Development of a "Parent Excellence" Program

Child Mind Institute (CMI), an organization dedicated to finding effective treatments for childhood psychiatric and learning disorders, requested a Capstone team to assist in the creation of a Parent Excellence Program (PEP). The team focused on understanding and exploring opportunities for CMI to become further involved in parent engagement. The team conducted an extensive literature review, interviews with executive administrators, and multiple surveys. The information collected demonstrated that families today look very different in terms of size, proximity, and diversity, compared to families a few decades ago. Additionally, the team discovered that societal factors such as social media, the sluggish economy and the political landscape are also distinct to this generation. The team concluded that all of these factors have the potential to put a well-funded, evidence-based organization like CMI in a unique position to become the leader in parental education, and supported the creation of a PEP that incorporates these findings as an integral first step.