Parent Cafés program has evolved into the Leadership and Engagement Institute for Parents (LEIP) in 2024, marking a significant step toward empowering parents, families, and community members throughout the District of Columbia.
LEIP encompasses Parent Cafés Community of Practice, Training Core, ECIN-owned Parent Café Decks, and various research initiatives.
The ECIN Community of Practice (CoP) for Family Engagement and Leadership was launched in April 2024. The group is a collection of individuals and organizations with the shared experience of completing training as Parent Cafe hosts, primarily by ECIN. The CoP provides peer to peer support, technical assistance, personalized guidance and Parent Café updates from the ECIN staff. The CoP also offers an opportunity to deepen collective understanding about family engagement and leadership and share family engagement and leadership strategies.
CoP members are confident and more likely to share resources with others. 71% report being extremely or “a lot” confident.We're actively expanding our partner network to spread Parent Cafés throughout DC and surrounding areas while developing specialized training content on trauma, grief, injury prevention, and support for parents of children with disabilities.
In collaboration with
Be Strong Families, ECIN is creating a Parent Cafés Economic Mobility Deck to integrate discussions on financial resilience and community resources. This work complements broader efforts with
DC Action and
CityFirst Bank to connect families with public benefits, workforce development, and mental health services.
Our vision extends beyond East of the River communities (Wards 7 and 8) to provide families throughout the District with opportunities to experience Cafés in diverse settings, strengthening our community impact through genuine parent leadership.
