What is Partners in Parenting?

The first five years of life have a significant effect on children's development and learning and parents play the most important role during this time. Parenting education and support are key to raising successful children, creating confident parents and building strong families and communities. Partners in Parenting promotes positive parenting and child health and development, thereby preventing child abuse and other poor childhood outcomes. Recent research shows that parents of young children who received a parent training program or attended parenting workshops improved their parenting skills (Golan, Spiker & Sumi, 2005; Hodnett et al., 2009).

Partners in Parenting offers many educational programs, workshops and resources primarily for parents with children 3-5 years of age to support healthy child development, school readiness skills and positive parent-child interaction. Several programs, workshops and resources are also for families with children ages 0-18.

Para programas y recursos en Español contactar a Olga Soto.

Programs:

  • Little Books & Little Cooks Program is a national award winning program (from the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences) to address parenting and nutrition information. The program teaches both parents and their young children (ages 3-5) important milestones of early learning and literacy, school readiness and good nutrition through a six week program.
     
  • Fun to Play for Preschoolers Program encourages positive-parent child interaction and learning through creative play in a six week program series. It also promotes children’s school readiness skills and introduces the Nevada Pre-Kindergarten standards.
     
  • Let's Discover STEM Program is a family engagement program aimed at parents and young children (ages 3-5) together around simple, fun Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) activities. Interest, knowledge and skills in STEM begin before kindergarten and early exposure (either in school or at home) supports children's overall academic growth.

  • Everyday SEL and YOU is a family engagement program for families with children ages 3-5. It focuses on enhancing young children's social emotional learning (SEL) while also building school readiness skills through engaging SEL activities, interactive book reading and family-centered support.
     
  • Kinship Families is a family support program for caregivers of children (ages 0-18) in out-of-home placement. Currently, we offer an informational website using our 100+ page resource guide Raising Your Relative's Kids: How to Find Help. The guide is also available in print and on CD, including a Spanish version.
     
  • Exploring Safety: A program for families with young children is designed to improve awareness of important child safety issues and to increase parenting knowledge. During each weekly class families (with children ages 0-5) engage in a variety of hands-on activities related to safety.
     
  • Positive Connections for Parents & Teenagers is a four week educational series for parents with adolescents designed to help understand teen behavior and increase parenting knowledge.
     
  • Digital Parenting Program connects with parents using digital media to provide parenting information as well as offers an opportunity for early care and education staff to easily and effectively communicate with families beyond the classroom. The digital library offers access to parenting messages that allows parents to engage in their child's development and learning, thus creating a healthy atmosphere to establish positive early childhood parenting. 
 
 

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Workshops

  • Family Storyteller: Interactive Literacy promotes family literacy and school readiness skills through parent-child reading and make-and-take activities. Educational workshop topics include: Fun with Non-Fiction, Favorite Fairy Tales, First Steps to Writing, and Phonics & Sounds. This workshop is for families with preschool aged children.
     
  • Screen Time Smarts is a digital media workshop with learning, reading and iPad activities. In today's world of smartphones, tablets and on-demand services, children are a technology and media-saturated generation. It's important that parents understand how to use digital media with their children in healthy ways. This workshop highlights:  healthy habits and media use guidelines; educational and quality screen time; digital citizenship; and online safety and cyberbullying. This workshop is for families with children ages 3-11. 

  • A Guide to Social-Emotional Learning is designed to introduce parents/caregivers to the keys of social and emotional learning (SEL). SEL is beneficial for children of all ages and can help children develop and maintain positive relationships, become lifelong learners, and contribute to a caring society. The workshop is open to families with children PreK-12th grade and also includes a SEL hands-on learning activity.

  • Cooking with Young Children is an educational parenting workshop that promotes healthy eating and presents the benefits of cooking with young children (ages 3-5). At the workshop, families will learn why you should cook with children, discover what children can learn from cooking, and sample a healthy snack.

  • Let's Discover STEM:  Seasons are a series of four workshops that combine STEM learning with the unique changes of each season. Seasons help young children learn about how time passes, how different seasonal changes influence everything around them, and make them more aware of the natural world. During the workshop parents and children ages 3-5 learn about school readiness related to STEM, build an interest in STEM, and participate in a book reading and hands-on activities. Topics include:  Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer.

Resources

What do we do?

  • Programs and workshops are taught in Clark County all year long at community sites such as elementary schools, recreational centers, family engagement centers and libraries.
  • All classes are free and available in-person (some with an online option) and in Spanish (based on instructor availability).
  • Host  Kickoff to Kindergarten an annual school readiness fair.  Save the date for the 10th annual event:  Saturday, August 23, 2025, at East Las Vegas Library.
  • Clases en Español son disponibles (contactar a Olga Soto).

