• Mission Statement
• Leadership Training
• Sites and dates of training
• Leadership follow-up: "The Parenting Network"
• Parish-based Parenting Centers & Programs

Mission Statement

Our mission in Education for Parenting is to articulate the sacredness of our parental vocation, our calling from God to raise children who are spiritually, emotionally, socially healthy responsible Catholics with strong faith.

Education for Parenting is…
respecting the life of each individual through giving us information about age-appropriate behavior, normal development and family dynamics, teaching skills of non-violent discipline, communication and conflict resolution in our family relationships, along with creating support networks for us with other Catholic mothers/fathers.

Parents need this education…
because the supports within our families and Catholic communities which, in the past, helped our parents and grandparents to raise their children have eroded.

Parents want the Church community to…
encourage and support us, in both spiritual and practical ways. The ideal and most likely place for this to happen is in the parish where we parents can gather together to learn, pray about, and with, our children, and strengthen and support each other. Offering such education and support requires preparation of leaders to make this happen within our parishes.

In order to offer these Education for Parenting Ministry activities we need itinerant teachers and parish based leaders who are well versed in the “who, what, when, where why and how” of providing these services and teaching the Archdiocesan curricula material. Each year we provide training and follow-up for potential leaders.

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Leadership Training

Education for Parenting Leadership Training…
is designed to train and motivate prospective leaders to provide this education and support to parents in their communities. The training will also benefit those whose work or ministry involves relating to, or working with parents. Any individuals who desire family, personal or professional enrichment are also welcome.

Leadership Training consists of three non-consecutive Saturdays of training from 10am until 5pm. These sessions provide information, resources and workshop curricula materials. Offering a personal, intellectual and spiritual experience, they are conducted in a relaxed and informal atmosphere involving group interaction.

Site and Dates of Training

2008 Education for Parenting Leadership Training will be held:

• February 2nd, 2008
• February 9th, 2008
• March 8th, 2008

-from 10:00am-5:00pm at the St. Joseph Seminary (Institute for Religious Studies Building) Yonkers, NY.

A missed session can be made up at a future training program usually the following year. Certification will be awarded upon completion of the three sessions.

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Leadership Follow-Up: “The Parenting Network”

Belonging to the larger world of this ministry beyond the limitations of personal knowledge, our own family experiences, and the local parish program, is important for our continued motivation and maintaining a Spirit-filled perspective. For this reason……

The Parenting Network…
is a vehicle for staying connected with the larger ministry, offering a special workshop in six different regions throughout the school year. We meet together with leaders from other local parishes for a session that provides an opportunity to network with others from parishes in the same county that have Education for Parenting programs. We get to know each other and some spiritual nurturing is created for us as leaders as we pray together and learn about a new topic. Sometimes we exchange information about our experiences leading parenting groups. The topic in 2008 is "Birth Order: Influences, Challenges and Relationships" dates and locations are as follows:

• Leaders and Directors Planning Meetings….
  are held as spring turns into summer, in regional locations. They are opportunities to debrief the just completed programs and get ideas to plan next season’s.
• Consultation….
  with the coordinator is available by visit to the parish, or via telephone or e-mail.
• Gratitude for….
  involvement in the ministry is expressed in an Advent/Christmas Reflection. This
  is a mini-day of recollection for you, followed by Liturgy at noon and then luncheon.

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Parish-based Parenting Centers & Programs

Please click here to download a PDF file listing all the ongoing parenting programs in the Archdiocese, arranged by county.  There's a program near you! 

If it should happen that there isn't a program near you, please contact Eileen Murphy to get one started.  She can be reached by telephone, at (212) 371-1011 x3191, or by email, at eileen.murphy@archny.org.

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