FAST (Families and Schools Together)was developed by Dr. Lynn McDonald of Madison, Wisconsin and designed to be a collaborative program of four entities: an alcohol and drug prevention agency (Focus), a mental health agency (Lutheran Social Services), schools and parents. At every FAST site, a FAST parent graduate serves as a key member of the team and a valued partner. FAST (Families and Schools Together) is a rigorously evaluated prevention program in which families gather at their children’s school to participate in specific, fun, research-based activities aimed at strengthening families and empowering parents.

The intention of the FAST is to foster family cohesion, help children gain skills to have a successful school experience and to assist parents to become the primary prevention agents for their children. This collaboration of parents, schools, and human service professionals creates a comprehensive climate for child behavior change and family strengthening.

The goals of FAST are to enhance family functioning by strengthening the parent/child relationship, empowering parents, preventing school failure by improving the child’s school experience and the family’s affiliation with the school, and preventing substance abuse in children and families through increased knowledge and awareness of the impact on children. In addition, FAST is designed to reduce the stress that parents and children experience in daily situations by developing informal support systems.

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