Parenting Educator Recognition
Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative
Get recognized as a parenting educator with OPEC
Parenting Educator Recognition Program Ending in 2025
The OPEC Parenting Educator Recognition Program launched in 2015 after careful development with the OSU-OPEC team, state partners and the parenting education community at large. This service award was intended to serve as a meaningful “credential” that would demonstrate the amount of education, training, and work experience a parenting educator had. Further, this recognition was a piece of ongoing advocacy for the field of parenting education generally - parenting educators are highly qualified and skilled family support professionals that make a difference to families and their children.
The first Parenting Educator Recognition Award was granted in 2017. Many parenting educators have proven their dedication to improving their practice in this system, with a select few starting as a Peer Parenting Educator moving all the way to a Parenting Educator 4. We celebrate the hard work and dedication of all those who have participated in this program!
Additionally, the creation of the recognition system led to our very popular OPEC Professional Development System and Training Academy programs, which provides free, virtual professional development to all family support professionals in Oregon and Siskiyou County, California. Attendees receive certificates and training hours for their participation that can be used to show employers or support their own learning goals. As of October 2024, over 1,600 family support professionals are involved in our Professional Development System.
However, the needs of this field continue to shift to new directions. In the summer of 2024, OPEC made the decision to shift efforts to other forms of recognition and field building for parenting education. The OPEC Parenting Educator Recognition Award program will be phased out by spring 2025. Those interested in earning a recognition award or renewing a recognition award before the program ends should submit their materials by January 31, 2025.
The final awardees will be celebrated at the 2025 Oregon Parenting Educators Conference on April 28 and 29, 2025 (in-person) or May 6-8, 2025 (virtual).
Our dedication to advocating for the parenting education fields remains steadfast and we invite you to participate in our ongoing professional development offerings. If you would like to share any questions, ideas, or concerns about parenting educator recognition or certification, please connect with Chelsea Hamilton, Professional Development & Systems Support Coordinator for OPEC, at: [email protected] .
We thank all who have participated in the system as creators, parenting educators, and awardees. OPEC continues to uplift parenting educators in the workforce and will update the network with our next steps as soon as possible!
Parenting Educator Recognition Awards
Development of the OPEC Recognition System Development has been a collaborative effort across OPEC, Oregon State University and other early childhood sectors. The system supports and aligns with Oregon’s Core Knowledge and Skills for Parenting Educators as well as the Core Knowledge Categories for Oregon’s early learning profession (ORO) and the Oregon Core Competencies for Home Visitors
By building your portfolio of your training records, the Professional Development System will track your progress toward reaching recognition and an invitation for one of the five recognition designations will appear when you are eligible.
There are 5 levels of Parenting Educator Recognition:
- Peer Parenting Educator
- Parenting Educator 1
- Parenting Educator 2
- Parenting Educator 3
- Parenting Educator 4
Each recognition has specific criteria for educational requirements, college credit/relevant training, and parenting education work experience. Learn more about these requirements here:
Recognition Criteria At-A-Glance
Supervisor/Employer Verification Form
Recognition is Valuable
Recognition demonstrates to employers and organizations that parenting education is a professional field. Engaging in the recognition process also connects you to the rich professional development resources available to parent educators and helps create a community of learners. Parenting education is a necessary field that supports families and their children.
Recognition Stories from the Field
Recognition Process
1. Create an account on the OPEC Professional Development System and complete your profile.
2. Create education, training, and experience records. The free OPEC Training Academy workshops all count towards recognition!
3. Complete the other required items, including the completion of Oregon State's Essentials of Parenting Education course, active membership in a professional network or association, and the completion of our Code of Ethics.
4. Create and submit an application when criteria is reached. There is a $60 application fee.
Learn more about the entire process and criteria.
Questions?
Contact OPEC at [email protected]