Learn more about the program contributor(s)

YaeBin Kim
Program Leader & Contact
YaeBin Kim
Heidi Petermeier
Program Leader & Contact
Heidi Petermeier
Lucia Arroyo
Lucia Arroyo
Maria Bivins
Maria Bivins
Gwen Goetting
Gwen Goetting
Christina Lee
Christina Lee
Chelle Miller
Chelle Miller
Olga Soto
Olga Soto
 
News Articles, Fact Sheets, Reports...
name calling
Avoid labeling your child
Parents (also caregivers and adults) easily label children without consciously realizing it. Labeling children typically entails using an adjective to describe a child's character, behavior or appearance (e.g., shy, bossy, picky eater, always crying, etc.). What adult says carries a lot of weight with children.
 YaeBin Kim and Heidi Petermeier 2019, Extension Fact Sheet-19-13
Building Vocabulary
A variety of techniques can be used to promote the development of language and literacy skills in young children. Building a child’s vocabulary is a great way for parents and teachers to nurture children’s oral language skills and influences a child’s ability to comprehend written words in the future.
 Teresa Byington & YaeBin Kim 2014, Extension | University of Nevada, Reno, Fact Sheet FS-14-07
kids reading e-book
E-Books for Young Children Kim, Y. 2017, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension
Engineering in the Preschool Classroom
Children are natural engineers. Adults can help develop children’s beginning engineering skills by giving them things to build with and to take apart, asking questions, and providing them with safe opportunities and places to test out their ideas. In this fact sheet we focus on the engineering-related skills of building and construction, and movement and force.
 Weigel, D., Byington, T. and Kim, Y. 2019, Extension | University of Nevada, Reno, FS-19-04
Family Storytelling and the Benefits for Children
Parents are encouraged time and time again to read stories from books with their young children, as the benefits are many – improved literacy skills, increased school success, parent-child bonding, developing a lifetime interest in reading and more.
 YaeBin K. and H. Petermeier 2016, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, FS-16-07
Impostor Syndrome and Parenting: What Is It and How to Overcome It
Impostor syndrome involves feeling like a fraud despite one’s achievements and worry someone will find out about it. It can cause feelings of anxiety and affect relationships. Parents experience impostor syndrome when they doubt their own parenting capabilities, but it is possible to overcome these feelings.
 Kim, Y. and Petermeier, H. 2023, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, FS-23-23
Infant Language Development
From the moment babies are born, they are learning how to communicate. Babies first communicate by crying and then begin to coo and babble. Infants’ speech develops as they are exposed to sounds and language, spoken and unspoken. Gestures, facial expressions and sounds are all part of language development.
 Byington, T. and Kim, Y. 2015, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, FS-15-06
Interactive and Dialogic Reading
A variety of techniques can be used to promote the development of language and literacy skills in young children. Reading books together is a great way to nurture children’s early reading skills. Select books that have content that is interesting to young children and is age-appropriate.
 Byington, T. 2013, Extension | University of Nevada, Reno, FS-13-41
kids holding puzzle
Life Skills for Young Children Kim, YB 2022, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, FS-22-18
Los Niños Pequeños en la Edad Digital (Young Children in the Digital Age) Kim, Y. 2014, Extension | University of Nevada, Reno, FS-14-10
Math in the Preschool Classroom Number Identification, Counting and One-to-one Correspondence, and Addition and Subtraction
In this fact sheet, we focus on the following number sense skills: number identification, counting and one-to-one correspondence, and addition and subtraction.
 Byington, T., Kim, Y., and Weigel, D. 2016, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, FS-16-14
Math in the Preschool Classroom Spatial relations, Geometry and Measurement
In this fact sheet we focus on three fundamental math skills — spatial relations, geometry (shapes) and measurement.
 Byington, T., Kim, Y., and Weigel, D. 2016, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, FS-16-13
Oral Language Development
The development of infants’ oral language begins as caregivers socially interact with them. Oral language includes speaking and listening. Young children learn about their world as they communicate with others.
 Byington, T. 2013, Extension | University of Nevada, Reno, FS-13-42
Parenting Needs for Parents of Young Children in Southern Nevada
In order to develop new parenting programs or maintain existing programs, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension (UNCE) conducted this comprehensive needs assessment study to identify parenting education needs in southern Nevada.
 Kim, Y. 2012, Extension | University of Nevada, Reno, SP 12-10
Phonological Awareness
Phonological Awareness refers to the sound structure of spoken language. It is a broad skill that includes being able to hear and play with smaller sounds in words. Phonological awareness includes identifying and manipulating sounds.
 Byington, T. 2013, Extension | University of Nevada, Reno, FS-14-07
Science in the Preschool Classroom: Earth Science Kim, Y., Weigel, D., and Byington, T. 2017, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension
baby with laptop
Science in the Preschool Classroom: Physical Science Byington, T., Kim, Y., and Weigel, D. 2017, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension
Teaching Young Children About Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
It is important to teach your child about diversity, equity and inclusion. It is so important to help your children learn how to embrace diversity in a way that is respectful and celebrates different cultures, backgrounds and experiences.
 YaeBin Kim 2021, University of Nevada, Reno, Extension, FS-21-96
learning to talk
Toddler Language Development
During the toddler years (12 to 35 months), children’s language development grows rapidly. Toddlers gain the ability to say words clearly, combine words into phrases, and express their needs and wants.
 Byington, T. and Kim, Y. 2015, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, Fact Sheet-15-05
Yes, Parenting is Difficult!
If you are parents to children of any age, at some point in life you must have felt that parenting is difficult. Parenting sometimes involves more work than pleasure. Although very rewarding, most parents agree, taking care of a child and his or her many, many needs can be physically and emotionally exhausting.
 YaeBin K. 2021, University of Nevada, Reno, Extension, FS-21-95
Children in the Digital Age
Young Children in the Digital Age
In the 21st century, babies to school-age children are digital consumers, often using TV, computers, gaming systems, even smartphones and tablets. This fact sheet explains possible concerns and benefit associated with children's media use and suggest what parents/caregivers can do.
 Kim, Y. 2013, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, FS-13-22