Parent education
It's the second day of the National Conference on Parent Education in Dallas. Speaker Terrance Allen reminds his audience of the old African proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child."
Families are the core of society, he says. Therefore it's society's responsiblity to promote and ensure the sustainability of healthy families.
How can this be done? Through a partnership between the home, school and community, Dr. Allen says.
This will not be easy. The modern American "village" is in crisis, facing problems as a result of industrialization, urbanization and other factors that are fragmenting the community and undermine strong families.
As people move around more often, and work hours grow, community life breaks down. Meanwhile, the traditional family structure is crumbling. There are more single-parent families than ever before. As a result, many parents feel isolated.
Parent educators need to recognize the pressures that face the modern American family, and help parents build bridges to the school and other institutions that can help them raise their children.
Dave Tarrant