Children’s Movement of Florida 2011 Legislative Agenda: Parenting Resources
Parent Skill-Building
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Parents play the most central and formative role in children’s lives. The importance of loving, responsive and caring adults in the lives of children is central to children’s healthy development. But parenting also can be stressful, frustrating and confusing. All parents have questions and concerns about their children, but not everyone has trusted sources for the answers they need. Further, given the explosion over the last 20 years in new research and insights into child development, all parents can benefit from information and support while raising their children. In Florida, however, parents often do not know where to go to find information. This can be changed by making information available statewide.
Implement a public awareness campaign and provide information to families on the importance of early development, nurturing parenting and parental involvement; provide and publicize a statewide phone line and website in at least three languages (English, Spanish, Creole); upon parent’s request, send information on their child’s development regularly by text and e mail: $10 million.
A comprehensive website, built from the best of websites in local communities around the state and nation, would provide parents with information on child development and local resources. The website and all its resources will be in at least two languages. The website would include access to the parent portal (see information under special needs section), including basic screening tools for families and information on community resources if a special need is suspected. A phone line, staffed in multiple languages, also would be available to inform families. Parent and prenatal subscribers would periodically receive developmental, behavioral and health tips specifically targeted to their child’s developmental stage or condition (based on children’s birthdays). The campaign also would also use such new-technology tools as outbound e mails, text messaging, and social marketing networks to provide information to families.
The public awareness campaign would include earned and bought media and build on community connections through such partners as Early Learning Coalitions, Children’s Services Councils, Healthy Start Coalitions, school districts and other organizations that interact regularly with families.