Patty Ensiso was 13 when she first entered a juvenile home for the possession of heroin. Even after 18 months of being institutionalized, she couldn't kick the habit.

"Within less than two weeks of getting out, I'd end up back in for being under the influence," said Ensiso, who is now 36.

By the time she was 16, Ensiso's heroin addiction was so strong that she could no longer speak clearly and was transferred to a mental institution for more than a year. While there, the government gave her two choices: she could quit the drugs or become incarcerated until she was 21. She chose to quit.
 
The mother of three blames her dysfunctional family for the juvenile delinquency that plagued most of her teenage years.  While growing up, Ensiso said she endured "abuse in every way you could think of" and sought refuge in street gangs and drugs.

Ensiso's childhood, and the experiences of those similar to her, have prompted the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) to partner with Parents Anonymous to recognize February as National Parent Leadership Month.

Parents Anonymous launched the initiative to encourage parents to become leaders in their homes and communities. Through national, state and local activities, the child abuse prevention organization and its partners highlight the resources available to parents to assist in building and supporting "strong, safe families."

"We need to have a family approach to dealing with delinquencies," said Lisa Pion-Berlin, President and CEO of Parents Anonymous. "You can't just focus in on the individual problem child; they live in a family, with parents."

What It Means To Be a Leader

In order to prevent at-risk children from entering the juvenile system, Pion-Berlin said parents must become leaders. She defines parent-leaders as anyone in a parenting role who uses resources to strengthen the family and then speaks out or acts in the community from a parent's perspective.

"A parent-leader is anyone who has stepped forward and said, 'Let's focus on the role of parents,'" Pion-Berlin said. "It could be an extraordinary feat or something small, as long as it made a difference."

According to Parents Anonymous research, there has been an "overwhelming" connection established between child abuse or neglect and one's risk for delinquency, adult criminal behavior and violent criminal behavior. Also, a 1996 study reported that children who were abused and neglected committed crimes at younger ages and were arrested more frequently than those who weren't abused.

For these reasons, Parents Anonymous, which is based in Claremont, Calif., partners with probation officers to offer weekly discussions for parents of at-risk children and delinquents. During these discussions, parents give each other advice on how to become better leaders and improve family situations.

Pion-Berlin said parents who simply attend the discussions have already proven that they are leaders.

"Asking for help is a sign of strength," she said. "The earlier that people see the signs and seek help, the better because, most of the time, parents wait too long."

However, it takes recognition for parents to realize their newfound leadership is making a difference.

What February Means To a Leader

The idea of a National Parent Leadership Month sprung from the organization's belief that parents have generally gone under-appreciated for their roles as both parents and leaders in the community.

"Parents are not feeling valued in society for their roles," Pion-Berlin said. "[Society] thinks of the role of parenting as third down the line: first, you're an employee, second, a neighbor, and then you're a parent."

So, during Parents Anonymous' annual assembly earlier this month, the organization launched its new initiative to recognize parents who have already become leaders in their families and communities and encourage others to follow suit. OJJDP administrator, Robert Flores, was a key speaker at the assembly.

"Parents need to know that they are not the only ones having problems," Flores said. "It's important that parents get help, especially parents of kids who are already inside of the juvenile system."

OJJDP, which has helped to promote National Parent Leadership Month by posting an announcement on its website, is also highlighting its family programs. In observance of Parent Leadership Month, Flores said the agency's website has brought parental issues to the forefront.

"When the going gets tough, it's important for parents to stand up," Flores said. "They are going to be the best advocates for the their children and the leadership that they show will put them in a position to obtain services and resources."

Recognition Takes Strides

Since Parents Anonymous announced National Parent Leadership Month on Feb. 9, the word has spread quickly.

Three major federal agencies have further recognized that strengthening families involves celebrating parental roles: OJJDP, the Children's Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

More than 20 private organizations have also jumped on the bandwagon, including the Child Welfare League of America and Family Support America.

Pion-Berlin said organizations have promoted the month so well that politicians are even establishing Parent Leadership Month on a statewide level.

Texas Governor Rick Perry has already declared February as Parent Leadership Month in the state. Other states, including California and Delaware, are awaiting proclamation of such a month, and the state of Iowa held a dinner on Feb. 22 in Des Moines to honor specific parents who exhibited leadership in their communities.

Still, Pion-Berlin emphasized that parent leadership does not have to take place on a national or statewide level. Leadership can occur within a community, a school, or it can take the form of work on critical policy issues, she said.

 "Just by being an advocate for your kid, you are also advocating your role as a parent in society," Pion-Berlin said.

Ensiso, who has recently become a grandmother, sought help from Parents Anonymous when she began verbally and physically abusing her five year-old daughter. She participated in Parents Anonymous-sponsored support groups and learned to become the type of caring mother that she never had as a child.

"I never understood how to be a parent leader until then; I didn't know I was capable of all of that," she said.

For her, February is now more than just another month of the year. It is a chance for her to seek out other parents and tell her story in hopes that they, too, will become leaders.

"A lot of parents don't realize that they have the skills to become a leader, but everybody is already a leader in their own way," she said. "It's important that they know they're capable, because I sure didn't know that."