Chartingthecourse.net, and the resources and services we offer, is the result of our conviction that what occurs within the family unit is critical to a child's physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being. As we look at the 21st century family, we are committed to presenting research-based, practical information and assistance.

This site is the web home of Charting the Course and includes links to several resources. Here's more information if you're interested in scheduling a parenting seminar. If you'd like to learn more about professional development for teachers or child care providers, click here.  Dr. Mumford is also available to speak to general audiences, such as at a church service or PTA event, on The State of America's Families.  There's also contact information and a bio of Judy Ann Mumford, founder of chartingthecourse.net and author of Small Boat, Wide Sea. And, take a second to visit 'Touchpoint,' a weblog authored by Dr. Mumford. She'll be updating it frequently with notes of encouragement and answers to parenting questions.

We are here to serve you. . .  

 Would you like to host a weekend parent education seminar?  Are you looking for a workshop facilitator for teacher professional development?  Or a seminar leader for a family life conference?  Do you need a speaker for a women's retreat or a mother's day brunch?  Are you trying to find a presenter for a conference or a  MOPS or PTA gathering?

Whether you are a church pastor, ministrsy director, conference planner, school administrator, or you have some other role in planning an event related to chldren, families, or parenting, please contact us to find out what we have to offer.

Would you like to view a 63-second Charting the Course promo DVD?  You can download one via this link and use it to find out more about us or to promote your CTC event.  To request other promotional materials, please contact us.

After years of experiencing parenting both first-hand and vicariously, we seem to have fewer concrete answers than we did several decades ago. Carefully listening to the stories of teens and parents, digging into volumes of empirical research, and reading scores of popular parenting magazines and books have reinforced our belief that parenting--although rewarding and gratifying--is incredibly complex and challenging. Therefore, what we don't do is provide "how-to" steps or "one-size-fits-all" formulas, which, if tried and proven ineffective, heighten rather than diminish parental insecurity and apprehension.

We also do not shy away from presenting the hard reality that the 21st century is far from "family friendly."  We believe our mission is to equip parents to be well informed but not fearful, to be proactive rather than reactive, and to practice early prevention rather than later intervention. 

Further,  in our mission to help families, we do not focus our efforts exclusively on parents.  Many other persons--teachers, youth staff, child care providers, extended family member--touch our children's lives and potentially influence them in numerous and profound ways.  Especially as our children begin spending more time away from home, we realize that persons other than we begin to have a great impact on their thoughts and behaviors.  Rather than resist the shift from ourselves to others, we need to welcome the assistance of those who embrace our values and come alongside our children.