NORWICH – With the resignation of Chenango County’s director of probation, the county’s probation office is seeking a new lead agency for the Parent Project, a program designed with the parents of strong-willed teens in mind.

Since 2012, the Chenango County Parent Project has been facilitated by former Probation Director Karen Osborn. The program is a no-cost, 10-week series that’s helped scores of local parents put together a toolbox of resources and parenting strategies for dealing with their difficult or out-of-control teen on issues that include school attendance and performance, obstinance, alcohol and drug abuse, and other behavioral issues.

The local success of the program over the years has also spawned two additional programs: the Loving Solutions program which provides parenting strategies for parents of young children; and the Why Try? program geared toward adolescents who are acting out.

Osborn has been instrumental in the condonation of all three programs in Chenango County; but with her departure as the probation department head (due to her relocation to another county), it’s uncertain how – or even if – they will sustain.