The focus is upon increasing communication skills and raising awareness of available community resources. Educational areas include basic life skills, GED instruction and testing, Family Education, and vocation-specific classes. The development of the skills, aptitudes, and attitudes necessary for life long learning is central to all instruction. The Family Education Program promotes life long learning in families with children ages newborn to six. An Adult Basic Educator and an Early Childhood Educator meet with family members each week at State certified sites in rural communities throughout North Central Idaho.
Children receive literacy and developmentally appropriate activities based on current research.
Parents participate with the children for the first hour of each session, and then focus on parenting, academic development, English as a Second Language, High School Equivalency or G.E.D., basic skills improvement, job readiness training, basic computer skills, and other areas of study which will make the family unit more self reliant. The Family Education program is currently available in Craigmont, Grangeville, Kamiah, Weippe, and Juliaetta. FEP also enjoys a unique alliance with the Idaho Correctional Institute at Orofino and the North Idaho Correctional Institute at Cottonwood where the innovative Family Life Program is offered to incarcerated fathers. Family Life seeks to break the cycle of recidivism and criminal behavior in families. Fathers receive instruction about the developmental needs of children, parenting skills, family communication, and methods of breaking barriers of imprisonment through shared distance literacy activities with their children.