Just in Time Parenting (JITP) is a project of leading land grant universities from across the United States, which brings high quality, research-based information to families just when it is most useful and can make the biggest difference in their lives. Our vision is to reach all parents — starting prenatally and continuing through age 5 — with key information that can help their family thrive and support their children to grow up healthy and ready for success.
JITP was founded with the support of the e-Xtension Project in 2009 by the Extension systems of California, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Tennessee, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico and Wisconsin, with significant leadership from the Illinois Extension team at Champaign-Urbana.
We work to reflect our readers. If you don’t see yourself, let us know! We are happy to post photos with your permission.
We do not accept advertising. By federal law, Extension is a free resource to all, supported by public land grant universities. You can donate though! We use resources to help fund our external domain name, subscription service cost, and outreach.
Questions regarding JITP should be sent via our contact email not to individual board members.
JITP Board
YaeBin Kim, Ph.D.
Evaluation
Extension Specialist and Associate Professor, University of Nevada Extension
Why do you value JITP?
- JITP is the only non-profit online resource dedicated to providing families reliable parenting information developed by a group of early childhood or parenting scholars.
Silvia Vilches, Ph.D.
Chair and JITP Site Host
Extension Specialist and Associate Professor, Auburn University/Alabama Cooperative Extension System
Why do you value JITP?
- As a former single mother, I devoured parenting material to try and figure out what I was doing. Now, as an outreach education program educator developer, I value the organized, consistent information that is backed by current science. These newsletters reflect sound, high quality information that is vetted by a university-based team.
Barb Beaulieu, M.S.
Community Board Member
Human Development Extension Specialist (Retired), Purdue University
Why do you value JITP?
- As a parent, grandparent, former teacher, and professional working in the field of parenting and childcare, I value the factual, research-informed information provided by JITP. Parenting young children can be overwhelming and there are lots of questions. JITP provides high quality, reliable, age-appropriate information, at your fingertips.
Amanda Griswold, CFLE
Extension Outreach Representative
Human Development & Relationships Educator, Crawford County, University of Wisconsin – Madison / Extension
Why do you value JITP?
- I value JITP as a timely, thorough, and easy-to-share free resource for parents or anyone who has children they care about. The information is research-based and reviewed by professionals in the field of human development.
Kelsie Jo Muller, MS
Board Secretary
Human Development and Family Science Extension Specialist, College of Health and Human Sciences, Purdue University
- When I became a first-time mom, I was extremely grateful for JITP newsletters. I found the resources shared, timely and helpful because I didn’t have to go searching through other resources and examine their validity. I could trust the content to be high quality. I share JITP with any new parent, family and friends. As an Extension Specialist I have a special interest in coming alongside families and caregivers to help kids grow, learn and spend more time in nature too.
Lindsay Weymouth
Board Member
Family Engagement and Relationships Program Manager, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- As a professional, I value JITP because it is rooted in science, yet practical with easy-to-understand information just when parents need it. As the parent of a young child, JITP was invaluable to me when I wondered about my child’s growth and development. I found JITP reassuring and encouraging. I shared it with many people in my child’s life!
Leigha MacNeill
Scientific Advisor
Assistant Professor, Department of Human Development and Family Science, College of Health and Human Sciences, Purdue University
Why do you value JITP?
- Why do you value JITP? I am a developmental psychologist and parenting researcher. Becoming a parent myself shifted how I think about research and how it is given back in ways that promote families’ unique strengths. Being a parent is hard—I value JITP because it supports family flourishing through free, evidence-based resources that are curated by a team of professionals who care deeply about families. shinelab.owlstown.net
Ivan Mendoza, MPH
Member, Spanish Language Nutrition Advisory Committee
Graduate Research Assistant, Purdue University
Ivan Mendoza, MPH is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Purdue University. Ivan is passionate about bridging the gap between research and practical applications. His research focuses on how environmental and individual factors influence familial dietary patterns and eating behaviors.
Meredith Taylor, MA, MPH
Member, Spanish Language Nutrition Advisory Committee
Educator, Family and Community Health Sciences Educator, Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Lida Araghi, Ph.D.
