Amy Hatkoff

Amy Hatkoff is a child and family advocate, parenting educator, author and filmmaker. Her newest book, The Inner World of Farm Animals (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, Spring, 2009) brings the emotional, social and intellectual capacities of farm animals to life. . With a foreword by Jane Goodall and an afterword by Wayne Pacelle, President of The Humane Society of the United States, the book challenges us all to reconsider the way we think about and treat farm animals. Combining the latest research with touching stories and beautiful photographs, the book makes a plea for treating these beings with compassion and respect.

Ms. Hatkoff has spent much of her career raising awareness of the needs of children and families in America. She collaborated with New Screen Concepts to produce Rob Reiner's The First Years Last Forever, a home video that addresses how parents and caregivers can foster children's emotional, social and cognitive development. The video has been distributed nationwide as part of Mr. Reiner's public education campaign, now known as Parent's Action Center," which focuses on the importance of relationships and the first three years of life.

Ms. Hatkoff is the co-author of How to Save the Children, which was published by Simon and Schuster Fireside Press in 1992. The book draws attention to the suffering of children in the United States and offers concrete suggestions on what any citizen can do to fight the impact of poverty and neglect. With a moving forward by Marian Wright Edelman of the Children’s Defense Fund, How to Save the Children was chosen as the Book-of-the-Month Club pro bono publico selection. She is the author of You Are My World, How a Parent's Love Shapes a Baby's Mind (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2007).

Ms. Hatkoff is one of the producers of Neglect Not The Children, a documentary for public television hosted by Morgan Freeman. Nominated for a New York Emmy and winner of the C.I.N.E. Golden Eagle Award, the film demonstrates how caring programs and individuals can increase the likelihood of positive outcomes for youth at-risk.

At the request of Vice President Al Gore, Ms. Hatkoff conceived of and developed a plan for a National Parenting Education Program. In the summer of 2003, she brought aspects of that plan to the New York City’s Public Advocate's office and launched Partnerships for Parents, a citywide initiative to foster parents' capacities to nurture their children's healthy development.

She served as the Coordinator of Programs for Homeless Families for the Children's Aid Society and as Director of Development and Community Programs for the Institute for Infants, Children & Families at the Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services. Ms. Hatkoff founded ParentWise, a private consulting company offering educational workshops for parents.

Articles on Ms. Hatkoff and her work have appeared in numerous newspapers and magazines, including: New York Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, Family Circle and Parent's Digest. Ms. Hatkoff has also written articles about parents and children for several publications including Family Magazine and the New York Daily News. She has been interviewed by television programs and nationwide radio stations.