Parent Encouragement Program
Parent Encouragement Program is a Kensington, Maryland-based nonprofit that delivers Adler-Dreikurs parenting education through online master classes, webinars, and in-person programs, serving more than 50,000 parents of toddlers-to-teens in English and Spanish since 1980.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersKensington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Parent Encouragement Program does
Parent Encouragement Program (PEP) is a Kensington, Maryland-based nonprofit organization founded in 1980 that delivers research-based parenting education grounded in the Adlerian/Dreikursian democratic-authoritative parenting framework. Its core platform, the PEP Family Resiliency Program (PEP-FRP), operates alongside a multi-format delivery architecture: 4-week online master classes priced at $199, one-hour live webinars at $25, a library of 65+ on-demand videos addressing critical parenting topics, free introductory content, and in-person classes in the Washington, DC region. Programs are available in English and Spanish and culminate in Certificates of Completion. The technical stack is lightweight and consumer-grade, comprising self-serve course delivery via pepparentonline.org, email automation through Robly, donation processing via Network for Good, and survey tooling via QuestionPro; no proprietary technology, models, or patents are disclosed.
PEP serves a long-tail consumer base of parents and caregivers of children from toddlerhood through the teen years, with dedicated programming for Latino families and parents of neurodivergent children. Revenue is generated through a hybrid nonprofit model: (1) program fees (master classes and webinars, with selected free offerings serving as a funnel), (2) charitable donations processed through Network for Good, and (3) institutional grants and contracts, including a multi-year USAID contract, a $72,576 grant from the Children's Opportunity Fund of the Greater Washington Community Foundation (2022), and inclusion in Maryland's $96 million student mental health grant initiative (2024). Distribution occurs through direct-to-consumer online self-service, in-person classes, and channel partnerships with schools (including Montgomery County Public Schools), companies, healthcare providers, and nonprofit organizations. The organization employs approximately 13 staff plus a 12-member Board of Directors and is led by Executive Director Kathy Hedge.
The organization cites a cumulative reach of 50,000+ parents over more than four decades, and the PEP Family Resiliency Program is the only major curricular offering to have been subjected to third-party outcomes validation — a 2023-24 NORC at the University of Chicago study showing measurable improvement in parent-child relationship satisfaction (1.67 to 2.58 on a 4-point scale) after 7 weeks of participation.
Parent Encouragement Program firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Parent Encouragement Program
- Legal name
- Parent Encouragement Program
- Website
- https://pepparent.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Parent Encouragement Program is a Kensington, Maryland-based nonprofit that delivers Adler-Dreikurs parenting education through online master classes, webinars, and in-person programs, serving more than 50,000 parents of toddlers-to-teens in English and Spanish since 1980.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Parent Encouragement Program industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Parenting Education Services
- NAICS
- Educational Services (611), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Positive Discipline & Behavior Support Programs (EDACALAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Family Coaching, Parent-Mediated & Home Visiting EI Services (EDACAFAJ), Parenting Education for Special Needs & Developmental Differences (EDACALAK), Parent Mental Health, Stress Management & Wellness Programs (EDACALAJ)
Keywords
Where Parent Encouragement Program is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kensington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Parent Encouragement Program business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Program Fees: PEP generates revenue through program fees from master classes, webinars, and other educational offerings. Multi-week master classes are priced at $199; webinars at $25 each with some free introductory options.
- Donations and Grants: PEP is a nonprofit organization that receives charitable donations and grant funding. Notable grants include $72,576 from the Children's Opportunity Fund of the Greater Washington Community Foundation and a multi-year contract from USAID.
- Amazon Affiliate: PEP participates in an Amazon affiliate program, earning commissions from qualifying purchases through Amazon links on their website.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | 4-Week Master Classes (8 hours each) |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Individual Webinars (1 hour each) |
| Freemium | Monthly | Free Programs |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Parent Encouragement Program product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Parent Encouragement Program (PEP) is a nonprofit that delivers research-based parenting education founded on the theories of Dr. Alfred Adler and Dr. Rudolf Dreikurs. It sells online multi-week master classes ($199), live one-hour webinars ($25), on-demand videos, and a dedicated Family Resiliency Program, delivered by trained Parent Educators in English and Spanish via its online platform and in-person sessions.
Product overview
Parent Encouragement Program (PEP) is a nonprofit parenting education organization offering a multi-format educational platform. The core program is the award-winning PEP Family Resiliency Program (PEP-FRP), based on Alfred Adler and Rudolf Dreikurs's democratic/authoritative parenting theories. Programs are delivered through: (1) Online offerings including 4-Week Master Classes ($199 each), Live Webinars ($25/hour), Critical Topics in Parenting (65+ topics), On-Demand Videos, and a Free Introduction; (2) In-person classes; and (3) Content resources including the PEPTalk blog, Parenting Resource Library, and Talking about Race/Racism guidance. All formats provide Certificates of Completion for enrolled programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- PEP Family Resiliency Program (PEP-FRP) A research-based 7-week family resiliency program grounded in Adler-Dreikurs parenting theory, with outcomes validated by an independent NORC study. Designed for parents seeking structured, evidence-based support to improve parent-child relationships, communication, and child cooperation.
- 4-Week Master Classes Online multi-week master classes (8 hours total) covering parenting fundamentals, with weekly video lessons and interactive elements connecting participants to a PEP Parent Educator. Priced at $199 per class.
- Live Webinars One-hour live virtual sessions providing tips on specific parenting challenges. Priced at $25 each with select free options, and offering Certificates of Completion for some sessions.
