Parenting and Family Life

Hallie E. Ford Center

Research Core

Researchers and faculty in this core examine healthy parenting and family life as a strong foundation for child and youth development, and healthy communities as a solid foundation for families.

Core Leadership

Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative

The Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative (OPEC) supports delivery of high-quality parenting education programs that are evidence based and culturally responsive.

OPEC Professional Development

Parenting education professionals play a key role in supporting the well-being of families in ways that are culturally responsive and inclusive. As a community of parenting education professionals, we offer opportunities for networking, training, and support, and promote the value of our practice.

Current project summaries from within the core

Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative

PI: Shauna Tominey, PhD
Funding: Oregon Community Foundation, The Ford Family Foundation, Meyer Memorial Trust, The Collins Foundation, Oregon Department of Human Services

The Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative (OPEC) is a partnership between four philanthropic foundations and Oregon State University. OPEC strives to increase access to and normalize participation in parenting education programs for families with children of all ages across the state of Oregon and in Siskiyou County, California. OPEC provides an infrastructure for a network of parenting education "Hubs" that coordinate local and regional parenting education services. Faculty and staff at Oregon State University support OPEC through technical assistance and strategic planning; professional development, including the annual Oregon Parenting Educators Conference; and research and evaluation.

Stories on core research and programs

Intervention for childhood food insecurity (pdf)
Studying discrimination in health care access (pdf)
Program helps families with healthy and low cost cooking (pdf)
Swimming with Sam: Special kids deserve special attention (pdf)
Begin with the children (pdf)
The making of a family (pdf)
Alumni create programs for special needs kids (pdf)

News articles on core research

Aug. 12, 2013
Tween temper tantrums: How to handle the rage
Three Oregon parenting experts offer advice.
July 14, 2012
Worry More About Under-Involved Parents
The children of helicopter parents have good odds in this life. The same is not true at the other extreme of parenting.
Sept. 1, 2010
A unique public/private partnership strengthens parenting education
“This new project will enable us to create an infrastructure for parenting education in Oregon that builds on best practices across the state and answers specific local needs,” says Denise Rennekamp.
Dec. 3, 2009
Lower income women report more insurance-based discrimination during pregnancy, delivery
According to an analysis of statewide data taken from 1998-2001, women in Oregon who made less than $50,000 a year were more than three times likely to report they were discriminated against by health providers because of their insurance status during pregnancy and delivery.
Nov. 7, 2009
More kids starving for nourishment
Kayleen Stafford isn't the only Oregonian worried about the connection between child nutrition and health. More and more, doctors are seeing food insecurity as a gateway to health and behavioral problems that can have consequences long after the hunger pangs have eased.
May 13, 2009
Health professionals learn to spot food insecurity
Although more than 12 percent of Oregon's households are considered to be "food insecure," compared to 11 percent nationally, it's not easy to identify individual households where meals are skipped because of lack of money to buy food. However, more than 200 nurses, physicians, dietitians and other health-care practitioners have taken an online course offered by Oregon State University's Ecampus that advises how to identify at-risk families and direct them to community resources for help.