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Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative

Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative (OPEC) is a partnership of OCF, The Ford Family and Collins Foundations, Meyer Memorial Trust and Oregon State University. Partners believe that parents are their children’s first and most important teachers, and that investment in strong parenting is a critical strategy for ensuring that all children are ready to learn, grow and thrive. This multiyear grant program funds the delivery of parenting education programs and supports grantees through evaluation, technical assistance and professional development led by OSU. In addition to foundation dollars, the OPEC network of parenting education program coordination and delivery now receives substantial support through the Oregon Department of Human Services and the Department of Early Learning and Care.

OPEC supports:

  • Delivery of high-quality parenting education programs.
  • Coordinated efforts to strengthen regional parenting education systems.
  • Developing and strengthening collaborative regional parenting education Hubs.

Take Note

OPEC funding is now available only to current initiative grantees.

Goals

OPEC's vision is a stronger statewide system of programs, information and support for all parents.

OPEC envisions a state in which all Oregon parents will have access to high-quality parenting education programs that support them in their critical role as their children’s first teachers, all Oregon communities will be served by a network of strong parenting programs and a regional parenting education Hub, and parenting education will be a community norm.

OPEC has the following goals:

  • Expand access to best-practice programs for parents of young children.
  • Increase the capacity of parents to play a positive, primary role in the care, nurturing and development of their children in their first years.
  • Build community and reduce social isolation for parents of young children.
  • Strengthen families while reducing the potential for child abuse and neglect.
  • Increase the efficiency and coordination of parenting education resources.
  • Raise awareness of the importance of effective parenting and promote parenting education as a community norm.
  • Leverage previous investments.
  • Continue efforts to build a statewide parenting education system.
  • Continue evaluation and research of the impact of parenting education programs.

Evaluation

A Cumulative Report and Overview (2010-2022) of the Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative are available to download.

Outcomes

As of spring 2023, OPEC can report the following outcomes achieved since 2010:

  • Sixteen parenting Hubs are reaching 35 of 36 Oregon counties, as well as Siskiyou County, California. Many of these Hubs are providing parenting education programs to previously under-served populations.
  • More than 4,000 OPEC-funded evidenced based parenting series reached 34,580 families.
  • Over 3,600 parenting workshops reached nearly 86,000 parents.
  • 2,600 family activities (e.g., community fairs and events), reached nearly 400,000 children and families.
  • Over 3,500 facilitators working with or in partnership with OPEC Hubs have been trained in OPEC-endorsed parenting education curricula.
  • OPEC Hubs and grantees have more than tripled the foundation investment by leveraging $40.6 million in cash and in-kind support in their communities.
  • Parents reported significant improvements in parenting skills and child behavior.
  • Parenting Hubs are forging significant new community partnerships and in many cases, providing parenting education programs in previously under-served or un-served areas.
  • Community partners overwhelmingly believe that parenting Hub activities in their region are: increasing coordination and reducing duplication of services; and generating community awareness of the importance of parenting education.

For more information on the Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative, including a list of OPEC regional parenting education Hubs, visit the program's website at: https://health.oregonstate.edu/opec. For more information on OCF’s role please contact Ruby Ramirez, Program Officer for Early Childhood, rramirez@oregoncf.org or (503) 227-6846.

Support Parenting Education

Lend your support to parenting education programs in your community, or donate to the OCF Ready to Learn Fund.