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What is Parent to Parent?

Parent to Parent programs provide emotional and informational support to parents of children who have special needs. To provide this support, trained and experienced veteran parents are carefully matched in 1-1 relationships with parents who are newly referred to the program. Because the veteran parent has shared the experience of disability in the family, the veteran parent is often able to provide a unique form of support that only another parent who has "been there" can. The Parent to Parent network is a growing national resource for families who have a child with special needs. Local community-based programs continue to emerge out of grassroots efforts; new statewide Parent to Parent programs are being developed to support the efforts of local programs; national needs are being addressed as they arise; and international interest in Parent to Parent is growing every year. The strength of Parent to Parent comes directly from the parents who dedicate themselves to its continuing success.

What is a Parent to Parent match?

A Parent to Parent match is a one-to-one relationship between a trained support parent of a family member with special needs and a parent who is looking for emotional and informational support from another parent with similar family and disability experiences. Parent to Parent programs facilitate parent matches and provide follow-up support to each match. Because the quality of the matched experience depends on a number of different factors, Parent to Parent programs make parent matches with great care.

How do I find a Parent to Parent Match?

To locate a P2P Program nearest you, click here for the text page or click on map below, to link to a state page that provides information and website links for P2P programs.

How are P2P Matches Made and Supported?

Parents who are interested in being matched with a supporting parent can refer themselves to a Parent to Parent program or they can request that someone else make the referral on their behalf. Referrals and matches are never made, however, without the expressed permission of the parent seeking the support, and anonymous referrals are never accepted. Usually the person who handles referrals to the Parent to Parent program is a parent and parents find it comforting to talk to another parent right away. The referral coordinator, in order to ensure the most successful match, will gather information from the referred parent about (a) the child and the disability; (b) the parent's own situation, needs, and specific challenges; (c) the reasons for seeking support; (d) the qualities they hope for in a support parent; and (e) any unique preferences or issues related to the match. When coordinators take time to establish a relationship with a newly referred parent, this time will lead to a greater understanding of the referred parent's personality and preferences, and may help the coordinator to make a more meaningful match. The referral coordinator will then check the roster of trained and available support parents to identify a support parent who seems to be the right fit. If the support parent agrees to the match, then contact information for each parent is shared with the other and the match is made. After the match is made, follow-up activities help to ensure the success of the match. The referral coordinator will check in with each parent a few days after the match has been made, just to be sure that the initial contact has indeed occurred. Over time, regular and on-going check-in calls with the referred parent and the support parent give the coordinator an opportunity to resolve any logistical problems that may arise in the match (e.g. replacing lost phone numbers) and to learn about any other supports that might benefit the match or either parent. Support parents are encouraged to make regular and consistent contacts with the referred parent, even if these contacts are brief. Many program encourage supporting parents to contact the referred parent at least once a week during the first few weeks of the match so that the two parents get to know each other more quickly. These early and frequent contacts will help the referred parent to feel sure that the supporting parent is indeed a reliable ally who will be there for them day in and day out. Because each parent will have personal preferences for the timing, number, and nature of contacts from the support parent, each match will evolve in its own personalized way.

Characteristics of Parent to Parent

• Most Parent to Parent programs are parent-directed, and indeed it is this parent ownership and energy that seem to give the program their real strength.
• Most Parent to Parent programs are cross-disability, with many different physical and developmental disabilities being represented - including prematurity, children whose parents are challenged by alcoholism or drug addiction or who have AIDS, children with mental illness or severe behavioral and emotional disorders, children who are chronically ill and/or medically fragile, children with acquired disabilities.
• Most Parent to Parent programs are all inclusive and serve families of children/adults of all ages. although 85% of the family members with special needs are less than 12, based upon our survey.
• Most support parents receive training in how to be an effective veteran parent before they are matched with a referred parent.
• Most matches are 1 parent to 1 parent and it's often the mothers being matched; although programs report Dad's being involved and matches made between other family members as well.
• Each match evolves at its own pace and in its own directions, based upon the needs and preferences of the referred parents -- some matches are just a few contacts over a course of several days or weeks; while others evolve into lifelong friendships.

The first formally organized Parent to Parent program, the Pilot Parents Program, was started in Omaha, NE by a young mother of a child with Down syndrome. She worked closely with a social worker at the Greater Omaha Arc who shared her vision of a program to foster 1-1 connections between parents. The program grew rapidly and within a few years the founders received a federal grant to train others to replicate the Pilot Parent model. Parent to Parent programs began to spring up nationwide, fueled by the energies and commitments of parents who believed fervently in their importance. Today there are over 650 local and statewide Parent to Parent programs in the US.

See history of the Parent to Parent Movement and the history of Parent to Parent - USA

Quality Standards are evidence and experienced based practices endorsed and promoted by Parent to Parent - USA.

View the following files in pdf format:

• Evidence-based Practice- Summary
• Evidence-based Practice- Detailed
• Recruiting Training Support Parents
• Matching and Follow-up

There are many different parent support and information opportunities available to parents - some are directed by professionals and others are directed by parents; sometimes the support is provided in a group setting and sometimes the support is provided individually. Ideally communities will offer parents a broad spectrum of parent support options so that parents can choose the one that is most comfortable and meaningful for them.

Many agencies that provide services to children and adults with special needs offer families an opportunity to come together in a group setting with other families. These parent support groups are generally organized and facilitated by a professional staff member through the agency, and within these group meetings parents receive both emotional and informational support.

Sometimes parents want to talk individually with a professional about a particular issue or need. Support that is provided by professionals in a one-to-one setting can be either informational or emotional support. The one-to-one nature of this support means that it can be easily tailored to the specific needs or concerns of the parent.

When parents of young children with disabilities are asked who can best support them emotionally, they most often mention as a first choice other parents who are sharing their experiences. Sharing family experiences with others in similar circumstances is an important source of social support. Literally hundreds, if not thousands, of parent support groups have been started by parents wishing to talk with other parents about similar disability issues.

Parent to Parent support rounds out this continuum of support - providing parents with one-to-one emotional and informational support from another parent who has been there.

Parent to Parent programs and families connect with each other at the International Parent to Parent Conference every other year. We will keep you informed but at this time we do not have a host state. (date here)

 

For each of the conferences a local or statewide Parent to Parent program volunteers to host the event. Funding for these conferences comes through a combination of local, state, and more recently some federal sources. Attendance at the conferences has grown from fewer than 100 to over 1100 parents, children and young adults with disabilities, and service providers, all of whom are closely involved in Parent to Parent programs in their home communities. Parent to Parent conferences are international and multi-cultural in their focus, with attendees from around the world.