As a mother of four, a member of the District 113 community and a District 113 school board member, I love the mission CTAD has set out to accomplish. Shortly after moving to Deerfield over five years ago, I was introduced to the Deerfield Parent Network (DPN). DPN provides resources and helps educate parents of District 113 on strategies and tools for effective parenting. DPN and CTAD have partnered to offer presentations on the topic of drug and alcohol use amongst our teens. During my time with DPN, I worked closely with the Deerfield High School principal and District 113 administration. This work eventually led me to run for the District 113 School Board, become a director on CTAD’s board, and serve on CTAD’s parent committee.
I believe in CTAD’s mission to reduce the use of alcohol and drugs amongst our students. Because CTAD is made up of many different community partners, such as school administrators, police officers, government officials and parents, we are able to look at the issue of substance use from many different lenses. We also have the good fortune of working with the Lake County Health Department who helps us interpret the Illinois Youth Survey data. The parent committee uses this valuable information to determine how to proceed with our marketing campaign and other strategies.
As a parent in the community, I want to help create a culture that keeps our kids safe and allows them to feel empowered to make smart choices. I do believe a lot of this work must start at home. Our kids are more influenced by us, their parents, than we might think. Don’t be afraid to talk with your kids about alcohol and drugs.
