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This article examines efforts by organizations and states to describe the competencies of a parent educator, to explain what parent educators teach parents through parent education, and to show how that informs parent educator competencies. It summarizes examples of certification, licensure, and other accountability programs, and identifies the issues involved, along with ways practitioners can use these identified competencies to assess their level of competency. Finally, the article concludes with a call to continue developing certification and other accountability programs to insure quality in parent education. (Contains 1 figure.)

Compared thinking processes and knowledge of five expert and seven novice mothers of infants. Interview data and verbal protocols obtained through three data collection approaches indicated differences in the knowledge, goals, role beliefs, and behaviors as well as cue recognition and interpretation of experts and novices. Findings have implications for parent education programs.(Author/NB)

Describes social support as a significant resource for individuals and family members encountering stress. Presents a definition of social support and an instrument, the Social Support Inventory, to measure two dimensions of social support: kind of support, such as emotional, esteem, network, appraisal and altruistic; and source of support, such as friends, family, religious and other groups. (Author/KS)

In a comparison of cognitive processes and knowledge structures of expert and novice parents, interview data and verbal records were collected during two visits to five expert and seven novice mothers of infants. Results indicate clear differences between experts and novices in goals for the child, parent role, problem solving, and cue recognition and interpretation. (JOW)

To meet the changing needs of families, today's parent education professionals must be prepared adequately with skills and knowledge; yet, through teaching methods and a regard for learning science that ensures quality outcomes. This article describes the redevelopment and delivery of an online graduate program for parent educators; one that integrates four principles of learning based on contemporary research and a curriculum built around professional competencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]