Benefits of Joining The Circle of Parents Network

The Circle of Parents Network is a unique opportunity for agencies and organizations across the country to come together, through mutual respect and shared responsibility, and help make the lives of children and caregivers better.  When your agency becomes a member of Circle of Parents, you receive training in the Circle of Parents model, and so much more.

Participate in a National Network

  • Be part of a shared participatory leadership model; be involved in work teams and have your voice be heard!
  • Share the resources of the Circle of Parents’ members in 20 states.
  • Stay abreast of current information on the development of mutual self-help support programs and parent leadership.
  • Tap into a national website for mutual self-help programs containing current information and research.
  • Dialogue with other Circle of Parents’ members through a national Listserv.
  • Attend quarterly teleconference meetings and a national in-person meeting with colleagues when funding allows.

Training and Technical Assistance (at no or minimal cost to members)

  • Access national technical assistance from current experts in the field.
  • Download program resources electronically.
  • Send volunteers or staff to a Train the Trainers Institute on group facilitation.
  • Use the national facilitator manual. Use the national children’s program manual.
  • Use the parent handbook developed by a national team of parent leaders.
  • Participate in technical assistance conference calls with nationally-known speakers several times a year.
  • Utilize national capacity-building / state systems development expertise.
  • Participate in strength based on-going peer review. Receive peer mentoring.
  • Share resources available through all member organizations.

Parent Involvement Resources Available

  • Learn systems for developing or strengthening parent involvement at every level of your organization.
  • Participate with parents as partners on national network committees.
  • Be part of a national effort to support parent involvement and leadership in all family support and child abuse prevention programs.
  • Help grow the continuum of parent involvement from groups, to local communities, statewide and on a national level.

Advocacy

  • Receive advocacy updates on national child abuse prevention agendas.  
  • Gain and utilize advocacy tools in seeking support for funding.  
  • Be part of a national collective voice through the partnerships of Circle of Parents with other national organizations.
  • Access experts in advocacy at the national level.

Research

  • Participate in development of research methodologies.
  • Access tools and systems for evaluating parent self-help support programs for your use at the state/region level.
  • Contribute to research that demonstrates the effectiveness of mutual support, parent self-help and parent leadership strategies.
  • Access research and outcomes evaluation information from other state network organizations.
  • Participate in a national data collection system.

Marketing

  • Promote your parent self-help groups using a national brand identity.
  • Benefit from national promotion of parent self-help groups through various media i.e. newsletters, press releases, articles, brochures, website, etc.
  • Benefit from media campaigns through partners of Circle of Parents.
  • Receive April Child Abuse Prevention Month packets for use and distribution to local communities.
  • Impact your state network development and local programs through resource development opportunities available through grants accessed by the national office.

Become part of the Circle of Parents Network today. For more information please contact: Julie Rivnak-McAdam, 540.412.5826.