Parent Promise Information

Parent Promise serves Oklahoma families with young children whose parent(s) experienced childhood trauma, which in some way leaves them without an example for or teacher of parenting and coping skills. Referred families are identified using an ACE-factor scale. ACE stands for Adverse Childhood Experiences and is a nationally recognized measurement of stressful or traumatic negative experiences before the age of 18. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/acestudy/index.html "Childhood experiences, both positive and negative, have a tremendous impact on future violence victimization and perpetration, and lifelong health and opportunity. As such, early experiences are an important public health issue."​ (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). According to the CDC, Oklahoma leads the nation in the percentage of its population affected by multiple ACE factors and we rank highest in every quartile (each factor individually). That means early intervention is more than social service; it's a sensible opportunity to head off significant state costs while helping Oklahoma families. Parent Promise serves its families with in-home parent education. All of our visit models are approved by federal and state governments and backed by research and evidence. Oklahoma DHS studied 800 Parent Promise families (beginning 2010), and for the time period reviewed, found a prevention success rate of 95%. The parent education model is designed to prevent repeated childhood parenting patterns and is especially geared to reach young children while neurological development is most important. Brain scans show a drastic difference in the neurological development of children with ACE backgrounds from those without. We teach mothers how children's brains develop differently with and without bonding and explain the how brain development relates to the child's future educational development and well-being. Our work often involves helping moms earn GEDs, go back to school, find employment, create safe living environments, coordinating with other service providers, and build healthy personal relationships. Most importantly, our families need the supportive loving guidance they missed growing up. They need validation that life can be different, that they are not at fault for their circumstances, and that they have the ability to love themselves while gaining confidence in their ability to be an excellent parent. *Parent Promise also holds Oklahoma's Prevent Child Abuse America designation.