The Positive Youth Development Model (PYD), developed by Hawkins and Catalino, provides a framework for Waterford Youth and Family Services (WYFS) programming. PYD involves building competencies and enhancing environments that promote the positive development of children and youth in their families, schools, among peers, and within their communities.
This building block model looks to ensure that support and development occur sequentially with skills being developed with families, followed by schools, then peers, and lastly, the community.
A strong attachment to each step is necessary to ensure that successful connections begin at the next level. Positive, healthy development occurs when young people bond with each of these units.
WYFS works to help families and youth make and keep strong attachments and commitments to each system. We do this by providing:
- Opportunities for youth and families to become positively involved in each step of the system
- Appropriate skill development
- Adequate rewards to reinforce utilization of skills and opportunities