Evanston, IL – Two well-known leaders in the parenting community have joined forces to ensure parents are getting the best-quality products available. The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA), a network of more than 400 independent specialty toy retail stores, has teamed up with iParenting Media, producer of the iParenting Media Awards (IPMA) program and the largest network of parenting Web sites, iParenting.com, as part of its IPMA National Retailer Program.

The retailer program promotes iParenting Media award-winning products directly to consumers, then directs the consumers to participating IPMA retailers for purchase. The program also provides authorized retailers with benefits such as new business opportunities from manufacturers, award system credibility, in-store events, territory-specific marketing support, publicity and continuous branding services. Learning Express, a toy retailer with more than 100 stores across the country, and the National Infant Nursery Furniture Retailer Association (NINFRA), an organization with more than 100 member stores across the country, joined the program earlier this month.

“We believe the retailers that educate their customers with the highest quality items available will succeed in the future,” says Alvin All, chief executive officer of iParenting Media. “We will be guiding millions of our loyal consumers to iParenting Media Awards-authorized retailers for convenient access to award-winning products.”

“iParenting Media raises the standards in the specialty toy industry for honoring the best of the best with their award,” says Kathleen McHugh, executive director of ASTRA. “We look forward to utilizing IPMA’s communications program that connects their awarding-winning list of manufacturers, our retailers and their consumers so that everyone benefits. We have a win-win-win situation for the industry.”

Last fall, iParenting Media initiated the iParenting Media Awards program, which selects award-winning juvenile products on a quarterly basis after a thorough review process by parents, licensed childcare providers, teachers and product experts. For more information, visit www.iParentingMediaAwards.com.

In addition to hosting the IPMA program, iParenting Media operates iParenting.com, the Internet's premiere network community of more than 40 Web sites for parents and parents-to-be. In addition, iParenting’s Editor-in-Chief, Elisa Ast All, MSJ, writes a syndicated newspaper column and hosts a radio show titled Points on Parenting. The iParenting network has won numerous awards including a ranking as “Best of the Web” by US News & World Report, Newsweek and The London Times. Learn more about the company at www.iParentingMedia.com.

The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) is a collection of more than 400 independently owned specialty toy stores throughout the U.S. dedicated to value, service and quality. For more information, visit www.astratoy.org.

For more information about iParenting Media, contact: Jeanne Murphy Director of Business Development 570-595-0211 Jeanne@iparenting.com

For more information about ASTRA, contact: Kathleen McHugh ASTRA Executive Director 847-375-4842 KMcHugh@amctec.com