Parenting Advice and Support

by Margaret Hannah, M.Ed, Executive Director, Freedman Center for Child and Family Development at The Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology

Parenthood can bring joy and sorrow, challenges and successes. It can make one feel proud, tired, delighted, bored, and overwhelmed - sometimes all at once. It is not uncommon for a parent to neglect his/her own needs while focusing on those of the child. As it has often been said, parenting is the most important, most wonderful, and most difficult job ever.

Most parents are eager to do a good job. But it seems there is always something to learn: a new technique to try, a different struggle to overcome. Just when a parent feels competent and confident about an appropriate parenting style or technique, the child changes. Confidence and competence may be replaced by feelings of bewilderment and betrayal, as the parent needs to re-think, re-learn, or re-invent his/her approach. How can mothers and fathers learn to enjoy this constantly-evolving parenting puzzle?

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Resource Organizations » Parenting Advice and Support

24 listing(s), including 1 with hotlines and 10 offering support groups

In Chelmsford

Chelmsford Community Education

www.chelmsfordcommunityeducation.org/
230 North Road, Chelmsford
Chelmsford, MA  01824
(978) 251-5100
Our programs offer something for every age level. Whether you're a resident of Chelmsford or one of the surrounding towns, there is a wide variety of courses and recreational activities to serve educational and enrichment needs, or for just plain fun! Our Childcare and Preschool services are enjoyed by children as young as 18 months through school age. Please browse through our website to find a new hobby, sign up for a trip with your friends, or learn a new skill. We have it all!
Part of the Chelmsford Public Schools

CTI: Division of Child and Family Services

www.comteam.org/div_cfs.htm
155 Merrimack St.
Lowell, MA  01852
(978) 459-0551
The Division of Child and Family Services assists family self-sufficiency by providing nurturing, safe and supportive programs for families with children birth through middle school age. Its programs help low-income families meet their children's educational, social, nutritional, and health needs and encourage parents to participate fully in shaping these programs and services to best meet their needs. Last year, the Divison served nearly 10,000 Greater Lowell children and their families.

The Paul Center for Learning and Recreation

www.thepaulcenter.org/index.html
39 Concord Road
Chelmsford, MA  01824
978-256-4396
The Paul Center is dedicated to assisting individuals with disabilities in developing their maximum potential and independence. We accomplish this goal by providing services to the individual as well as to the family. The Board of Directors and staff of The Paul Center believe that through consistent quality programming we can and do provide an optimal educational and recreational experience needed by our students.We stress with our staff the importance of establishing and maintaining a "spirit of extended family" with our students. This spirit transcends all aspects of our programs and continues to be a significant factor in our success with our students.
39 Concord Road
Chelmsford, MA 01824
978-256-4396
Contact Information
Job Opportunities
Please feel free to contact us with any questions about the Paul
Center or to schedule a visit.
The Paul Center for Learning and Recreation, Inc.
39 Concord Road
Chelmsford, MA 01824
E-mail: info@thepaulcenter.org
Phone: 978-256-4396

In Massachusetts

Parents Helping Parents and Parental Stress Line

parentshelpingparents.org
Offers support group(s)
108 Water Street
Watertown, MA  02472
Parents Helping Parents: 617-926-5008
Parental Stress Line: 800-632-8188
Since 1972, when the organization was founded as Parents Anonymous Organization of Massachusetts, Parents Helping Parents (PHP) has offered hope and support to thousands of parents. PHP's mission is to promote and support healthy parent/child relationships and break the cycle of child abuse through peer-led, professionally facilitated mutual help groups, which provide a nurturing, non-judgmental environment in which to improve family relationships. The parental stress line is free and confidential and is available to parents 24/7 for support and guidance.

Center for Early Relationship Support, Jewish Family & Children's Services (JF&CS)

www.jfcsboston.org/OurPrograms/ChildrenFamilies/tabid/179/Default.aspx
Offers support group(s)
1430 Main Street
Waltham, MA  02451
781-647-5327
The Center for Early Relationship Support is a center of excellence for direct services, training, supervision, and consultation that focus on the earliest parent-infant relationship. Programs include free home visits for new parents, support groups for new parents, specialized treatment for parents with postpartum adjustment disorders, sleep and feeding consultations, services for premature infants, and programs for parents under 21 years old.

Common Sense Media

www.commonsensemedia.org/
Common Sense Media is dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in a world of media and technology.

Community Resources for People with Autism

www.communityresourcesforautism.org/
116 Pleasant Street Suite 366
Easthampton, MA  01027
413-529-2428
Community Resources for People with Autism provides support, information, and practical help for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders and their families living in Western Massachusetts.
Community Resources was founded in 1989, and continues to be directed by, parents of children with autism. Their goal is to help families, schools, professionals, agencies and communities understand autism, promote the well-being of individuals with autism, and foster their inclusion in the community.

Families First Parenting Programs

www.families-first.org
Offers support group(s)
99 Bishop Richard Allen Drive
Cambridge, MA  02139
617-868-7687
Families First Parenting Programs builds positive relationships between parents and their children by educating both families and the professionals who serve them through hands-on workshops.

Family Nurturing Center of Massachusetts

www.familynurturing.org
Offers support group(s)
200 Bowdoin Street
Dorchester, MA  02122
617-474-1143
Fax: 617-474-1261
Nurturing Programs bring parents and children together to learn, have fun, and build supportive relationships with other community families. The Family Nurturing Center works in partnerships with others to offer a variety of Nurturing Programs in Boston and across Massachusetts. We use the original curriculum (Nurturing Program for Parents and Children), as well as several adaptations (Prenatal, Teen Parent, Nurturing Fathers, Nurturing Program for Families in Recovery), and we have developed our own specialized programs to meet the needs of the communities we serve (Nurturing Our Babies, Birth and Foster Family, Cape Verdean Nurturing Program).