Member, Spanish Language Nutrition Advisory Committee
Assistant Professor and Nutrition & Food Safety Specialist, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture – Cooperative Extension Service (UADA-CES)
Mari Pighini, Ph.D.
Spanish Language Consultant
Mari Pighini, Ph.D. is a retired lecturer and program coordinator for The University of British Columbia’s Masters in Education (MED) in Early Childhood Education Programs (Faculty of Education) online cohorts. Mari is a binational, bilingual consultant on early childhood training curriculum and content. A parent of two adult children, Mari is also a certified IAIM infant massage instructor for parents, and a trained facilitator for the Roots of Empathy and Seeds of Empathy Programs based in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Sofia Sanchez
Member, Spanish Language Nutrition Advisory Committee
Alumni Members
Ellen Abell
Jacob Bailey
Sandy Bailey
Aida Balsano
Andrew Behnke
Jill Bowers
Sally Bowman
Denise Brandon
Ann Bruce
Diana Del Campo
Caroline Croccoll
Dorothea Cudaback
Cindy Darden
Jodi Dworkin
Aaron Ebata
Ashley Griffin
Leslie Forstadt
Ted Futris
Kim Greder
Cailey Green
Robert Hughes
Anna Mae Kobbe
Sally Kees Martin
Camille Minaya
Juan Moreles
Pat Tanner Nelson
Kara Newby
Shirley O’Brien
Lenna Ontai
Dorothy Pinsky
Heidi Radunovich
Dave Riley, Ph.D.
Brittney Schrick
Harriet Shaklee
Ahlishia Shipley
Marissa Stone
James Van Horn
Susan Walker
Jennifer Wells-Marshal
Emily Wiggins
Past Awards, Grants, Publications, Presentations and Reports
Please write us if you are interested in any of these products.
2025
Kim, Y-B., Muller, K., Schrick, B. & Griswold, A. (Sept. 2025). Adapting our Web Presence to Generative Artificial Intelligence Queries, National Extension Association of Family Consumer Science, Grand Rapids, MI. (Vilches, non-presenting)
Kim, Y., Vilches, S. L., Shapiro, S., & Clarkson, A. (2025). Testing the capability of generative artificial intelligence for parent and caregiver information seeking. Family Relations (Special Edition: Artificial Intelligence in Everyday Family Life), 74(3), 1266–1284. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.13167. (First two authors share authorship equally).
2024
Kim, Y-B., Vilches, S.L. Shapiro, S., & Clarkson, A. (November 20-23, 2024). Testing the capability of generative AI for parent and caregiver information-seeking. (Paper). National Council on Family Relations, Seattle, Wash.
2023
Clarkson, A., Kim, Y.-B. & Vilches, S. L. (2023). A pandemic parenting split: What does an online newsletter reveal about extension outreach? Journal of the National Extension Association of Family & Consumer Sciences, 18(annual), pp. 62-69.
Vilches, S.L., Ache Akua, B.*, Kim, Y.-B., Clarkson, A., & Kim, M.* (7-11, November 2023). Mixed Methods Insights Into On-Line Parent Information Seeking: Lessons From the Fusion of the Pandemic with the Digital World. (Paper). National Council on Family Relations, Orlando, FL.
Vilches, S. L., Ache, B.*, Kim, M.*, Clarkson, A., & Kim, Y.-B. (September 2023). Wanting Respect, Engagement, and to be Known as Individuals: Understanding On-line Parenting/Caregiver Information-seeking Motivation, (Paper), National Extension Association of Family Consumer Sciences, Providence, RI.
Ache, B.*, Kim, M.*, Vilches, S. L., Clarkson, A., & Kim, Y.-B. (6-8 June 2023). Family Cohesion and Support Functions Revealed through Online Parenting Information-seeking Behavior, (Paper), International Congress on Evidence-based Parenting Support (I-CEPS), Parenting and Family Research Alliance (PAFRA), (online, Australia).
