Our Beliefs

Recognized as a national leader for successful efforts to deeply embed parent leadership and voice at the state and local levels of Michigan's early childhood system, for over a decade, the Early Childhood Investment Corporation (ECIC) has worked with national organizations and partnered with states across the country to provide consultation, training, and facilitation to learn about ECIC’s two-pronged approach to Family and Parent Leadership to strengthen early childhood systems, programming, and policy.

Building on its track record in Michigan and recent work at a national level, in 2022, ECIC launched the National Center for Family and Parent Leadership.

Read on to learn more about the foundational beliefs of the National Center for Family and Parent Leadership.

Parent Voice and Leadership 

Parent Leadership is an essential part of our work. We value the creation of conditions under which families feel safe, valued, and respected, so authentic parent leadership and voice can take root. We believe we are successful when families believe in their self-efficacy and experience themselves as knowledgeable, skilled, and competent leaders/agents of change for themselves, their children, and their communities.  

  • The families we serve and work with are our co-equals. We strive to go beyond transactional relationships. Through reciprocal relationships, we gain the skills, knowledge, resources, and support needed to make a change that is meaningful and desirable for the Early Childhood sector.  Parents and families should have opportunities to co-lead initiatives, as opposed to just showing up.

  • While we value expertise and educational credentials, we equally value the lived experiences and expertise individuals bring to the work. 

  • We believe a fundamental aspect of our work is to ensure race, culture, and community are celebrated assets in a young child’s life. Our work is driven by the diversity of family leaders so all children can thrive. 

  • We believe that an effective help-giving relationship identifies, uses, and builds family’s resources and strengths.  

  • We recognize the land and indigenous families of our nation and local communities. We recognize the history in our nation and how it has had different impacts on our communities. We give space and thanks for elders in our work and communities.  

  • We believe that families have uniquely valuable and critical expertise without which our efforts will not be successful. We value compensating parent leaders for their time and needs when engaging in the work.  

  • This work is a team effort. While we all show up to the work with different experiences and expertise. We all have a part to play, and no one person should hold the key to our success. Our work should include community building as we move our strategies forward.

  • Supporting the idea that the liberation of ourselves, our families, and our communities takes a critical analysis of contradictions we see taking place. The issues of social justice and democracy are directly related to acts of learning and teaching. We are all learners and teachers.

  • Honoring our elders, supporting our youth, and those yet to be born. Valuing diversity in family representation and makeup.