National
Study to Determine the Effectiveness of Parent to Parent
In response
to requests from parents and program directors of Parent to
Parent programs for efficacy data on Parent to Parent, a participatory
action research team of parents and researchers conducted a 3-year
national study to determine the effectiveness of parent to parent
support for referred parents. Parents and researchers worked together
to design the study, write the grant application; and carry out this
important study involving 400 parents nationally. Dr. George Singer was
the director of the study, and the results indicate that parent to
parent support increases parents' acceptance of their situation and their sense
of being able to cope. Moreover, parent to parent support helps parents
to make progress on the need they present when they first contact a
Parent to Parent program, and over 80% of the parents found parent to
parent support to be helpful. In fact, the data indicate a direct
correlation between the number of contacts referred parents have with
their supporting parent and how satisfied referred parents are with the
support they receive, the greater the number of contacts, the greater
the satisfaction. Interviews with parents suggest that the kind of
support Parent to Parent offers is unique and cannot come from any
other source. Based upon these significant data, the research team
recommends that Parent to Parent support should be an essential
component of a comprehensive family support system.
The Quality Standards endorsed and promoted by Parent to Parent USA resulted from this National Study. View the following Quality Standards in pdf format:
In 35
states, there are not only local Parent to Parent programs, but
established state-wide Parent to Parent networks. The Beach Center
conducted a survey of these statewide Parent to Parent programs to
learn more about the services they provide to parents and local
programs, how they are funded and staffed, their organizational
structure, and program developed materials they have to share. The
state-wide programs often provide training and technical assistance to
the local programs in a variety of different ways, and make it possible
for parents to be matched statewide when a local match isn't available.
In some states, the statewide Parent to Parent Organizations also serves as
the federally-funded Parent Training and Information Center and/or Family to
Family Health Information Center.
The
Beach Center
The Beach
Center on Disability has conducted research for and with
families on family and policy issues related to disability - including
research about Parent to Parent. To learn more about the Beach Center,
its research, and its products and resources, visit their webpage at www.beachcenter.org
In response
to requests from parents and program directors of Parent to
Parent programs for efficacy data on Parent to Parent, a participatory
action research team of parents and researchers conducted a 3-year
national study to determine the effectiveness of parent to parent
support for referred parents. Parents and researchers worked together
to design the study, write the grant application; and carry out this
important study involving 400 parents nationally. Dr. George Singer was
the director of the study, and the results indicate that parent to
parent support increases parents' acceptance of their situation and their sense
of being able to cope. Moreover, parent to parent support helps parents
to make progress on the need they present when they first contact a
Parent to Parent program, and over 80% of the parents found parent to
parent support to be helpful. In fact, the data indicate a direct
correlation between the number of contacts referred parents have with
their supporting parent and how satisfied referred parents are with the
support they receive, the greater the number of contacts, the greater
the satisfaction. Interviews with parents suggest that the kind of
support Parent to Parent offers is unique and cannot come from any
other source. Based upon these significant data, the research team
recommends that Parent to Parent support should be an essential
component of a comprehensive family support system. 
In 35
states, there are not only local Parent to Parent programs, but
established state-wide Parent to Parent networks. The Beach Center
conducted a survey of these statewide Parent to Parent programs to
learn more about the services they provide to parents and local
programs, how they are funded and staffed, their organizational
structure, and program developed materials they have to share. The
state-wide programs often provide training and technical assistance to
the local programs in a variety of different ways, and make it possible
for parents to be matched statewide when a local match isn't available.
In some states, the statewide Parent to Parent Organizations also serves as
the federally-funded Parent Training and Information Center and/or Family to
Family Health Information Center.
The Beach
Center on Disability has conducted research for and with
families on family and policy issues related to disability - including
research about Parent to Parent. To learn more about the Beach Center,
its research, and its products and resources, visit their webpage at