The Pima County Parenting Coalition (PCPC) is a network of community partners and non-profit organizations working in the field of parent education and support services. The oldest coalition of its kind in Pima County, PCPC was formed in 1991 to respond to the needs of parents seeking information and as an effort to provide more coordinated and effective parent services throughout the community. At that time it had been noted that historically, the same system that referred parents to services was not a well coordinated one and that many of the service providers were also unaware as to what services were available outside of their own agency. This distressing state of affairs motivated three agencies to come together to discuss forming a coalition to address the needs of parents in Pima County. By 1992 the coalition grew to a membership of 7 local agencies working to define the coalition and its task that lay before them. Today, the Pima County Parenting Coalition is comprised of 19 paid member agencies, several parents from the community and has an advisory council representing many sectors of the community that it serves.

The vision of PCPC is that Pima County will be a community in which parenting is valued and supported and where children are parented by loving, capable people.

The mission of PCPC is to enhance the scope and effectiveness of parenting services in Pima County.

Recent Accomplishments include:
• The coordination, production and distribution of over 9,000 parent education calendars listing an organized presentation of available parenting services, provided annually to parents, caregivers and service providers in the community.
• The operation of a 24-hr parent information line that provides parents, caregivers and service providers with current parenting services information and makes referrals for services.
• The provision of weekly, 2-hour, ongoing, parent skills workshops based on a Best Practice Model program, offered in both English and in Spanish, with childcare, at no charge to parents.
• The creation and ongoing development of a substance abuse prevention message that is designed to impact parents in the concept that they can work as a protective factor in the prevention of substance abuse among youth.
• The dissemination of this substance abuse prevention message through multiple media outlets, including the production of 3 PSAs on television and radio broadcasts.
• The production and distribution of 30,000 substance abuse prevention brochures in English and in Spanish to parents, caregivers and service providers in the community.
• Continual outreach to parents through the hosting of staffed information booths at local community events, school and civic functions.

The Pima County Parenting Coalition is a strong coalition. While many of the participating members represent some of the oldest and most viable agencies in Pima County, newer agencies and community partners are currently being recruited and joining, bringing enthusiasm, fresh ideas and an opportunity for strengthened networking relationships to occur within the coalition.