2022
Kim, Y-B, Vilches, S. L. & Clarkson, A. (accepted, 2022, Sept. 12-15). Comparative Differences in Effectiveness of Online Parenting Newsletters during COVID-19. Research paper. National Extension Association of Family Consumer Sciences (NEAFCS), Raleigh, North Carolina.
Vilches, S. L., Kim, Y-B, & Clarkson, A. (2022, Sept. 12-15). Comparative Differences in Effectiveness of Online Parenting Newsletters during COVID-19, Paper presented at the National Extension Association of Family Consumer Sciences (NEAFCS), Raleigh, North Carolina.
2021
2021 Communications – Newsletters Award for Just in Time Parenting Extension project, LEAN Methodology Evaluation – National Extension Just in Time Parenting Newsletter, Alabama Affiliate of the National Extension Association for Family and Consumer Science.
2020-2021. Just in Time Parenting (JITP) National Database Commercialization Development. Y.-H. Peggy Hsieh Fund for Innovation & Research Excellence in the College of Human Sciences. College of Human Sciences Endowment, Auburn University.
Clarkson, A., Kim, Y.-B., & Vilches, S. L. (2021). Understanding internet information usage among parenting newsletter website users. Research paper. National Extension Association of Family Consumer Sciences (NEAFCS) conference November, 2021. (online).
Kim, Y-B, Vilches, S. L., & Clarkson, A. (2021, October 25–29). How professionals have used an age-paced, research-based, electronic newsletters for parents/caregivers. Research poster. ZERO TO THREE conference (online).
2020
2020 Communications – Newsletters Award for Just in Time Parenting Extension project, 2nd Place Western Region, National Extension Association of Family Consumer Science.
2020 Program Excellence through Research, Understanding Internet Information Usage Among Parenting Newsletter Website Users. 2nd Place Western Region, National Extension Association of Family Consumer Science.
Kim, Y-B., Clarkson, A., & Vilches, S. L. (2020). Understanding internet information usage among parent subscribers to an information newsletter. Research poster. National Council on Family Relations conference, Nov., 2020 (online).
Vilches, S. L., Kim, Y.-B., & Clarkson, A. (2020). Are online parenting newsletters still relevant and useful? Parents report yes! Journal of the National Extension Association of Family & Consumer Sciences, 15, 22–26. https://neafcs.memberclicks.net/assets/documents/journal/2020-jneafcs/2020-JNEAFCS-FINAL-Compressed.pdf
Vilches, S. L., Littleton, C., Bubb, R., Kim, Y., & Clarkson, A. (2020). Digital reach: The value of on-line parenting newsletters. Research poster. Early Years Conference: Listen Together, Learn Together, Act Together, Vancouver, BC.
2019
2019-2020. Just in Time Parenting (JITP) National Database Commercialization Development. Y.-H. Peggy Hsieh Fund for Innovation & Research Excellence in the College of Human Sciences. College of Human Sciences Endowment, Auburn University.
Littleton, C., Bubb, R., & Vilches, S. L. (2019). Usefulness of a research‐based parenting newsletter: A comparison of child‐rearing information source. Research poster. Auburn Student Research Symposium. * 1st Place University-wide Undergraduate Poster winner in Social Science, Creative Scholarship, Arts, and Humanities, This is Research Symposium, Auburn University.
2018 and earlier
Kim, Y., Bowers, J. R., Martin, S. S., Ebata, A. E., Lindsey, S. C., Nelson, P. T., & Ontai, L. (2015). Process monitoring evaluation of an online program for parents. Journal of Extension, 53(2), No.2 Research in Brief (2RIB2).
Ostergren, C. S., & Riley, D. A. (2012). Testing age-paced parenting newsletters up to age 3: Greater impact on first time parents. Journal of Extension, 50(1), 1-9. https://archives.joe.org/joe/2012february/a9.php
Martin, S. S., & Weigel, D. J. (2001). Age-paced parenting materials and child maltreatment: Can newsletters make a difference? Paper presented at the National Council on Family Relations, November 2001, Rochester, New York.