by Kirsta Millar

Valuable training, resources and peer networking opportunities were key highlights of the first-ever NLC Leadership Academy on ?Cities Supporting Parents of Young Children.?

Municipal officials from 25 cities and towns attended the event held March 31-April 1 in Washington, D.C.
Participants were competitively selected to attend the academy based on their city?s commitment to developing or enhancing initiatives to support families with young children aged birth through five.

The Leadership Academy was hosted by NLC?s Institute for Youth, Education, and Families (YEF Institute) with generous support from the Freddie Mac Foundation.

A City Role

Mamie Locke ? former mayor of Hampton, Va., and current Virginia state senator ? opened the meeting with a keynote address on why supporting parents with young children should be a city priority.

?Parents are the most critical influence on the healthy and positive development of a young child,? said Locke. ?They can help prevent negative outcomes later in life that can directly impact local communities ? such as juvenile crime, teen pregnancy and school drop-outs.?

Yet, many parents lack the information, supports, training and opportunities to do all that they can ? at home and in their communities ? to foster early childhood success. Local officials can assist in providing such opportunities.

Program Content

The Leadership Academy offered participants the chance to engage in interactive presentations with leading practitioners and national experts on key strategies to support parents. Attendees also gained new ideas and useful guidance on implementation from their peers.

Communications professionals emphasized the importance of tailoring outreach campaigns to specific audiences.

Consultations with opinion leaders and parents themselves can help cities craft messages that are culturally relevant and are delivered by effective and trusted messengers.

City officials from Palo Alto, Calif., and Fort Worth, Texas, presented ideas for connecting parents to community resources.

Palo Alto?s Family Resources program utilizes both high-tech and high-touch options to help parents access supports and services through

? The city?s website;
? A system of desktop kiosks located across the city in libraries, hardware stores, schools and farmers? markets; and
? An ambassador program that trains parents to serve as mentors for other parents.

In Fort Worth, a partnership between the city, local businesses and community groups provides a gift box for all new parents containing information about local programs and services for young children.

The impact and cost savings of parent education was featured in a presentation from a representative from the national non-profit organization, Zero to Three. Research shows that programs such as home visitation ? which provide individualized support to parents as they raise their young children ? can net $4 for every one dollar spent in reduced intervention costs for child abuse, neglect and other social services.

As a model for promoting parent leadership and advocacy, Elaine Zimmerman discussed the highly successful Parent Leadership Training Institute. This program, run by the Connecticut Commission on Children, offers parents the tools and skills they need to be powerful advocates for children.

She stressed that city officials should view parents as important partners in creating a thriving community, rather than simply as constituents needing to be served. 

A final session spotlighted parent support initiatives. For example, Boston?s ?Countdown to Kindergarten? program provides information and guidance to parents to help prepare their young children to enter grade school.

?Based on the information learned [from the Academy], I feel confident that we will succeed,? said Councilwoman Debbie Pilch from Greeley, Colo., in discussing the action she plans for her community.

Details: Throughout 2005, the YEF Institute will work to provide municipal leaders with information, networking opportunities and other resources to help them develop initiatives to support parents of young children.  For more information, contact Kirsta Millar at millar@nlc.org or 202-626-3004.

Participating Cities

Attendees included local elected officials, key city administrators and staff from the following cities:

Alexandria, Va.
Bryan, Tex.
Charleston, S.C.
Enfield, Conn.
Flagstaff, Ariz.
Fort Worth, Tex.
Greeley, Colo.
Greenbelt, Md.
Greenville, S.C.
Jackson, Miss.
Lakewood, Ohio
Longmont, Colo.
Louisville, Ky.
Lynwood, Calif.
Mansfield, Conn.
Mountain View, Calif.
Nashville, Tenn.
Oakland, Calif.
Portsmouth, Va.
Ralston, Neb.
Rockford, Ill.
San Antonio, Tex.
San Francisco, Calif.
San Jose, Calif.
West Valley City, Utah