NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State
University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
July 23, 1998
Parent Line, an information and listening support line for North Dakota parents managed by the North Dakota State University Extension Service, has expanded its hours of operation. The new hours will be from 7:30 a.m. to 9:15 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Fridays.
Parent Line staff answer questions about child behavior and development from birth to young adult. The toll-free Parent Line telephone number is 1-800-258-0808. In Fargo call 231-7923.
Money to expand the Parent Line program, $45,000 a year, comes from a subcontract with North Dakota Parent Assistance and Supportive Schools (NDPASS) in Minot. NDPASS is one of 40 nationwide parent-support programs created by Goals 2000, school-reform legislation passed by Congress in 1994. Goals 2000 aims to make parents equal partners in their children's education process.
"The reason that Parent Line was chosen is because of the service that the program has already provided for people throughout the state," says Willy Soderholm, NDPASS project coordinator.
In order to offer expanded hours, Parent Line will now have another specialist, Suzanne Berzonsky, to answer questions and providing support. Berzonsky holds a master's in community counseling and has several years experience working with children, adolescents and families as a professional counselor.
"For parents, the expanded hours provide an opportunity to call when it's more convenient for some people. Home is sometimes more private than a work environment," says Kim Bushaw, NDSU's Parent Line program specialist. "Also, with two of us answering questions and offering support, parents have a choice of whom they will talk to. Prior to expanding the hours, late afternoon calls didn't get returned until the following day. Now they'll be returned during the evening, so there will be less waiting for parents."
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Source: Kim Bushaw (701) 231-1070
Editor: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136