What is Parent Leadership? What Can Parent Leadership Do for My Agency?

1. What is Parent Leadership? What Can Parent Leadership Do for My Agency? ByMelissa Perry

2. Overview • About CBCAP • Common Language • What is Parent Leadership? • Benefits of Parent Leadership • The Parent Leadership Ladder • Where We Are • Next Meeting/ Community Cafes • Contact Information

3. About CBCAP

4. About CBCAP • CBCAP stands for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention. It refers to specific types of child abuse prevention programs that exist in every state in the U.S. Community Based Child Abuse Prevention

5. About CBCAP cont’d. • It’s the law: CB-CAP legislation- CAPTA Title II Section 202 Eligibility: “such lead entity is an existing public, quasi-public, or nonprofit private entity (which may be an entity that has not been established pursuant to State legislation, executive order, or any other written authority of the State) with a demonstrated ability to work with other State and community-based agencies to provide training and technical assistance, and that has the capacity and commitment to ensurethe meaningful involvement of parents who are consumers and who can provide leadership in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of programs and policy decisions of the applicant agency in accomplishing the desired outcomes for such efforts.”

6. CBCAP Funds Meaningful Parent Involvement Parent Support Developing Parent Skills Support Needs of Parents with Disabilities

7. Common Language

8. Common Language • Parent • Practitioner

9. PARENT: • Biological parent • Any adult who is in the primary caregiverin a child or adolescent’s life • Examples: • Any relative (aunt, uncle) who is the primary caregiver • Grandparent raising a grandchild • Adoptive parent • Foster parent • Any non-relative caregiver

10. PRACTITIONER: A staff member, employed by an agency, who is involved in providing services to children & families • Examples • Principal, teacher • Social worker • Executive director • Counselor • Family support worker

11. What is Parent Leadership?

12. PARENT LEADERSHIP COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP • Parent Engagement • Parent Involvement • Parent Encouragement • Family Support Note: A parent leader represents the needs and perspectives of parents to an agency.

13. What is Parent Leadership? Parent leadership is successfully achieved when parents and practitioners build effective partnerships based upon mutual respect and shared responsibility, expertise and leadership in the decisions being made that affect their own families, other families and their communities.

14. The Benefits of Parent Leadership/Involvement

15. What are the Benefits of Parent Leadership/ Involvement in Your Agency? ORGANIZATIONS WIN! PARENTS WIN! COMMUNITIES WIN! KIDS WIN!

16. How Parents Enhance Program: • Parents can reach out more effectively to other community members. • Parental support increases community support for program expansion. • Parental support of a program can help improve youth participation in program activities.

17. What Makes Parent Involvement Necessary? • The parent is the first and most influential teacher • Home is where language begins and values are nurtured • Research establishes that parent engagement has a positive impact on student’s academic achievement, behavior in school, and attitudes about school and work. • Research supports parent involvement as a way to create stronger families and better organizations because it fosters commitment not compliance.

18. The Parent Leadership Ladder

19. The Parent Leadership Ladder

20. I. Beginning the Adventure: • Parent Involvement • Parent Engagement • Parent Leadership- Melissa Joined Parent Leadership Team in 2009

21. II. Creating Avenues for Parent Involvement and Participation: • Focus Groups • Valued Activities and Program Enhancement • Family outings -Zoo Day, Family Day at the Science Center • Workshops - TAEYC, Community Cafes’, Parent Leadership, PLAT, PLAT T3, CCJC, • Trainings- PLAT, PLAT T3, Stewards of Children, CCJC, SOC, Community Cafés • Community Services- March of Dimes and Susan G. Komen volunteers, Pinwheels for Prevention activities each year, sexual assault center online campaign, Say No to Bullying Service Project

22. III. Parent Leadership Activities Leading to the Road of Success: • Support Groups • Examples of activities parents/kin can be involved in- Pinwheels for Prevention, Snowflake 5k, Christmas with Santa, Easter Egg hunts, Zoo Day • Create opportunities for success- I went from a volunteer to part time to full time with PCAT • Mentor- Parent Leadership Mentor for the PLT • Program opportunities to participate in • Advisory council- CBCAP Advisory Board, PLT Advisory Board, BPNN, • Program volunteer positions • Newsletter articles- I have written several newsletter articles highlighting different agencies • Mentor other families in the program-Yes • Website Maintenance- Developed the Parentleadershiptn.org website and the PLT maintains the whole website • Policy committees-Birth Parent National Network Policy Advisory Committee and BPNN Committee Member • Agency materials development teams- I developed a new section of the Parent Leadership Training Guide. Specifically, a section on engaging special populations. • Fundraising events- Delta Kappa in Memphis, Prevent Child Abuse Fundraising Event

23. III. Parent Leadership Activities Leading to the Road of Success cont’d.: • Community Councils • Community, State and National Advisory Councils and Task Forces- BPNN, TNCBCAP, ECCS, MCCY • State and National Conferences- Participated in multiple state and national conferences as a co-presenter and a presenter. TAEYC, National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, TN State of the Child, • Legislative and Advocacy Opportunities- Birth Parent National Network Advisory Committee, Children’s Advocacy Days

24. IV. Laying the Foundation for the Road to Success: • Effective Communication • Problem Solving • Decision Making • Self-Management

25. V. Maintaining Organizational Parent Leadership Policies – The Map to Success • Agency’s and/or program’s responsibility to define roles and opportunities for parent leaders in your organization. – These are listed in our guidelines for parent leaders • Agency and/or program should provide and reflect the responsibilities and benefits to the parent leaders –We have a set of guidelines for our parent leaders • Agency and/or program should have a high priority to provide for special needs of parent leaders such as stipends, assistance with transportation, child care and how are parent leaders apprised of this is a respectful way –We provide a stipend • Agency and/or program should provide Internal and external resources to help parent leaders develop and maintain their skills should be offered at the local, state and national level . –They have provided opportunities to attend trainings and I (along with two other parent leaders) are currently pursuing a Nonprofit Leadership certification through the Center for Nonprofit Management. • Agency and/or program should implement mentoring and shadowing opportunities for parent leaders along with a strong well trained staff to support and supervise the parent leaders. –PCAT has provided a mentor and multiple shadowing opportunities for me for as long as I have been involved.

26. VI. Practicing and Encouraging Shared Leadership – the Bolts of Staying on the Road to Success • Agency’s and/or program’s mission and commitment to the mission on shared leadership and parent leadership should be known throughout the organization and the state • Opportunities for everyone in the organization, including parent leaders, to facilitate, guide, and coach others to adopt practices that reflect the goals of your mission • The agency and/or program staff should all be committed and working together to outline and implement opportunities for parent leadership to occur • The agency empowers parent leaders to help shape the direction of your activities • The agency and/or program should encourage consensus building on new ideas and/or solutions on a regular basis which include both staff, community partners and parent leaders

27. WHERE WE ARE

29. Next Meeting/ Community Cafes

30. Next Meeting: Community Cafes, What Are They? • Save the date! • Wednesday, August 27th at 12:00pm CST we will have a webinar titled, “Community Cafes, What are they?”

31. CONTACT INFORMATION • Melissa Perry Parent Leadership Coordinator Melissa.perry@pcat.org Parentpartnershiptn.org 615-767-8852 We would be happy to provide on-site T/A and answer any questions you have Currently accepting nominations for the Parent Leadership Team : http://www.parentpartnershiptn.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/PLT-Nomination-org-Form-2014.pdf and email to Melissa Perry