PSP uses a unique, equity-centered collaboration model. Its Governance Body includes 12 stakeholders: one family leader with young children ages 0 to 5 from each community, one pediatrician or frontline provider from each community, and two funder representatives.
Pediatrics Supporting Parents
Pediatrics Supporting Parents, an initiative
aimed at transforming pediatric care to
better support parents and promote
children's social and emotional well-being
during critical early years.
About
Pediatrics Supporting Parents is a family-centered initiative that equips parents and caregivers with the knowledge, confidence, and practical tools needed to support their child’s health and development. The project strengthens partnerships between pediatric providers and families through accessible education, emotional support, and stage-specific guidance that responds to the realities of raising young children.
Family Partnership
Strengthening early childhood systems by elevating parent voice, supporting caregiver confidence, and helping clinicians center parent child relationships as the foundation for resilience. Through community partnership, policy alignment, and national philanthropic support, the model connects families, providers, and systems to sustain family centered care.
Clinical Practice
Working across the pediatric care system to strengthen parent child relationships and ensure access to quality care can drive lasting improvements in healthy development. Well child visits serve as a non stigmatizing, universal access point with the potential to improve health outcomes well into adulthood.
Proof Point Communities
Supporting Parents is a family-centered initiative that equips parents and caregivers with the knowledge, confidence, and practical tools needed to support their child’s health and development. The project strengthens partnerships between pediatric providers and families through accessible education, emotional support, and stage-specific guidance that responds to the realities of raising young children.
Innovations Library
The Innovations Library is a centralized hub for Pediatrics Supporting Parents’ emerging ideas and transformative solutions. It showcases experimental projects and practical insights applied throughout the five Proof Point Communities.
ZERO TO THREE Backbone Organization and Learning Community Support
ZERO TO THREE serves as the backbone organization for Pediatrics Supporting Parents, providing a strong operational backbone, establishing the systems, structures, and coordination mechanisms needed to ensure effective and consistent implementation. This backbone aligns partners, standardizes processes, and enables clear communication, data sharing, and performance monitoring.
By serving as the central organizing framework, Pediatrics Supporting Parents ensures that all activities are coordinated and working toward shared goals. In addition, the program delivers targeted technical assistance support to strengthen capacity and address implementation challenges. Through training, coaching, and ongoing consultation, participants receive practical guidance tailored to their needs. This combination of coordination and hands-on support promotes quality, accountability, and sustainability, enabling long-term impact beyond the life of the program.
Resources
This issue brief outlines the Pierce County PPC’s efforts to sustainably fund Community Health Workers (CHWs) within pediatric primary care to promote physical and behavioral health integration. Drawing on lessons from Pediatrics Northwest’s implementation experience, it highlights remaining barriers—including billing limitations—and offers actionable strategies to ensure the growth and sustainability of the CHW workforce to advance whole‑child, integrated care across diverse clinical and community settings.
Download Now
This episode features the brilliant and passionate Dr. Mary Ann Woodruff and Rachel Lettieri from Pediatrics Northwest. They have piloted a program within their practice that is a great example of the impact of treating families. They have embedded community health workers within their practice, and are seeing fantastic results.
Chaudhary, J. (Host). (2025, August 11). Putting Families at the Center (No. 4) [Audio podcast episode]. In Favorable Thriving Conditions.
The Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (WCAAP) has been a critical partner in this work. Please visit their website for additional information.
Contact
To connect with the Pediatrics Supporting Parents team, email Kimberly Bradley at [email protected].
