January 2003 - Family Support America Newsletter

What Do Parents Want? ...
 
YMCA of the USA and the Search Institute recently polled a thousand parents to examine what kinds of assistance and support they say they need to raise their children. A key finding: parents want more reassurance, especially from other parents, that they are making the right decisions for their children. Family support centers across the nation are doing great work to provide parents with on-going opportunities for parent peer group interactions that provide such reassurance.
For information on helping parents start a support group in your community, contact PARENTS FORUM [ info@parentsforum.org ] or purchase, through Family Support America, a low-cost copy of Starting and Operating Support Groups: A Guide for Parents [ http://www.familysupportamerica.org ]. On the Family Support America site be sure to look at the mapping project which lists centers in your area that are already providing peer support groups. (Hint: search under services for centers that provide peer support groups/mentoring..)
 
To read more on the study, called Building Strong Families, visit YMCA of the USA or the Search Institute.