“I never knew that if you had a problem you could talk about it and get help and understanding instead of criticism. PHP taught me that."       - Parent Support Group Member

Parents Helping Parents is a non-profit institution focused on preventing child abuse before it ever occurs by offering free parenting help and support.  In the mid-1990’s, child abuse prevention strategies began to focus on the primary child abuse prevention, or interventions that prevent abuse before it occurs.  At the same time, research began looking at the diverse groups of factors that are associated with child abuse and neglect.  This approach, called the ecologic model, takes into account the interaction of several factors as possible causes of child abuse.  Factors on the individual level, including poor coping skills and parenting techniques, are viewed as part of a larger system of community factors, which include high levels of violence, poverty, and lack of access to services and support for parents.
 

PHP’s prevention philosophy is a self-help model based on the belief that parents are capable of developing their own solutions when given the space, encouragement and community resources that are necessary to do so.  Thus, it is the parents themselves who decide the direction a conversation will take during a Parent Support Group meeting or Parental Stress Line call.

The simple act of venting frustrations to other, caring adults is a tremendous relief to many stressed out parents.   When parents have access to emotional support, they feel empowered to develop strategies for strengthening their families and become leaders within their communities.  PHP provides a non-judgmental place where parents can share their frustrations and get assistance and feedback in identifying their strengths and improving their coping techniques.  

Numerous studies point to both the effectiveness of our approach and the high level of need for our service.

• An article written by the American Academy of Family Physicians stated, “Providing an empathetic ear and being a source of referral for help with [parenting] issues may [go] a long way toward nurturing needy parents.”  The article encouraged supporting parents with education about “stress management, coping and parenting skills such as appropriate discipline, knowledge of child development, nutrition and feeding problems, and safety issues.”
• A 2002 joint study from the YMCA and the Search Institute found that “78% [of parents] said that talking with other parents about parenting issues would help ‘very much’ or ‘somewhat’.  Similarly, 67% said that ‘others telling them they were doing a good job’ would help ‘very much’ or somewhat.’”
  

¹Bethea, L.  (March 15, 1999).  Primary Prevention of Child Abuse.  American Academy of Family Physicians.  Available at http://www.aafp.org/afp/990315ap/1577.html

²YMCA and the Search Institute.  (November 20, 2002).  Parents “Going It Alone” – Despite Available Support.  Available at  http://www.abundantassets.org/building2.cfm