The Development of a Parent Education Transdisciplinary Early Childhood Model in Virginia Bethany Geldmaker RN, PNP, PhD Virginia Early Child Comprehensive System Grant (VECCS) Project Director ECCS Meeting, August 2, 2010

Virginia Statewide Parent Education Coalition (VSPEC) This workshop will address the following: ECCS Critical Component: Parent Education & Partnership and Collaboration ECCS Key Systems Element: Standards, Monitoring, & Accountability

ECCS components flower This graphic model illustrates how the Five (substantive) Critical Components and the Seven (infrastructure-oriented) Key Elements in Comprehensive System Building relate to the ECCS initiative.

Virginia Statewide Parent Education Coalition (VSPEC) Goal: This session will discuss the approach used by Virginia to develop a parent education coalition and some of the challenges and solutions

Virginia Statewide Parent Education Coalition (VSPEC) Objectives Define what is meant by a Transdisciplinary Model Describe the development of the coalition Describe how VSPEC assembled a leadership team- Identifying the right players Identify strategies to engage and sustain the coalition Membership Discuss needed organizational skills and resources

Virginia Statewide Parent Education Coalition (VSPEC) Describe challenges, impact, and solutions to VSPEC Governance Best practice/evidence based programs Organization and resources Sustainability Communication Physical distance Funding Discuss emerging issues in the field

Virginia Statewide Parent Education Coalition (VSPEC) Transdisciplinary Model Defined: Meaning moving across or beyond disciplines, into a different state Why not Inter? Meaning between or among It ihas moved beyond a nurse or social worker or health educator or….. Doing parent education but parent education with common definitions, performance measures, outcomes, etc. A parent receives the same training no matter where in the state or who is providing the training. It is a different type of conversation between professionals.

Virginia Statewide Parent Education Coalition (VSPEC) The Virginia State Parent Education Coalition (VSPEC) is a public/private coalition of professionals and parents working to advocate for and ensure that all caregivers have access to quality parent education, information services, and support necessary to raise happy, healthy families. VSPEC consists of state and community partners working together to support a common vision, mission and core values.  The Coalition was created in an effort to work together to identify gaps in parent education, strengthen existing services, develop methods by which to increase awareness about the importance of parent education and its impact on families, and identify components of best practices in parenting education programs. Work by the coalition includes but is not limited to promoting the use of evidence-based curriculum, development of facilitation skills, identifying performance measures and outcomes, and promoting effective evaluation tools.

Virginia Statewide Parent Education Coalition (VSPEC) Background Organized in July 2005 by VECCS and Prevent Child Abuse VA based on the ECCS Scan gap analysis & VECCS planning group feedback Consists of state and community stakeholders and service providers working together to support a common vision, mission and set of core values Purpose: identify gaps in parent education and to strengthen existing services Ready for School. Ready for Life.

Sample Logic Model September-December 2006 1. Convene work group 2. Identify key partners 3. Consensus on definition of parent education 4. Develop work plan for the group 5. Achieve consensus on work plan 6. Develop parent education survey 7. Conduct survey 8. Review existing state parent education plans and Governor’s state plan 9. Refine and prioritize Governor’s state plan goals 10. Set up tracking system for monitoring progress on the work plan

VSPEC Definition of Parent Education A process for helping parents understand children’s development, their needs and uniqueness by offering strategies, tools and insight for observing and interpreting children’s behavior. Parent education is also a process that helps parents understand their own roles and responsibilities and gain insight in how to use the information to maximize positive outcomes for children and families. This process can take place through a one-to-one program, a group program or individual research and reading.

Virginia Statewide Parent Education Coalition (VSPEC) Challenges Impact & Solutions Poor coordination, communication, & collaboration across systems Duplication of efforts &expense Lack of joint planning, development, implementation, & evaluation Identifying the right players Leadership 1. Governance

VSPEC Governance Vision: VSPEC consists of state and community partners working together to support a common vision, mission and core values. The coalition members work together to identify gaps in parent education and to strengthen existing services. Vision: All children are nurtured in happy, safe, healthy families. Mission Mission The Virginia Statewide Parent Education Coalition (VSPEC) is a public/private coalition of professionals and parents working to advocate for and ensure that all caregivers have access to quality parent education, information services and support necessary to raising happy healthy families.

