Links
We are pleased to present this list of web site recommendations. This is clearly not an exhaustive list. We will continue to add sites that meet the following criteria:
- The site does not solely promote the work of one individual.
- The site is run by a reputable organization.
- Commercials are not overwhelming or distracting.
- Site is easy to navigate.
- The recommendations or principles used are research-based or sound.
- The "Expert" or source of the website is reputable
General Parenting Information for Parents and Professionals
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture which houses the Cooperative Extension Programs which are located in over 3100 counties in the United States and based at the Land Grant University serving that state. This site allows you to easily link to any individual state’s Land Grant website.
Most of the information on Children, Youth and Families is submitted for peer-review and posted to the CYFERnet website, a comprehensive site for both parents and professionals that offers reliable, high quality, research-based information. Through CYFERnet you can also interact with your colleagues and share your work nationally.
General Principles for Evaluators
Harvard Family Research Project newsletter on evaluation
Each program is a bit different, but an example of a logic model of parenting education comes from the Parents As Teachers program and can be found here.
Joan E. LeFevrie, Family Living Extension Agent, University of Wisconsin Extension is the editor of the Parenting the Preschooler newsletter which offers practical, useful information for parents of preschoolers. The newsletter can be accessed in PDF format, using the latest Adobe Acrobat Reader. Parents and professionals can print and photocopy the information available on the website for distribution.
Invest in Kids is a Canadian national non-profit whose mission is to help families make the most of their child’s first five years. The site includes information on child development and parenting for both parents and professionals.
Offering many resources is Parents as Teachers.
Growing Healthy Kids is a comprehensive guide that shows what families, schools, communities, workplaces and governments can do to promote healthy child development. The site offers information on development from infancy to adulthood, and focuses on how best to promote the conditions that help children thrive. There are print resources available and links to websites which support the child development theories, principles, values of the site. The information is presented in both English and French.
The Talaris Institute’s mission is to advance knowledge of early brain development for anyone who nurtures children. The site offers information and research on early brain development.
The Tufts University Child & Family WebGuide is a comprehensive web site is to give the public easy access to the best child development information on the web by acting as a clearinghouse of trustworthy sites rated by experts from Tufts University. The child and family web guide links to the best sites about infants, children and teens. There are five categories: family/parenting, education/learning/ typical child development/health/mental health and resources/recreation. Topics can by accessed by age or index.
ZERO TO THREE is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the healthy development of infants and toddlers by supporting and strengthening families and communities. They disseminate developmental information to parents and professionals, provide training to the range of professionals who serve infants and toddlers, promote model approaches and standards of practice and work to increase public awareness about the significance of the first three years of life. ZERO TO THREE is a multidisciplinary organization that combines the talents and knowledge of professionals from the fields of medicine, mental health, research science and child development to focus on the needs of the whole child. The Board of Directors is made up of the top experts in the field.
This New York University Child Study Center offers scientifically-based child mental health and parenting information. There are a range of articles and publications including newsletters and manuals developed by the faculty of the Child Study Center. This site is useful for both parents and professionals.
The American Psychological Association has a great deal of information and publications on a range of child and family issues.
Kids Health provides doctor- approved heath information for parents, children and teens. The site was created by the Nemours’ Center for Children’s Health Media. It provides families with accurate, up-to-date, jargon free health information including a section on the latest medical news affecting family health. For parents there is information on a wide array of topics about all areas child and family development. The sections for children and teens feature articles and games that are age-appropriate. The site can be accessed in both in English and Spanish.
Teach More Love More is a comprehensive site developed collaboratively by the University of Florida, United Way Success By Six, Early Childhood Initiative Foundation, Healthy Start Coalition, Children’s Trust Fund, Miami-Dade School Readiness Coalition and the Family Learning Partnership. While some of the information is specific to Miami-Dade County, it also offers general information on growth and development, early care and education and parent skill building for parents of children birth to five, educators and professionals. The site lists local resources and also offers links to other sites for general parenting and parenting children with special needs. It also offers information on their specific programs and outcomes. In English and Spanish.
The Early Childhood and Parenting Collaborative at the University of Illinois Urbana- Campaign is the home of more than a dozen research projects focused on early childhood education, child care and parenting. The ECAP hosts research, technical assistance and service projects. Their projects, presentations and publications have built a reputation for high quality research and teaching in the early childhood field which has influenced state and national policies. Along with project information and links, the site lists web sites hosted by ECAP, sites of hosted Electronic Discussion Lists and ECAP Information Technology Group services. The technology group lists its broad array of information and technical services to early the early childhood community. The databases include archived publications and resources from former ERIC/EECE Clearing house on Elementary and Early Childhood Education. An online journal, Early Childhood Research and Practice is the first internet based, peer-reviewed journal. Lillian Katz, editor; Dianne Rothenberg, assistant editor.
Talking With Kids About Tough Issues is a national initiative by Children Now and the Kaiser Family Foundation to encourage parents to talk with their children earlier and more often about tough issues like sex, HIV/AIDS, violence, alcohol, and drug abuse. The site offers information on these issues as well as how to sensitively and appropriately discuss these issues with children.
The Minnesota Children, Youth, and Family Consortium brings together the competencies of the University of Minnesota and the resources of Minnesota's communities to enhance the ability of individuals and organizations to address critical health, education, and social policy concerns in ways that improve the well-being of Minnesota's children, youth, and families. There are sections on each stage of child development that address individual, family and community factors that influence the development and well-being of children at that stage. Included are data on the status of young children, discussion of key developmental issues, research findings on factors associated with healthy growth and development, and information about proven or promising strategies to promote good outcomes for children and their families.
