The Washington State University Cooperative Extension Parenting Team provided resources and programs for parents, professionals and volunteers in the year 2000.

Programs for Professionals and Volunteers

The highlight of the year for many professional and volunteer parent educators in Washington and surrounding states is the Northwest Regional Parenting Conference. The 6th Annual Conference was held in Tacoma, Washington. Three hundred and twenty-five parent educators, related professionals, and parents attended. The theme was "Parenting in the Public Interest." Special focus was given to attachment issues and media's influence on the family. The Parenting team conducted an on-site participant evaluation of the conference and of each workshop. These results were distributed to all key partners. The evaluations showed high levels of engagement and satisfaction with the conference. A follow-up evaluation was conducted 8 months after the conference. Surveys were sent to each participant. Thirty-two percent (32%) of the surveys were returned. . Results showed the following changes in the personal and professional lives of the respondents:

* A large percentage of those who responded came for professional development purposes, to hear the keynote speakers and to attend specific workshops. * A majority of respondents also came to network with other parent educators and to learn about parenting resources and curriculum. * Although only 28% stated that they attended to improve their own parenting skills, 68.5% of all respondents indicated some form of personal change had taken place as a result of attending the conference. Based on this sample, one outcome from the conference was that the majority of respondents increased their own parenting skills even when they had not come for that purpose. * The survey results show the following outcomes for those who responded: 1. A majority (62%) of parent educators reported that< their program staff increased their confidence, ability, and skills in parent education as a result of attending the conference. In addition, 31% of program staff has improved their ability to work with attachment issues and 49% of program staff have became more aware of media issues affecting families as a result of a colleague attending the conference. 40% of parent educators report their programs are using new materials/techniques in existing programs. 2. Respondents who stated they came to improve their own parenting skills reported improvement in their overall confidence and satisfaction level in parenting and in communication with children. These same respondents also reported that they have decreased their child's exposure to inappropriate and/or harmful media and are more effective in using appropriate guidance and discipline methods. 3. A majority of respondents increased their personal parenting and educational skills as a result of attending the 2000 Northwest Regional Parenting Conference.

The Northwest Regional Parenting Conference is the major statewide event coordinated by the WSU Cooperative Extension Parenting Team. Team members also conduct high quality training on the local level for parent educators and child care professionals in various counties throughout Washington State.

Programs for Parents and Families

The WSU Cooperative Extension Parenting Team brings nationally recognized programs to the state of Washington, develops programs to the meet the needs of Washington State families and delivers programs to local communities. In 2000, members of the team brought two nationally recognized family education programs to the parents and families of Washington State: Iowa State University Extension Service's Strengthening Families Program for Parents and Youth 10-14 Years and the Nurturing Program for Parents and Adolescents ®. Both are recognized nationally as best practice, research-based programs that have positive impact on families. In 2000 two members of the team completed a year-long process to become state trainers in the Strengthening Families Program for Parents and Youth 10-14 Years. Plans are being made to conduct a statewide facilitator-training workshop in April 2001, to help improve programming for youth in middle schools in communities state-wide. Classes for parents and youth are being conducted in several counties and will be expanded to more communities in 2001. The Nurturing Program for Parents and Adolescents is being used in a special project in Spokane County. Eighty-nine family members are being served. Two WSU Cooperative Extension staff have been certified as Nurturing Program trainers. They are training others to use the model in their local communities.

Parenting Team members in Northeast Washington coordinate the Children Cope with Divorce ® curriculum for divorcing families in their counties. This model is nationally recognized and has been very successful in helping parent participants focus more effectively on the needs of their children during and after divorce and separation.

The Parenting Team is developing curricula and models that meet the needs of our residents. In 2000, members of the team finalized the Spanish language version of the Caring Families: Parenting Choices curriculum, trained staff, developed the evaluation instrument, and worked with Cooperative Extension faculty and staff in Yakima County to implement it. Results from the first year delivery will be available in late 2001. Some team members developed a video and manual for the Family Night Out! model. A special grant from the Partners in Promoting Strengths Project funded the development of the video and manual to encourage more communities to adopt the model. The Family Night Out! program blends 4-H Challenge methods with family education. The model has been used widely in Washington and is being used in Utah and Delaware as a result of training conducted by WSU.

The Parenting Team also supports grandparents who are raising their grandchildren and other relatives who are primary caregivers for children of their kin. The Parenting Team has provided leadership for the Relatives as Parents effort in Washington by supporting educational outreach to these caregivers. WSU Cooperative Extension worked closely with the Aging and Adult Services Administration of the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services to create more resources. A member of the team was co-chair of the Washington State Relatives as Parents Coalition in 2000. Cooperative Extension sites across Washington were recruited to host a National Satellite Conference on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in February 2001.

Parenting Team members implement programs that will work for their families in their area. Programs for parents and families on the Colville Reservation and for Navy families in Snohomish County are two examples of programs designed by staff to fit local needs.

Resources for Parents, Families and Professionals

Print and non-print resources on parent and family issues are available through Washington State University Cooperative Extension. The Parenting Team has utilized the World Wide Web to increase access to written material and to connect people with resources. The Parenting Team's web site: <http://parenting.wsu.edu> features information about the Annual Conference, members of the team, and local program efforts. The web site has an excellent resource section with annotated links to resource rich, non-commercial sites for parents and professionals. In 2000, a special section devoted to Relatives as Parents was developed. The site has received recognition from the State of Washington and from local media as a resource for kin caregivers.

The team has been reviewing and revising printed bulletins on parent education in 2000. The team has been reviewing bulletins from other states as possible additions to our resources through WSU Bulletins. The revised bulletins will be available in 2001. At least one series will be available in English and Spanish.

Relationships

The Parenting Team creates and sustains relationships with a variety of organizations to increase our support of parents, caregivers and their families. A wide variety of relationships exist on the state and local levels to promote positive parenting. In the year 2000, these relationships expanded to support all of the activities described in this report.

In summary, the Washington State University Parenting Team has been successful in the year 2000 by * providing programs that support the delivery of parent education, * delivering programs that directly benefit parents, caregivers and their families, * increasing print and web-based resources for parents, caregivers, and professionals, and * increasing relationships with agencies which promote healthy parent and family education practices in Washington State.