The Parent Leadership Training Institute
To lead means to have influence. By definition, a parent is a leader.
What training is currently available?
After a successful pilot in 2023, FREE Parent Advocacy Training is back in 2025 for parents who have experience of the child protection and/or family support system.
What training has the Family Inclusion Network (FIN) offered in the past?
Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI)
Previously the Family Inclusion Network (FIN) partnered with the Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) from Connecticut US to empower parents to fulfil their potential as community leaders. The curriculum offered leadership skills, public speaking skills, and teaching the process of government and community engagement, PLTI parents become positive change agents for children.
PLTI was open to parents and kin who wanted to make positive changes in their communities for children and families.
The goals of PLTI were to effect positive family leadership development by:
- helping parents become leaders in their communities by engaging in issues that impact on children and families
- building on the skills and capacity of parents to be change agents on a neighbourhood, local and state level
- developing supportive communities of parents
- facilitating parent involvement in state and local policy decision-making processes
- increasing parent-child interaction through parent involvement.
The Parent Leadership Training Initiative (PLTI) was a first-of-its-kind family civics program. Graduates spent more than 120 hours to develop skills needed to become effective leaders in their communities. Once recruited and accepted into the program, participants attended a 20-week program that incorporates personal development, leadership training, civic literacy, and civic participation skills.
PLTI graduates made and are still making a significant impact within their communities. Through their community projects, they demonstrated that when given the social and leadership tools, families can guide public policy and decision making directly and indirectly though their actions and commitment to children, youth and the community.
Training
Parents were offered four components of training:
- a 1-day retreat to develop group cohesion and define program mission
- phase 1: parent leadership with a focus on finding your voice, difference, values and problem definition
- phase 2: the study of local, state and federal government, policy development and utilising the media
- a community project to practice their new skills within a community framework.
Selection
Parents were selected for each class with consideration given regarding how their involvement would enhance diversity, strength and learning for the group as a whole. A total of up to 30 applicants were selected.
Who Attended?
Parents, teen parents, grandparents and other adults who wished to improve the lives of children, families and communities.
Program Details
There were no fees in this program other than time and commitment to mentor the next classes. Dinner and childcare were provided for all classes.
For more information, please contact us.