By Gema Alvarado-Guerrero

Parenting Resource Center Executive Director

Question: Is the Parenting Resource Center different than the Seibel Center?

Answer: Yes and no. The Parenting Resource Center, Inc. has three main subdivisions: Parenting Resource Center, Catherwood Home Childcare, and the Michael H. Seibel Family Visitation and Exchange Center.

The Parenting Resource Center recognizes that while parenting is the most rewarding job we will ever have, it can also be the most challenging. Therefore, all of our projects and programs are aimed to support parents and caregivers so they then can create a healthy home environment for their children.

The Parenting Resource Centers offers group and individual parent education, Specialty Library, Parent2Parent Mentor program, the Parent WarmLine/ Linea de Apoyo and Crisis Nursery. We also hold 5 Parents Forever Divorce Education sessions each year and individually for those who need the sessions held in Spanish. We currently have two Spanish speaking staff, myself, and our Parent Educator, Wendy.

Catherwood is our daycare facility located on 707 4th St. NW. Catherwood is unique because we offer non-traditional hours; we open Monday through Friday from 5:30 a.m. until the last child leaves on second shift, which sometimes can be around midnight. If QPP employees who have children that utilize Catherwood work on Saturdays, then we also open for the duration of their shift.

The Michael H. Seibel Family Visitation and Exchange Center, or Seibel Center for short, is our monitored visitation and exchange Center. Opened in 2008, this resource is available to parents and caregivers, including grandparents or fosters parents and their children who have separation conflict.

What this means is that the Center will appoint a security monitor to facilitate exchanges or visitations to alleviate any conflict. An exchange is defined as transferring a child from one parent to the other. A supervised visitation is defined as a parent using our visitation room to visit their children under a supervision of a security monitor.

If at any point you would like to learn more or tour our Center, you can do so by calling our main office at 507-437-8330

Gema Alvarado-Guerrero is the Executive Director of the Parenting Resource Center in Austin. If you would like to talk with a parenting specialist about family challenges, call the toll-free Parent WarmLine at 1-888-584-2204/Línea de Apoyo at 877-434-9528.  For free emergency child care call Crisis Nursery at 1-877-434-9599.