Healthy Families (Familias Saludables) Program

Children’s Curriculum

Help children develop a sense of belonging and high self-esteem!

Every year, millions of children witness violence in their home. Research suggests that exposure to domestic violence negatively affects the behaviors and emotional well-being of children. In response to this, the Children’s Curriculum was developed by Defensa de Mujeres, a non-profit organization that serves abused women and their children, to promote healthy families and lifestyles. Healthy Families Program/Programa Familias Saludables offers an important, bilingual (Spanish/English) curriculum for all classrooms to encourage children’s creative thinking, curiosity, and love for learning.

Students learn:

how culture affects family well-being
how to identify physical and verbal abuse
how to enhance communication skills within the family
how to handle family stress in healthy ways
how to identify importance places in the community for prevention of family violence
and much, much more

The Children’s Curriculum was written for teachers of two age groups, ages six to eight and nine to twelve. The series of eight sessions helps children learn to recognize family violence and actions that help them stay safe. Each session has separate materials and riveting activity steps for the two age groups, ready-to-copy handouts for children, and clear goals and objectives.

The Healthy Families Program/Programa Familias Saludables sessions include:

Cultural Knowledge and Pride
Preventing Domestic Violence in the Family
Communication within the Family
Preventing Alcohol and Other Drug Use in the Family
The Physical and Mental Well-being of a Family
Teens and Dating Violence
Community Involvement
Final Reunion and Certification Presentation

Through an accessible, informative curriculum, Healthy Families Program/Programa Familias Saludables is the first step to help children learn prevention and communication skills when confronted with domestic violence. This guide can serve as a companion to the Healthy Families Program/Programa Families Saludables for adults, educating both children and adults in concurrent sessions.