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This Parenting Toolbox was developed by staff at the Ohio Resource Network in support of the Ohio Parenting Portfolio Project. The Portfolio Project is a collaborative endeavor of the Ohio Attorney General's Office, Mrs. Hope Taft, First Lady of Ohio, the Ohio State University's Center for Learning Excellence, Ohio PTA, the University of Toledo National Center for Parents, and the Ohio Family and Children First Cabinet Council agencies: ODADAS, ODE, ODH, ODJFS, ODMH, ODMR/DD,ODYS. This toolbox is designed as a resource for parents, professionals working with parents, and key decision makers to find ways to enhance working relationships between these groups.
According to a Preliminary Study from YMCA/ Search Institute on What Parents Need to Succeed, a majority of the parents surveyed are “going at it” alone and say that they don’t often turn to their extended family, friends, and community resources for support in parenting.
Parenting was not meant to be done in a vacuum. With the ongoing pressures of juggling job demands, finances, and conflicting family schedules, it is nearly impossible to feed children on a regular basis, much less tend to their physical, emotional, intellectual, and character development needs. Parents need other adults in their lives that they can trust and rely on for guidance, support, resources and affirmation. Professionals working with parents need the resources, knowledge base and practical tools to be able to understand parent concerns and formulate effective and appropriate service of delivery options. Decision makers need the tools and resources to understand the concerns and barriers of the constituents that they serve and how effective policy implementation can greatly improve those efforts.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines parenting as one that begets or brings forth offspring or a person who brings up and cares for another. The aspect of parenting that is not easily defined is the collective efforts of all of the adults in a child’s life that are not biologically or legally bonded to them. Effective communication and collaboration between all of the key players in a young person’s life is essential to their overall growth and development. A strong working relationship will provide effective service delivery and impact youth development in a positive and lasting way.
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