Family Information Services provides information and support to parent and family educators who work with parents and families as they seek to build healthy, meaningful lives for themselves and their children. The site offers ONLINE ACCESS by subscription to monthly resources and audio-interviews featuring many practical, ready-to-use materials as well as professional updates on current topics in the field.
Fatherhood
The National Fatherhood Initiative encourages and supports family and father-friendly policies, develops national public education campaigns to highlight the importance of fathers in the lives of their children, provides motivation for national and local coalition-building, and provides resources to men to help them be better dads.
The Fatherhood Project® is a national research and education project that is examining the future of fatherhood and developing ways to support men’s involvement in child rearing. Its books, films, consultation, seminars, and training all present practical strategies to support fathers and mothers in their parenting roles.
The Department of Health and Human Services has developed a special initiative to support and strengthen the roles of fathers in families. This website includes information on current fatherhood events, initiatives and policies that effect fathers; an overview of HHS activities; ways to improve opportunities for low-income fathers; information on fathering young children; father and children’s health; toolkit for fatherhood; research reports and program evaluations.
Grandparenting
One section of the AARP website provides information for grandparents who have a variety of roles, including: grandparents raising grandchildren, grandparents who are concerned about their visitation rights with their grandchildren, step-grandparents, 'traditional' grandparents who want to have a positive role in their grandchildren's lives. The site offers website tip sheets on a variety of topics including grandparents raising grandchildren, starting support groups, traveling with your grandchildren, and many more. They have print publications in English and some in Spanish language as well, and a free newsletter, "Parenting Grandchildren,". They provide information and referral to local support groups for grandparent caregivers through their national database and referral to legal services, including access to the AARP Legal Services Network benefits for AARP members; referral to other organizations that have pertinent information for grandparents; technical assistance and networking with local, state, and national organizations; research about key legislation and public policy issues; co-sponsorship of local, state and national grandparent events to share information and raise awareness about various grandparent issues; advocacy in collaboration with AARP's State Affairs and Legal Advocacy groups.
For Professionals Only
ROPER Online Learning offers free, online continuing education for parenting and family professionals as a project of the Texas Registry of Parent Educator Resources (Texas ROPER). Texas ROPER was developed through a partnership between the Children's Trust Fund of Texas, the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services, and the University of North Texas Center for Parent Education.
ROPER Online Learning modules present continuing education options ranging from two to ten contact hours. Parent educators may access modules on their own schedule, with the option of stopping work at any time and "bookmarking" their place.
Educating Children for Parenting is a Philadelphia based national non-profit organization whose mission is to educate young people about the responsibility of parenting and the values of caring and nurturing. Their goals are to reduce violence among young people, to introduce all aspects of the parent/care-giving role and to prevent premature pregnancy. Since 1978, they have provided a school- based education curriculum for K – 8. Teacher training is also available. The site provides the outline for the curriculum, the school sites presently involved, and information from their research. There is a National Advisory Board prominent in the fields of parenting and education. The site also offers extensive links to web sites of national organizations and universities.
Association of Family and Conciliation Courts is an interdisciplinary, international association of professionals dedicated to improving the lives of children and families through the resolution of family conflict. AFCC promotes a collaborative approach to serving the needs of children among those who work in and with family law systems, encouraging education, research and innovation and identifying best practices.
For more than 40 years AFCC has been a pioneer in interdisciplinary collaboration. AFCC is unique because members from different disciplines share the same passion for improving courts and court services to better serve children and families. Members include judges, lawyers, mediators, social workers, parenting coordinators, researchers and other professionals from all over the world. AFCC provides its members with the latest information and most valuable resources available for professionals who work with children and families in conflict.
Children with Special Needs
The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). It provides information on IDEA, the nation's special education law, No Child Left Behind (as it relates to children with disabilities), and research-based information on effective educational practices.
Child Abuse and Neglect
The Parenting Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to addressing child abuse, neglect and abandonment, teen pregnancy and overall violence by working to bring parenting, empathy and nurturing skills education to all school age children and teens. This site offers theoretical and research based studies and other resources to design parenting curriculums, to back up grant proposals for the importance of parenting education in general and specifically for parenting education for children. They have an advisory board of well-known professionals. Networking opportunities are available.
SPIN®USA, Inc. is dedicated to training educators and social service professionals to improve the lives of children, youth and families. Strengths-based feedback is combined with videotape analysis to coach parents, teachers, principals and social service professionals. SPIN USA offers family support and parent training; educational leadership and teacher training; staff training and development; and management coaching and supervisory training.
Center for the Improvement for Child Caring creates, evaluates, delivers and disseminates a variety of parenting skill-building programs that are taught in communities in the form of parenting classes, seminars and workshops. The Center-developed programs include its Confident Parenting Program, which is for parents of all cultural backgrounds (see Los Angeles Times article, "Success in Breaking Child Abuse Chain Reported"), and two versions of that program that have been adapted for use with parents of African and Latino American children, the Effective Black Parenting and the Los Niños Bien Educados programs. (See Los Angeles Times article, "The Education of Kerby Alvy" and Los Angeles Daily News article,"Hispanic Parents Help Niños To Be Bien Educados.")
The Board on Children, Youth, and Family
Child Trends is a nonprofit, nonpartisan children's research organization. They collect and analyze data; conduct, synthesize, and disseminate research; design and evaluate programs; and develop and test promising approaches to research in the field. In keeping with its mission to improve the lives of children, Child Trends is committed to sharing the results of its research and analysis with those who set policy, provide services, fund programs, launch studies, and shape opinions related to children and their families.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign