Vision, Mission, and Goals
Vision, Mission, and GoalsVision
The vision of the National Parenting Education Network (NPEN) is that all parents/families will have the information, resources and support needed to provide a nurturing relationship and an optimal environment that will encourage their children’s healthy growth and development.
MISSION
The National Parenting Education Network is committed to advancing the field of parenting education.
return to topGOALS
Networking: to facilitate linkages among practitioners and organizations involved in parenting education, in order to increase their effectiveness in supporting parents and families.
Knowledge development: to consolidate and expand the base of research and practical knowledge about parenting and parenting education, and to increase its accessibility.
Professional Growth: to address the issues that will allow parenting practitioners to build their skills and the profession, in particular the issues that transcend disciplinary and regional boundaries, such as professional identity ethics, standards and certification, training, and accessibility.
Leadership: to provide national leadership in the field of parenting education among professionals, policy makers, media, and the public.
return to topPRINCIPLES
Inclusiveness: NPEN embraces and seeks to draw upon the wide professional, regional, and ethnic diversity in the field, so as to enrich our collective work and model our values.
Universal access: NPEN takes the position that one goal of parenting education is to provide access to parenting education resources for all parents.
Embeddedness: NPEN recognizes that parenting education is embedded in a large number of organizations and fields, all of which are important in addressing NPEN's goals.
Support for existing organizations: NPEN seeks to support and extend the significant work of existing organizations in the area of parenting education, complementing rather than duplicating their efforts.
Participatory approach: NPEN seeks to involve in decision-making all those with an interest in developing the organization.
return to topDEFINITIONS
Parenting Education is a process that involves the expansion of insights, understanding and attitudes and the acquisition of knowledge and skills about the development of both parents and of their children and the relationship between them.
Parents are those who are so defined legally and those who have made a long term commitment to a child to assume responsibility for that child's well being and development. This responsibility includes providing for the child's physiological and emotional needs, forming a loving emotional relationship, guiding the child's understanding of the world and culture, and designing an appropriate environment.
return to topNPEN STRUCTURE
NPEN’s structure is inclusive. All those who indicate interest and involvement in parenting education can participate on the listserv and are encouraged to become members.
NPEN’s Council, (20 to 25 members) is primarily responsible for carrying out the organization's mission. The Guidance Team (the chair, past chair, chair-elect, secretary, treasurer, and committee chairs) is responsible for membership activities and leadership of committee work. The Committees are responsible for furthering the mission of the organization. The purpose of NPEN is to advance the field of parenting education. The method NPEN uses is to catalyze ideas and projects. This may be done in collaboration with other organizations, agencies, and companies
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