This included a component for early stimulation of preschool children at home, as well as parents' rights and responsibilities awareness training, which empowers parents to fully participate in the educational process. In 1991, a town-wide Family Learning Center was established. The Center was relocated at Barbieri School in the Fall of 1994. The Center serves all Framingham parents and shares its space with the school's Parent Teacher Organization. This space is used throughout the school year by parents and school staff for a variety of activities.
Members can work on small projects or hold a committee meeting here.
A school professional staff member can meet with a parent in the center, so that any child accompanying the parent can be kept occupied with the toys, children's books, and craft materials in the Center during the conference. Every Wednesday morning, the Parent, Infant, and Toddler Group meet for an informal session of networking, support, and socialization. On Tuesday evenings, the center will provide supervised child care during the two-hour parent training classes, which are held in another area of the school. Handouts, pamphlets, and parenting periodicals are always available to parents. There is a lending library of parenting books and resources for classroom teachers.