The Westchester County Coalition for Drug and Alcohol Free Youth represents anti-drug coalitions throughout Westchester. These coalitions work to reduce underage drinking and other drug use and to promote positive youth development.
Power to the Parent.org
Power to the Parent.org is a program of the Westchester Coalition for Drug and Alcohol Free Youth. The organization was created to provide parents with information and support on how to keep teens safe from alcohol and other drugs. While parents can contact the organization directly by phone at (914) 332-1300 or by e-mail at , they can also access information and get inspiration on the organization's Web site, Power to the Parent.org.
Power to the Parent.org's goal is to empower parents, to give them the hardcore facts about drinking and drugs, to provide strategies and information and to help parents communicate with their teens.
The Web site contains such information as:
- A Parent Toolkit that provides tips to keep teens safe
- Facts about alcohol and other drugs
- The laws that affect Westchester families
- The warning signs of drinking and drug use
- Other resources to empower parents
Family Day
Of national importance is Family Day – A Day to Eat Dinner With Your Children. It's an effort to promote parental engagement as a single, effective way to reduce substance abuse among children and teens and to raise healthier children. This initiative, started by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, encourages families to share a meal together and encourages communities to participate by helping families find the time and resources to make a shared meal a reality.
Since it began, Family Day has been celebrated on the fourth Monday of September.
While it would be wonderful for parents to eat dinner with their children every day, this day, in particular, is a special reminder that dinner does make a difference.