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Mary Kay Stranik, MS
Family Program Consultants

My early career was in health care in CT, MS, and MN: pediatric nurse practitioner, OB, public health, and private pediatric practice.

While teaching at the U of MN I consulted with MELD and later as MELD staff, I developed curriculum and was National Program Director from 1973-97.

I was Executive Director from 1997-99. (MELD is a national model for peer self help parenting education)

Currently I have been consulting in family support, training and administration.

Most recently I have become involved with child care, especially Family, Friends and Neighbor care and with advocacy for support for programs for children and families.

Family life:

Married with 2 adult married children and 2 granddaughters

Key Issues of Interest in Parenting Education:

non profit management
successful replication of programs
peer self-help
0-3 child development
parent development and parent leadership.

Curriculum development at MELD included materials for different parent populations:

teen mothers (also African American teen mothers)
teen fathers
Parents who are adults
deaf
Latino
Hmong, and
parents whose children have special needs.

I am very interested in the various cultures in our country and their different approaches to parenting.

Selected Publications:

Parent Empowerment: Peers-by-Experience Stranik, Mary Kay and Hoelting, Joyce
The Hmong in America: Cross Cultural Empowerment Stranik, Mary Kay and Littlefield, David Cornell University Empowerment and Family Support Newsletter
Parent Educators Help Spot Problems Stranik, Mary Kay and Hoelting, Joyce Journal of Minnesota Association for the Education of Young Children
The MELD Experience with Parent Groups Stranik, Hoelting, Sandell, Letourneau, and Smerlinder National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families Zero to Three Bulletin
Transition into Parenting American Journal of Nursing Readings in Community Health Nursing, Spradley

Presentations:

Advantages of Peer Self Help Parenting Education
Outreach to and Retention of Difficult to Reach Families
Principles and processes used in the Development of culturally competent and sensitive parenting education programs
Successful Group Facilitation Practices

Activities:

Advocacy groups for children and young families in MN

Ready 4 K
Child Care Works
MN Association for Family and Early Education

Updated: February 2009

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