Strengthening and empowering families VSPEC Core Values Valuing children Strengthening and empowering families Taking responsibility for the integrity of our service to others Growing, developing, and transforming how we work together to reflect best practices and diversity Communicating to strengthen parent education networks Promoting physical and emotional well being in ourselves and others

VSPEC Guiding Principles Commitment - through actions taken as leaders, advocates, educators, collaborators and caregivers. Compassion – and caring for all Virginia families, children and ourselves. Respect and Inclusivity – for all people of all ages from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Our work is driven by a strength-based philosophy that promotes open-mindedness and hope. Integrity – in all of our actions, based upon honesty, high ethical standards and a commitment to practice based on research and ongoing evaluation.

Virginia Statewide Parent Education Coalition (VSPEC) Challenges Impact & Solutions 2. Use of standardized curriculum, best practice/evidence based programs Lack of standardized definition of quality programs Lack of uniform performance measures & evaluation Discuss critical concepts at local, state & national levels Increase awareness through web based communication & conferences about key issues

Virginia Statewide Parent Education Coalition (VSPEC) Challenges Impact and Solution 3. Organization & Resources One term governor Shifts in priorities & policies between administration impact resource availability Active voice through participation on state level committees, planning groups, & other efforts

Virginia Statewide Parent Education Coalition (VSPEC) Challenges Impact and Solution 4. Sustainability How to achieve with grant funded projects & multi-agency/organization councils & committees Work to assure an infrastructure that reaches across geographic & ethnic/cultural boundaries, disciplines, & agencies Provide ongoing leadership The challenge to partners involved in VECF work is building into the current early childhood system a change in function that becomes sustainable as part of day-to-day work Part of the charge from the work of the state Smart Beginnings plan is to implement the parent education component of the plan and to continue to provide input into performance measures to demonstrate how the VSEPC is having an impact

Virginia Statewide Parent Education Coalition (VSPEC) Challenges Impact and Solution 5. Communication- Vast array of definitions, viewpoints, & expectations of gatekeepers, policy makers, & providers of parent education Significant difference in organization of services between state and localities Common vision, standardized terminology Evidence-based curriculum & programs Professional development Performance measures, evaluation Parent education is a relatively new field with all the expressions and challenges involved with a new profession that is finding its voice; programs are part of another job function and not an independent or stand alone job VSPEC has been working closely with supporting state and local efforts to move forward with developing a common vision, logic model and standardized terminology. Work through the coalition and with the use of the VA State Plan for Smart Beginnings to accomplish this task Also with supporting the idea of professional development, career lattice, training and technical support to support all these efforts To educate about use of evidence based parent education curriculum and programs; common performance measures, formal process and outcome evaluation

Virginia Statewide Parent Education Coalition (VSPEC) Challenges Impact and Solution 6. Physical Distance Active participation in coalition activities How to balance web based communication with face-to-face networking Utilize web based services such as teleconferencing, list serves, social online networks Communicate with partners using both types of modalities & resources One challenge impacts multiple other activities; here physical distance for those in distant locations challenge both sustainability and inclusion of a wide variety of partners and families

Virginia Statewide Parent Education Coalition (VSPEC) Challenges Impact and Solution 7. Funding and Budget Reduction Revenue short falls leading to loss of programs and personnel Sharply focused programs, clear outcome expectations, and performance measures

Virginia Statewide Parent Education Coalition (VSPEC) Emerging Issues Professional development Credentialing Centralized registry of parent educators Use of evidence-based programs/curriculum Outcomes and performance measures Evaluation Regradless of the emerging technology or issues, need to be certain none of the parents are left out. The educational needs and support remain the same no matter what the person’s credential or technologic presentation.

Parent Education Issues Discussion Professional Development Career Lattice Credential programs or people Centralized registry of parent educators Web based versus face-to-face parent education

Web Resources Web site: http://www.vahealth.org/childadolescenthealth/EarlyChildhoodHealth/VSPEC http://www.smartbeginnings.org

Questions