"P2P" = Parent to Parent
P2P, used throughout this website, is a shortened form of Parent to Parent, used to reference this national website or a state organization.

Parent to Parent support

One-to-one emotional and informational support provided to a parent of a child/adult family member who has a disability, chronic illness, or other special healthcare needs by a trained supporting parent who has had similar family and disability experiences.

Parent to Parent match

The one-to-one relationship between a trained supporting parent and a parent seeking emotional and informational support from another parent who has been there. The one-to-one parent match minimally consists of at least four contacts from a support parent during the first 8 weeks of the match, but most matches last much longer.

Local Parent to Parent Program

A community-based support and information program for families who have children/adult family members with a disability, chronic illness, or other special healthcare needs. Parent to Parent programs facilitate one-to-one matches between trained support parents and a parent seeking support from another parent with similar experiences.

Statewide Parent to Parent Program

A Parent to Parent program that supports local Parent to Parent efforts across a state by providing technical assistance and training for program coordinators and families, and assisting with statewide parent matches.

Support Parent

A parent of a child/adult family member with a disability, chronic illness, or other special healthcare needs who volunteers time to be matched with and provide emotional and informational support to other parents.

Emotional Support

Emotional support consists of five different components: (a) a sense of having a reliable ally; (b) a sense of empowerment; (c) a sense of social support; (d) a sense of being able to cope; and (e) acceptance of the disability issues.

Informational support

Knowledge about (a) the disability and how to care for the family member with special needs, (b) services for the family member with special needs, and (c) how to get and maintain quality services for the family member with special needs

Support Parent Training

Typically parents wishing to serve as Support Parents receive from 6-10 hours of training before they are matched. Support Parent Training generally includes information about the adjustment process, the role of the Support Parent, communication and listening skills, the referral and match process, and community resources.

Beach Center on Disability

A federally-funded research and training center at The University of Kansas that has had a research partnership with Parent to Parent programs since 1988. The Beach Center houses a great deal of information and research data about Parent to Parent