"Societal changes and economic conditions over the last forty years have stimulated millions of American parents to obtain out-of-home child care to supervise and educate their infants, toddlers and preschoolers. As a result, there now exists a vast system of early childhood care and education centers and homes, some of which are licensed and/or supervised by state and federal governments, and some of which are unlicensed and unsupervised."

"This vast system is now being utilized by the majority of parents of young children, i.e., sixty one percent of all young children participate in some form of out-of-home care (Child Trends Data Bank, 2003)."

"This system could also be utilized as a nationwide vehicle through which the majority of American parents can be assisted in being more effective in raising their children."

...And so begins a recent book by Dr. Kerby Alvy and the staff of The Center for the Improvement of Child Caring, Bringing Parenting Education Into the Early Childhood Care and Education System (2003).

This pioneering work, which can be downloaded here free-of-charge, details the importance of having parenting education available, the logistical and programmatic challenges that are involved in bringing parenting education into the system, and how all of these matters were successfully addressed in a three-year project, where over 20,000 parents were trained and educated.

The book describes the various parenting programs and materials that were selected for training and educating a culturally and educationally diverse community of parents. It shows how they were brought into the child care system through the cooperation of child care professionals and institutions, and with the involvement of local groups like universities, colleges and parks and recreation centers.

In possibly the most extensive evaluation of multiple parenting interventions ever attempted, the book then discusses how parents and providers took advantage of the services and materials, and the very positive impact that they had on themselves, their children and families, and on their child care facilities.

The book also reports on a new role created for early education personnel as they relate to parents, the role of an Effective Parenting Advocate and Resource Person. The skill and knowledge base for the new role is described. Training conferences and workshops to perform the role are also discussed and the impact of such training is illustrated.

Altogether, the book describes and documents the results of a project that can serve as a national model for bringing parenting education into any regional, statewide or local child care system.

Download the Book (3.01Mb)

A bound version of this book is also available for purchase.

Parents often feel controlled by their children's misbehaviors because they do not know how to set limits effectively. They may pay so much attention when their children mess up that they forget to notice the cooperative and peaceful times.

The Confident Parenting Program teaches parents how to pay attention to and how to increase the times when their children's behavior is good. It also teaches effective limit-setting skills so that parents will not feel victimized by their children.

Parents learn the skills of effective praising, effective ignoring, mild social disapproval, "time-out" procedures for misbehavior, and how to set up special incentive systems for motivating cooperative behavior.

For more information about the Confident Parenting Program and how to bring it to your community, click here.

Order the Confident Parenting Parent's Handbook

Order the Confident Parenting Instructor Kit

Raising African American children is an extremely difficult task. While all children progress through similiar developmental stages, African American children and their parents face special problems emanating from our country's history of racism and discrimination.

The Effective Black Parenting Program teaches parenting strategies that are unique to parents of African American children, such as the Pyramid of Success for Black Children, Pride in Blackness, and Traditional Black Discipline vs. Modern Black Self-Discipline. It also teaches all of the parenting skills from the Confident Parenting Program but from an African American frame of reference and with the use of African proverbs.

For more information about the Effective Black Parenting Program and how to bring it to your community, click here.

Order the EBP Parent's Handbooks

Order the EBP Instructor's Kit

Like African American parents, Latino parents, (especially those who primarily speak Spanish) face unique challenges in raising children in the United States. The Los Ninos Bien Educados Program is respectful of the traditions and customs of Latino families and is sensitive to the variety of adjustments that are made as they acculturate to life in the multi-cultural society of the United States.

Los Ninos Bien Educados teaches parenting skills within a Latino cultural frame of reference and with the use of Latino proverbs or "dichos." Parents learn effective skills and strategies for promoting and maintaining those child behaviors which are reflective of a child who is "bien educados" - well-educated in both a social and academic sense. The program can be taught in Spanish or English.

For more information about the Los Ninos Bien Educados Program and how to bring it to your community, click here.

Order the LNBE Parent's Handbook

Order the LNBE Instructor's Kit

Please help further CICC's mission of Strengthening the American Family through parent education and training. A wide range of funding sources is used to keep the Center operating and expanding.

The most important funds that CICC receives are from the thousands of individuals who have made tax-deductible contributions. These important funds are used by CICC to provide free parenting services for needy families, to support the organization's advocacy efforts, and to support the Center during emergencies.