- Critical Topics in Parenting On-demand online courses covering 65+ pressing parenting topics, providing self-paced access to PEP's evidence-based parenting curriculum.
- On-Demand Videos Self-paced video content library covering parenting topics, available anytime through the PEP online platform.
- Free Introduction (Why Don't My Kids Listen to Me) Free introductory video course that lets parents sample PEP's parenting approach before purchasing paid programs.
Quantifiable outcome
- Parents' satisfaction with their relationship with children improved from an average of 1.67 to 2.58 on a 4-point scale after 7 weeks of the Family Resiliency Program (NORC study, 2023-24). Parents also reported feeling less isolated, more competent, and more hopeful.
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Parent Encouragement Program
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Parent Encouragement Program technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature3 records
Parent Encouragement Program partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- USAIDcorePEP was awarded a multi-year contract to provide its award-winning parent education program to USAID staff in Washington, D.C. and around the world. This represents PEP's international reach and recognition of its research-based curriculum.
- SchoolscorePEP reaches parents through partnerships with schools, delivering parenting education content to parent communities.
- Companies and BusinessescorePEP reaches parents through corporate partnerships, offering employee parenting education as a workplace wellness benefit.
- Health Care ProviderssupportingPEP partners with health care providers to reach parents with parenting education and family support resources.
- Nonprofit OrganizationssupportingPEP partners with nonprofit organizations to deliver parenting education to families in their communities.
- PEP Family Resiliency Program (PEP-FRP)corePEP-FRP (pep-frp.org) is a related program component focused on family resiliency, with validated outcomes from a NORC study showing significant improvement in parent-child relationships after 7 weeks.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Parent Encouragement Program competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- HealthyChildren.org (American Academy of Pediatrics): Operated by the AAP, this is a large, established source of free parenting guidance for parents of newborns through teens — overlapping mission and audience, vastly larger scale, and free model that competes with PEP's paid classes.
- Erikson Institute: Graduate school and applied research organization focused on early childhood education and families; comparable early-childhood/parent-education programming and professional training offerings.
- National Parent Teacher Association (PTA): Large national nonprofit delivering parent-education programming, family-engagement toolkits, and school partnerships — comparable audience (parents), mission (family support), and channel (school-based delivery).
Direct peers
- Bright by Three (Bright Beginnings): Nonprofit delivering early childhood and parent education programs via home visiting, workshops, and partnerships — overlapping parent-coaching, early-childhood focus, and nonprofit/grants funding model.
- Positive Discipline (Jane Nelsen): Founded by Jane Nelsen on Adler/Dreikurs principles — directly comparable Adlerian parenting-education curriculum, with parenting classes, teacher training, and a similar democratic-discipline pedagogy that overlaps with PEP's core methodology.
- Zero to Three: National nonprofit providing parent education, early childhood development resources, and professional training — highly comparable mission, audience (parents of young children), and nonprofit funding model.
- Hand in Hand Parenting: Nonprofit offering parenting classes, parent coaching, and a self-paced course library serving parents of toddlers through teens — directly comparable D2C parent-education model, online classes, and price-point offerings.
Emerging players
- Brazelton Touchpoints Center: Provides parent and provider-facing developmental programs, professional training, and evidence-based family support — overlaps with PEP's parent-education and professional-development positioning.
- The Gottman Institute: Provides research-based relationship and parenting workshops, parent courses, and a parent educator certification track — comparable in scaling research-backed parenting content into paid courses and a facilitator-training model.
Regional players
- Raising Children Network (Australia): Nonprofit-supported online parenting resource covering children 0–18 with content, videos, and evidence summaries — comparable parenting-education digital platform, but for an Australian audience rather than US.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Parent Encouragement Program social profiles
Digital presenceParent Encouragement Program financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Parent Encouragement Program leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles17 records
Parent Encouragement Program subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Parent Encouragement Program funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Parent Encouragement Program M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Parent Encouragement Program
What does Parent Encouragement Program do?
Parent Encouragement Program (PEP) is a nonprofit that delivers research-based parenting education founded on the theories of Dr. Alfred Adler and Dr. Rudolf Dreikurs. It sells online multi-week master classes ($199), live one-hour webinars ($25), on-demand videos, and a dedicated Family Resiliency Program, delivered by trained Parent Educators in English and Spanish via its online platform and in-person sessions.
Is Parent Encouragement Program a public or private company?
Parent Encouragement Program is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Parent Encouragement Program founded?
Parent Encouragement Program was founded in 1980. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Parent Encouragement Program based?
Parent Encouragement Program is headquartered in Kensington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Parent Encouragement Program make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Program Fees are the primary driver. The others are donations and Grants and amazon Affiliate.
Who are Parent Encouragement Program's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are HealthyChildren.org (American Academy of Pediatrics), Erikson Institute and National Parent Teacher Association (PTA). Direct peers are Bright by Three (Bright Beginnings), Positive Discipline (Jane Nelsen), Zero to Three and Hand in Hand Parenting. Emerging players are Brazelton Touchpoints Center and The Gottman Institute. Raising Children Network (Australia) is listed as a regional player.
Does Parent Encouragement Program have an API?
No public API is recorded for Parent Encouragement Program.
What industry is Parent Encouragement Program in?
Parent Encouragement Program's product category is Parenting Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDACALAD, Positive Discipline & Behavior Support Programs, with a secondary code of EDACAFAJ, Family Coaching, Parent-Mediated & Home Visiting EI Services. Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 8200.