Mission
The International Parent Advocacy Network (IPAN) will work to increase the influence of parents in child welfare decision making by supporting organizations and activities that promote parent advocacy and the influence and power of parents in child welfare. IPAN’s work will help ensure that children’s, parents’ and families’ needs are met and that their rights are protected.
What we do
- Promoting and developing parent advocacy globally, in low, middle and high-income countries, as well as regionally and locally.
- Providing a means for individuals and organisations involved in parent advocacy to share information and provide mutual support. This will be done through an on-line network, a website, workshops and conferences.
- Sharing lessons learned, examples of good practice and other resources on parental advocacy, child welfare, and related fields.
- Campaigning to strengthen the role of parents in child welfare systems and to promote parent advocacy. This includes support for activism to promote improvements in child welfare policy and practice to improve the well-being of children and families.
- Workshops and training on parents’ rights and parent participation.
- Publishing materials on parent advocacy.
- Holding conferences and training events.
- Providing consultation on parent advocacy and eventually creating a center to train parents to be parent advocates.
- Providing a website, social media, and other means to promote the goals, values and activities of parent advocacy.
- Promoting and supporting research and evaluation of parent advocacy.
- Any other activities aimed at promoting and developing parent advocacy that protect the rights of parents and meet the needs of their children and families.
Board Members
Susan Jacobs
Maria Herczog
Ghazal Keshavarzian
Melissa Critch
John Morrissette
Karyn Walsh
Susanna Salin
Nora McCarthy
Tammy Mayes
Tony Lawlor
Sana Malik
Malin Widerlöv
Heather Cantamessa, President
David Tobis, Vice President
Richard Bryant, Treasurer
Taliah Drayak, Secretary and Director
Mike Arsham
Ambrosia Eberhardt
Anna Gupta
Mary Burton
Shantelle Common
Bobbi Robertson
Jessica Cocks
Florence Martin