Virtual Parent Support Groups
Always Free & Confidential
Real people. Real connections. Real compassion.
In our Support Groups, you decide what to talk about in a compassionate and supportive space.
The purpose of our support groups is to create safe spaces where group members share experiences about parenting no matter where they are on the parenting journey. Our groups are free, confidential, and open to anyone who identifies as a caregiver. They are run by volunteer facilitators who are trained in our Parents Helping Parents Mutual Aid Support Group Model.
Our groups are for parents looking for support. We provide a safe space for parents; therefore, we do not allow observers in our groups.
Current Virtual Parent Groups Schedule
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Fathers helping fathers manage the expectations of fatherhood.
This support group is a safe space for dads to share experiences and help each other cope with the demands of fatherhood.
No dad-bashing here.
Topics can include:
1) Co-Parenting
2) How to be a good dad
3) Raising Daughters and Raising Sons
4) Child Behavioral Problems and Discipline Issues
5) Strategies to manage stress and overwhelm
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Parents helping parents get their child back from social services.
This support group is a safe space for parents who have a child in state custody. Moms and dads whose child has been removed come together to get help, share strategies and their experiences dealing with the Care and Protection Family Court process. While everything discussed in this group is confidential, Parents Helping Parents will provide an attendance letter at the member's request.
Topics can include:
1) Working with your social worker
2) Understanding the Department of Children and Families (DCF)
3) Preparing for visitation, "family time", foster care reviews, court dates, court hearings
4) Your legal rights before and after your child is placed in foster care
5) How to find a lawyer and get legal help
6) Following your family action plan
This group tends to be small with 3-5 members per meeting.
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Parents helping parents manage parenting.
This support group is open to any parent. Moms and dads from all across the country and all walks of life come together to share parenting experiences.
Topics can include:
1) Stress Management
2) Discipline and Parenting skills
3) Co-Parenting or Parallel Parenting
4) Family Court System
5) Help and resources for parents
This group tends to be a larger group with 7-12 members per meeting.
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Parents helping parents with Highly Sensitive Kids.
According to the psychologist who coined the term “the highly sensitive child”, Dr. Elaine Aron, high sensitivity is quite common, occurring in approximately 15 to 20% of the population.
This support group is open to anyone parenting a highly sensitive child of any age. Moms and dads join together to find connection and share experiences of parenting kids who are more sensitive and reactive to the world than neurotypical children.
Topics can include:
1) Managing behaviors of highly sensitive kids
2) Support and advocacy strategies for highly sensitive kids in school
3) Discipline and consequence strategies for highly sensitive kids
4) Personal grief and loss when you can't participate in "normal" family experiences
This group tends to be a larger group with 7-12 members per meeting.
Mondays
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Parents helping parents get their child back from social services.
This support group is a safe space for parents who have a child in state custody. Moms and dads whose child has been removed come together to get help, share strategies and their experiences dealing with the Care and Protection Family Court process. While everything discussed in this group is confidential, Parents Helping Parents will provide an attendance letter at the member's request.
Topics can include:
1) Working with your social worker
2) Understanding the Department of Children and Families (DCF)
3) Preparing for visitation, "family time", foster care reviews, court dates, court hearings
4) Your legal rights before and after your child is placed in foster care
5) How to find a lawyer and get legal help
6) Following your family action plan
This group tends to be small with 3-5 members per meeting.
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Parents helping parents during the teen years.
This support group is open to anyone parenting a pre-teen, tween or teenager. Moms and dads join together to share experiences and strategies for parenting kids hitting puberty and beyond. No topic is off limits.
Topics can include:
1) Managing out of control, high-risk and challenging behaviors in teenagers
2) Supporting teens with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Anxiety or Depression
3) Creating safe and realistic boundaries with teenagers
4) Discipline and consequences during the teen years
5) Adolescent Development
This tends to be a large open group and no parenting teenager topic is off limits.
Tuesdays
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Parents helping parents manage parenting.
Take a break from your day and join us for sympathy and supportive conversation.
This support group is open to any parent. Moms and dads from all across the country and all walks of life come together to share parenting experiences.
Topics can include:
1) Strategies for Stress Management
2) Discipline and Parenting skills
3) Co-Parenting or Parallel Parenting
4) Child Development
5) Help and resources for parents
This group tends to be small with 3-5 members per meeting.
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Open to caregivers of teens with special needs
Group members provide insight, feedback, and support to one another through this challenging phase of the parenting journey.
This is an open group and members are welcome to join at any time during the meeting.
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Single parents helping single parents manage parenting alone.
