violence, drug abuse and delinquency in later years.

Site visits will take place on Thursday to St. Patrick’s NS, St. Brigid’s NS, Clever Cloggs, Moneymore Childcare Centre, St. John’s JNS and Marymount NS.