Parent to Parent Programs
"We are feeling tremendous stress and worry about our child's special needs and how they are affecting our family. I'm also feeling a need to find and talk to other parents who have had the same experiences. How can I decide what type of support will work best for us? In particular, we are curious about a program called 'Parent to Parent.' Where can we find out more about this?
Topic
In this Knowledge-to-Action Guide, we gradually narrow the lens from a view of getting emotional supports from professionally-led programs and parent-led programs to a specific examination of Parent to Parent programs as a way to support families who are dealing with the challenges of parenting a child with special needs.
Bottom Line Action Steps
- Recognize that every family can use support once in a while to help meet those emotional challenges. Reaching out is the first step.
- Find the support and service programs in your area where you can meet other families: parent education programs, parent-led support groups, online discussion groups, or one-to-one parent programs.
- Consider two options if you believe a one-to-one match is right for you. Try to find a connection through a personal, community, or disability-organization network. Second, try to find a Parent to Parent program in your area and obtain a match with a support parent.
- Bear in mind that the most successful one-to-one matches occur between people who have strong similarities related to their challenges and priorities, who feel they can mutually support each other.
- Become knowledgeable about policy requirements related to parent counseling. If a program is not available in your area, you can make the case that you would like the early childhood program to provide this type of support for you.