This support group is open to any single parent. Moms and dads come together to connect with other parents who understand how hard it is to raise a child on your own and be part of a compassionate community.
Topics can include:
1) Strategies for Stress Management
2) Parenting Guilt
3) Co-Parenting or Parallel Parenting
4) Family Court System
5) Help and resources for single parents
This group tends to be a larger group with 7-12 members per meeting.
Wednesdays
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Parents helping parents during the preschool years.
Is your threenager driving you batty? Is your 5-year-old really ready for kindergarten? Is it a tantrum or a meltdown?
This support group is open to anyone parenting a preschooler. Moms and dads join together to share experiences and strategies for parenting children 3-6 years old.
Topics can include:
1) Strategies for Stress Management
2) Discipline and Parenting skills
3) Co-Parenting or Parallel Parenting
4) Early Child Development
5) Help and resources for parents
This group tends to be small with 3-5 members per meeting.
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Mothers helping Mothers stay clean and sober.
This support group is for mothers managing addiction. We provide a safe space for moms with substance use disorder or alcohol use disorder to help each other manage sobriety and the challenges of parenting.
Topics can include:
1) Overcoming Stigma
2) Managing triggers and coping with stress
3) Child Behavioral Problems and Discipline Issues
4) Rebuilding Trust
5) Resources for parents and children
This group tends to be small with 3-5 members per meeting.
Thursdays
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Parents helping parents during the teen years.
Has your 14-year old turned into a stranger? Your kiddo refusing to go to school? Is every day a battle? Anxiety and depression taking over your household?
This support group is open to anyone parenting a pre-teen, tween or teenager. Moms and dads join together to share experiences and strategies for parenting kids hitting puberty and beyond. No topic is off limits.
Topics can include:
1) Managing out of control, high-risk and challenging behaviors in teenagers
2) Supporting teens with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Anxiety or Depression
3) Creating safe and realistic boundaries with teenagers
4) Discipline and consequences during the teen years
5) Adolescent Development
This group tends to be a larger group with 7-12 members per meeting.
Fridays
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Connect with other parents of only children to share experiences.
Saturdays
What Parents Are Saying...
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"I have had my fair share of professional interventions but PHP is the most effective support system I have found. There's nothing more powerful than a group where you can share your experiences in an atmosphere of trust."
Anonymous
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"The best thing is you can speak openly, and nothing you say goes anywhere. I never knew that if you had a problem you could talk about it and get help and understanding instead of criticism. Also you get answers for a lot of unanswered questions. I always leave group feeling better"
Anonymous
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"I kept trying to convince myself that I could work things out on my own but eventually I couldn't lie to myself any more. It took a lot of courage to go to that first meeting. But when I got there, it was amazing to discover a place where parents could talk without being judged."
Anonymous
Frequently Asked Questions
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The purpose of our support groups is to create safe spaces where group members share experiences about parenting no matter where they are on the parenting journey and learn to cope with things they cannot change.
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Parents Helping Parents has provided parent support groups since 1972. Forty years of outcome data show that parents who attend our groups learn new parenting skills; report significant stress reduction; and are better able to control their emotions.
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Our groups are free, confidential, and open to anyone who identifies as a caregiver. They are run by trained volunteer facilitators.
People may join the group at any time and attend as many or as few groups as they want. We find that our groups often develop a core membership who attend consistently over a period of time - sometimes years - while others come and go.
We often have people from a variety of backgrounds in each group. While they come from different places, they all have caregiving in common.
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Volunteer facilitators run the group. They manage technology, monitor the time, and make sure everyone is able to participate. They may check in with group members between groups.
Generally, it is the group members who decide what the group will discuss that day.
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A parenting class is run by a facilitator trained in a specific parenting curriculum.
Our support groups use a trauma-informed, mutual aid group model that we have developed over 40 years. Group members help one another through a combination of trust, validation, support, and collective wisdom. Each group adopts its own rules which always include confidentiality and establishing a judgment-free forum.
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No.
Members can participate in the way they feel most comfortable. Some people get the most out of groups by talking a lot and engaging with others, other people get what they need from listening and observing. Our facilitators are trained to understand the different types of group participation and help all members get the space they need during group time. If you have questions or concerns about group participation, please talk with your group facilitator.
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All groups are free.
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Yes.
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Our groups are ongoing and welcome new members at any time.
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After completing 8 weeks of the group we will provide an attendance certificate for their participation in our Parent Support Groups. We will write letters confirming attendance upon request.
Volunteer as a Support Group Facilitator
Our trained volunteers facilitate weekly virtual support groups via Zoom.
All facilitators must pass a CORI check.