Empact Parenting Core Facilitator Certification

Empact Parenting is a world-recognized comprehensive outcomes-based parenting program for families that have children with special needs and medical conditions.

This course is for individuals who want to become certified to deliver Empact Parenting programs. It includes a course bundle of the training and certifications for the Empact Parenting Core and the Empact Parenting of Infants and Young Children (IYC) program.

Through the use of videos and exercises, Empact Parenting programs are designed to be delivered by certified facilitators either -

  • 100% virtually,
  • 50% virtual/50% in-person hybrid, or
  • 100% in-person.

Individuals that register for this course will receive:

  • Online access to videos and exercises for the Empact Parenting Core and Empact Parenting of Infants and Young Children (IYC)
  • Hard-copy Empact Facilitator Guides - Virtual, Hybrid, and In-Person Programs
  • Hard-copy Sample Infants and Young Children (IYC) Parent Handbook
  • Empact Parenting Certification Tests for the Empact Parenting Core and for the IYC program
  • IYC Empact Parenting program slides
  • I Am The Parent stickers
  • Rules of the Road sign
  • I Am The Parent sign

To become a certified facilitator, trainees will need to pass content-specific testing with a score of at least 80%. At the completion of all of the topic-specific tests, a participant will receive their Empact Parenting Core Facilitator certificate. This course is bundled with the facilitator testing for the Empact Parenting of Infants and Young Children.


Your Instructors


Danna Merritt, MSW
Danna Merritt, MSW

Danna is a licensed clinical social worker with over four decades of experience working with families that have children with serious medical conditions and special needs. She founded the original Empact Parenting program over twenty years ago and launched the Energizing & Empowering Minds non-profit in 2016 to continue to ensure that parents have access to the support that they need. Danna retired from Children’s Hospital of Michigan and lives in Noblesville, Indiana. She is a mother of two daughters with six grandchildren. She enjoys spending her spare time with her family creating experiences and memories.


Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
Who should take this course?
This course has been uniquely designed for parent-peers or professionals (e.g. social workers, behavioral therapists, nurses, physicians, educators, etc.) that want to host and facilitate parenting programs. Parent-peer scholarships are available. Please contact [email protected] for more information.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! However, since this both online content and hard-copy training materials that will be shipped to the participant prior to the start of the program, there will be no refunds.

Get started now!