better tools than ‘time-outs’

Parenting ACE is a convergence between professional and personal. As a pediatrician on the Child Family Wellness team at Stroger Hospital, founder Dr. Marjorie Fujara often sees children at the ER for suspected child abuse. These are Adverse Child Experiences (ACEs), and their effects can reverberate through childhood and adulthood. After evaluating many children, she began to ask what happened. Tearful caregivers admitted, “I didn’t know what else to do.” It became clear to Dr. Fujara that parents need better tools than “time-outs.”

At the same time, Dr. Fujara was grappling with her own parenting challenge. Her youngest child had been diagnosed with a rare chromosomal disorder at seven months of age. He had a speech delay that, as he grew, became more significant. He knew what to say but struggled with the motor planning to form the words. “As a pediatrician,” Marjorie says, “I had a wealth of resources at my fingertips, yet as a parent I felt totally helpless.”

the triple p program

When professional met personal, Dr. Fujara found the Triple P program. A global evidence-based program, it helped practitioners identify the strengths of both parents and children, and it was flexible enough to also meet the needs of parents with special needs children and teens.

5 Core Principles of Positive Parenting

Principle 1:

Make life safe and fun for your child

A bored child may get into trouble.
Have lots of fun things to keep them busy.
Make sure your home is safe for play.

Principle 2:

Help your child learn

When your child comes to you they are ready to learn.
Give them your attention, even for a minute or two.
Listen to your child’s question.
Ask questions to help them solve problems on their own.

Principle 3:

Set clear rules and back them up

Have rules that tell your child what to do.
Use lots of praise when they do things that you like.
Stay calm and deal with problems quickly.

Principle 4:

Be realistic about your child

Children are not perfect.
Not all children can do the same things at the same age.
Be realistic about what your child can do.
Be realistic about what they cannot do.

Principle 5:

Take care of yourself

When you look after your own needs, you will be calmer.
Do something you enjoy sometimes.
Ask for help if you need it.

moving the needle
in the right direction

Yet a real solution is never so simple. In our culture, parenting education carries a stigma. And, many parents struggle beneath extraordinary pressures and stresses. Positive parenting programs alone are not quite enough. With other resources, including a digital community and a public awareness campaign, we can begin to move the needle in the right direction. That’s our vision.

We couldn’t do it alone, though. Parenting ACE is a collaboration between the Divisions of Child Family Wellness and Child Psychiatry within the Cook County Health & Hospitals System.

Every parent needs support and a helping hand from time to time. Let us be yours. We invite you to join us and become a member of our community.

Our Vision

To build healthier, stronger, safer families—and communities—in Cook County by fostering excellence in parenting

Our Mission

To make parenting less stressful, more gratifying, and more FUN, resulting in healthier outcomes and brighter futures for families

leadership

Dr. Marjorie Fujara, MD Founder and board-certified pediatrician

Throughout her career, Dr. Marjorie Fujara has actively advocated on behalf of child and family wellness. She passionately believes that collaboration across medicine, social and community services, and government is absolutely essential to improve the lives of families.

Since 2001, Dr. Fujara has served Cook County as a physician on the child protective services team at Stroger Hospital and on the staff at the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center. Having witnessed the effects of the cycle of violence on individual children and on our community at large, she regards family violence as one of the country’s most pressing public health issues of our time. She has presented to elected officials at all levels of government and to her peers across the country.

She is a board-certified pediatrician and also holds a certification in the sub-specialty of child abuse pediatrics. She and her husband are devoted parents to four children.

Founding Committee

A committee of professionals and partners from Cook County have cooperated in Parenting ACE’s founding and launch.

become a parenting ace.

Learn more, visit us, or request a seminar in your community.

sometimes, parents don’t have all the answers.