	Child and Family Development and Support Services

Introduction

Administration and Management

Service Delivery Administration Standards

Service Standards

CFD 11: Parent Education Services

Educational and skill-building activities empower parents and improve adult functioning.

NA The program model is not designed to provide parent education services.

CFD 11.01

Child and family characteristics, such as age, developmental level, race, culture, ethnicity, language, and literacy level, are considered when choosing or designing educational interventions, materials, and curricula.

Interpretation: Organizations should seek the input of families and other community members when developing educational interventions, materials, and curricula.

CFD 11.02

Families are educated about child development and child rearing topics that include, as appropriate:

basic caregiving routines;
child growth and development, including physical, cognitive, and social development;
environmental safety and injury prevention;
meeting children’s health and emotional needs;
parent-child interactions and bonding; and
age-appropriate behavioral expectations and appropriate discipline for children.

Interpretation: Organizations can tailor topics to reflect participants’ needs and program goals. For example, a program whose primary aim is to help parents provide educational enrichment for preschoolers can develop a curriculum specifically geared toward helping families achieve that goal.

CFD 11.03

Expectant parents are educated about the following prenatal health topics:

fetal growth and development;
the importance of prenatal care;
nutrition and proper weight gain;
appropriate exercise;
medication use during pregnancy;
effects of tobacco and substance use on fetal development;
what to expect during labor and delivery; and
benefits of breastfeeding.

Interpretation: These topics may be addressed by qualified medical personnel in the context of the prenatal health care referenced in CFD 9.02.

NA The organization does not serve expectant parents.

CFD 11.04

Parent education services promote self-sufficiency and self-efficacy by building on family strengths and addressing topics related to positive personal functioning and development, as appropriate to the needs of the service population.

Interpretation: Topics will vary according to program type and population served, but should respond to the needs of service recipients. Relevant topics can include, but are not limited to: problem solving and decision-making; managing, coping with, and relieving stress and anger; time, budget, and household management; interpersonal relations and communication; developing supportive networks; life transitions; personal growth and future aspirations; and effectively utilizing available community resources.

CFD 11.05

When parent education is provided in a group setting, services:

emphasize group learning and sharing;
respond flexibly to the changing needs of group members; and
are scheduled with participants’ time commitments in mind.

Interpretation: Although some skills may be taught formally in a classroom context, program personnel should also engage parents through more experiential methods, such as coaching and role modeling, that are designed to actively involve participants and help them personalize the information they are taught.

NA The organization does not provide parent education groups.

CFD 11.06

Group programs provide participants with opportunities to:

contribute by asking questions and sharing their experiences;
listen to and learn from those who are similar to and different from themselves;
develop positive relationships with others;
assume responsibilities and develop leadership capacities; and
participate in activities of interest.

NA The organization does not provide parent education groups.

CFD 11.07

Personnel providing parent education services in a group setting are available to meet with parents individually, as needed.

Interpretation: If personnel are unable to meet with parents before or after group sessions, it is also acceptable to be available to parents at other times.

NA The organization does not provide parent education groups.

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	PURPOSE: Families participating in Child and Family Development and Support Services delivered through strong community partnerships gain new competencies, improve child health and well-being, improve family functioning, and make family-community connections.

RELATED FILES


	FAMILY Two or more people who consider themselves family and who assume obligations, functions, and responsibilities generally essential to healthy family life. Child care and child socialization, income support, long-term care, and other caregiving are among the functions of family life. The definition of "family" will rest with an individual's indication of who plays a family member role, including current or former foster family, adoptive family, extended family members, fictive kin, or significant others. Organizations that believe family is the central constellation in a child's life, and that family attachments are of primary importance for human development, will strive to work with professional staff to develop a common understanding of "family."


	SERVICE One or more organization-operated programs or activities that have a common general objective and deploy the organization's material and human resources in a planned and systematic manner. An organization that publicly promotes or identifies itself in writing as offering a service, is licensed to deliver a service, assigns personnel and/or space to a service, or allocates financial resources to a service is considered to offer that service.


	COMMUNITY A specific group of people living in the same locality and who may share a common culture, values, and norms. Communities can also be defined by race, religion, ethnicity, age, occupation, political status, tribal affiliation, interest in particular problems or outcomes, or other common bonds. The term "community" encompasses worksites, schools, tribes, residential neighborhoods, business districts, recreational areas, and health and human service sites.


	PARENTS Parents can include: birth, foster, kinship, and adoptive parents. Please see service standards for more specific information about use of this term.


	PROGRAM A system of services offered by an organization. For example, an organization providing a mental health service may offer several mental health programs to different populations, e.g., a mental health program for adolescent teens. The word "program" can be used interchangeably with the word "service" or to describe specific programs.


	CULTURE The customs, habits, values, skills, technology, beliefs, and religious, social, and political behaviors of a group of people in a specific period of time.


	ETHNICITY An orientation toward and identification with a population group that shares national origin, religion, race, or language.


	PREVENTION Actions taken to minimize and/or eliminate social, psychological, or other conditions. Prevention can occur at the individual, group, community, and societal levels and enhances opportunities to achieve positive fulfillment.


	MEDICATION A prescribed or over-the-counter drug that is injected, taken orally, applied topically, or otherwise administered.


	PERSONNEL The body of employees and/or volunteers that carries out the organization's tasks under the organization's administration and/or supervision. This definition does not include foster parents who are specifically referenced in relevant standards


	SERVICE RECIPIENT The individuals, groups, organizations, or communities that use, receive, or benefit from programs and services. Service recipients can include consumers, patients, family members, legal guardians, advocates, public/private organizations, employers, and purchasers. All are regarded as significant stakeholders served in a variety of agencies and practice settings.


	MANAGEMENT See ADMINISTRATION


	PROGRAM PERSONNEL All direct service and administrators or supervisors of direct services that are involved in the operation of the organization's social service programs. "Program personnel" does not include MIS, accounting, facilities, clerical, or other staff that are not involved in the provision or oversight of direct services.


	LEADERSHIP A nonprofit organization's leadership consists of its governing body, chief executive officer, and may also include its senior management. In a public agency the term refers to the agency head and administration team. The term "leadership" is not generally applied to for-profit organizations. With respect to COA standards, in for-profit organizations the term leadership applies to the owner and board of directors if one exists.


	SERVICE POPULATION A group or target population that the organization's services are designed to serve in accord with its mission, and which includes the organization's service recipients. An organization's service population may be defined by geographic location, specific problems or needs, religion, ethnicity, culture, or other factors.