House Resolution 116 PAG LIN 1 1 HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. ___ 1 2 BY GREIMANN and FREEMAN 1 3 A Resolution promoting a family and consumer sciences 1 4 high school graduation requirement including 1 5 parenting and life management skills. 1 6 WHEREAS, child abuse and child neglect are serious 1 7 problems directly impacting society; and 1 8 WHEREAS, research shows that most parents who abuse 1 9 or neglect their children were themselves abused or 1 10 neglected as children, and this cycle of child abuse 1 11 and neglect can be broken only through teaching new, 1 12 more positive parenting skills to individuals before 1 13 they become parents; and 1 14 WHEREAS, parents are the first and primary teachers 1 15 of their children, and when the parents' family 1 16 experiences include abusive, neglectful behaviors, the 1 17 opportunity to learn parenting skills must be expanded 1 18 beyond these family experiences to the schools, where 1 19 a knowledge base of effective parenting and life 1 20 management skills can be taught; and 1 21 WHEREAS, serious commitment and meaningful efforts 1 22 are necessary to prevent the occurrence of child abuse 1 23 and neglect in Iowa through the encouragement of 1 24 parenting classes for all senior high school students; 1 25 and 1 26 WHEREAS, effective family and consumer sciences 1 27 education programs already exist statewide in Iowa 1 28 schools but are not required for all students; and 1 29 WHEREAS, family and consumer sciences programs 1 30 include instruction regarding parenting, parenting 2 1 roles and responsibilities, the costs of raising a 2 2 child, creating nurturing and protective environments 2 3 for children, child development, child care skills, 2 4 interpersonal skills, problem=solving and decision= 2 5 making skills, coping with the stress of raising 2 6 children, positive discipline and conflict resolution 2 7 strategies, and other life management skills that 2 8 contribute to a higher quality of life; NOW THEREFORE, 2 9 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 2 10 That the House of Representatives urges all local 2 11 boards of education to support and encourage the 2 12 development, inclusion, and expansion of parenting and 2 13 life management skills curricula in the family and 2 14 consumer sciences programs of all high schools 2 15 throughout Iowa; and 2 16 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of 2 17 Representatives acknowledges and commends the 2 18 progressive local boards of education in Iowa that 2 19 currently have a family and consumer sciences 2 20 graduation requirement in parenting and life 2 21 management skills; and 2 22 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of 2 23 Representatives urges all local boards of education 2 24 without a family and consumer sciences requirement to 2 25 give priority to the addition of a specific family and 2 26 consumer sciences high school graduation requirement 2 27 in parenting and life management skills for all 2 28 students in their districts; and 2 29 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this 2 30 Resolution be sent to the Department of Education for 3 1 distribution to the superintendents of Iowa's school 3 2 districts. 3 3 LSB 5803HH 80 3 4 kh/pj/5