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April 2011Vol. 12, No. 3E-Newsletter Helps Parents Learn What to Expect

Just In Time Parenting is a free e-newsletter designed for parents with newborns through children 5 years of age. Parents receive regular 8-page e-newsletters with information specific to their child's age and needs. The information is designed to promote positive parenting so that children experience healthy growth and development.

The target audience is parents who are new parents or at risk due to poverty, low education levels, or teenage parenthood. The content is written at a low literacy level and is designed to catch parents at a "teachable moment" by offering information that is instantly applicable to their child. A team of university educators and researchers writes the newsletter based on the latest research.

Evaluations of Just in Time Parenting have shown that readers experience a number of benefits, including:

  • More confidence in their parenting skills
  • Realistic, age-appropriate expectations for their children
  • Fewer abusive beliefs and actions (e.g., spanking)

To find out more about Just in Time Parenting, visit the Cooperative Extension website:

www.extension.org/pages/Just_in_Time_Parenting_Community_Page

To read about how child welfare professionals can share Just in Time Parenting with parents, view the Just in Time Parenting PowerPoint (in PDF):

www.extension.org/mediawiki/files/1/10/JITPOct25_07.pdf (1,243 KB)

Related Item

Another resource for both parents and professionals is the Community Café website. The English and Spanish website serves as an electronic bulletin board for groups across the country that meet in neighborhood or community "cafés" to discuss problems and develop solutions. Much of the focus is on strengthening families by promoting protective factors within the community. The website offers tools, resources, contacts, a blog link to café stories, and an opportunity to network with others who are grappling with similar issues.

www.thecommunitycafe.com