Our Graduates: Career Profile
Additional Education: N/A
Job Title: Parent Educator
Employer: ParentWorks, Inc. an affiliate of Family Service Partners
Position Description: Provide in-home parent education. Barbara’s agency, ParentWorks, Inc., is a secular non-profit agency that exists to prevent child abuse. They do this through home-based one-on-one visits and through group settings throughout the community. Their clients can refer themselves to their agency or be referred to them through other agencies such as county children and youth agencies. As a Parent Educator, she assesses the needs of the family/parent and create goals for them. The goals are tailored to individual families and could include areas such as life skills, health, discipline, communication, and child development, to name a few. Parents reach their goals through various educational methods i.e. modeling, videos, written materials, and discussion. It is common to meet with the family/parent one hour per week for up to one year. Parent Educators not only provide education to their clients, but provide support to their clients as families reach their goals and ultimately improve the lives of the children in them.
Salary Range : $10 - $12 hourly
Previously Held Positions: TSS worker
Courses Found Most Helpful: “The HDFS classes that I took at Messiah College prepared me very well for my career as a Parent Educator. HSDF classes such as Senior Seminar and Ethics required me to participate in group projects which improved my ability to work with and appreciate others. Similarly, class assignments in Introduction to Social Research and other classes taught me interview skills and provided me with experience in public speaking. Skills learned in Strategies of Family Intervention, specifically creating goals and objectives, are ones I utilize daily. Interestingly, I recently used my text from this class to prepare for a training session on goal setting that I am conducting at my agency. Likewise, I use my STEP book, a book required for Parenting (FAM 242) as a text for teaching my clients various parenting skills. My success as a Parent Educator is largely a result of the education I received as a Family Studies major at Messiah College.”
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