Family Service of Greater Boston

www.fsgb.org
Offers support group(s)
31 Heath Street
Jamaica Plain, MA  02130
617-523-6400
Family Service of Greater Boston promotes the self-sufficiency and well-being of at-risk families and individuals through provision of innovative, culturally competent, and integrated health and social services, thereby contributing to healthy communities. In keeping with our mission, Family Service reaches 5,800 mothers, fathers, grandparents, children, and teens annually. We provide high-quality clinical mental health services for children and adults who have been victims of physical and sexual abuse. We offer substance abuse treatment, family therapy, parenting education, and child protective services to help troubled families stay together and rebuild their lives. In elementary, middle, and high schools, and in after-school programs across Boston, we offer mentoring for young people, school-based counseling, and prevention services aimed at reducing violence, early pregnancy, and substance abuse.

Family TIES of Massachusetts

www.massfamilyties.org
Offers support group(s)
800-905-8437
Family TIES of Massachusetts is a program for families of children with special needs and chronic illness, and the professionals who support them. Family TIES offers parent-to-parent support, information and referral services, and workshops to ensure that parents feel confident in caring for their children's special needs. The website offers information about services and supports, as well as personal experiences from early intervention through transition to adulthood. In addition, Family TIES offers regional coordinators who help parents of children with special needs get connected to support groups in their area.

Father Friendly Initiative, Boston Public Health Commission

www.bphc.org/programs/cafh/mch/fatherfriendly
Offers support group(s)
Finland Building
774 Albany Street
Boston, MA  02118
617-534-9525
The Father Friendly Initiative (FFI), is a "one stop" service designed to reintegrate the father into the family, specifically targeting men who have child support, custody/visitation, or court involved issues. FFI uses a holistic approach and offers a comprehensive case management program designed to accommodate the psychological, physical and social support needs of those men falling within the low to no-income range.

First Connections

www.firstconnections.org
Offers support group(s)
545 Boylston Street, Suite 700
Boston, MA  02116
617-450-0500
First Connections is a non-profit, family support organization that provides comprehensive services to families with young children birth through age five. Created in 1994 as part of the Massachusetts Family Network initiative, First Connections serves a large geographic area that encompasses twelve metro-west communities, including Acton, Bedford, Boxborough, Carlisle, Concord, Harvard, Lincoln, Littleton, Maynard, Stow, Sudbury, and Westford as well as Hanscom Air Force Base. The mission of First Connections is to assist parents, through free or low cost education and support, in developing the skills they need to be involved and effective parents and to connect these parents to each other and to their communities.

Freedman Center

freedman.mspp.edu/
Offers support group(s)
225 Nevada Street
Newtonville, MA  02460
617-244-INFO
Freedman Center (formerly WarmLines), a not-for-profit organization based in Newton, provides programs, resource information and support services for families, educators and employee groups. Freedman Center offers New Mothers and New Parents groups, special topic support groups, mental health and wellness referrals, and workshops for parents, early childhood educators and mental health providers. Mental Health and Wellness consultations are also available to schools and community agencies.

New England Center for Academic Success and Pediatrics West

Pediatrics West, PC, 133 Littleton Road, Suite 301
Westford, MA  01886
A parent group being offered by the New England Center for Academic Success and Pediatrics West.The goal of this group is to provide support, build friendships, and offer a safe place to exchange ideas with others in similar situations. The group will meet monthly at Pediatrics West in Westford and will be lead by parents Crystal Carden and Terri Packard. Once per quarter, the New England Center for Academic Success and Pediatrics West will provide an expert group facilitator who will give an informal presentation on a specific topic and will also be available for questions. Pediatrics West, PC, 133 Littleton Road, Suite 301, Westford, MA 01886. Please call Jeannie at 978-577-0483 for more information, the scheduled dates and times or to sign up for this group.

Nurturing Fathers Program, Family Nurturing Center of Massachusetts

www.familynurturing.org/programs-nurturing.htm#fathers
Offers support group(s)
200 Bowdoin Street
Dorchester, MA  02122
617-474-1143 x 251
Fax: 617-474-1261
Offers a structured group that dads can participate in to get a better understanding of themselves and their roles in the family. Each group explores family patterns in fathering, families as a team sport, problem-solving with co-parent, fathering sons and daughters, work and fathering, and many other issues. Each session allows ample time for participants to share their experiences. The groups are facilitated by nurturing fathers once a week for 13 weeks and meet in various locations around Boston.

One Tough Job, Massachusetts Children's Trust Fund

www.onetoughjob.org
The Massachusetts Children's Trust Fund created One Tough Job to support parents by providing them with current, reliable, and practical information on a variety of parenting topics related to raising children from infancy through adolescence. We aim to provide a general overview of topics, drawing from a variety of reputable and reliable sources.

Parent-Child Home Program

www.parent-child.org
MA Statewide Coordinator: 617-964-2524
Newton Coordinator: 617-969-5906
The Parent-Child Home Program is a research-based and research-validated early childhood literacy and school readiness program. The Program successfully strengthens families and prepares children for academic success through intensive home visiting. The Program has a proven record in Massachusetts since 1970 when the first sites opened in Pittsfield, Newton, and Cambridge. Currently there are 34 sites from Pittsfield to Boston serving over 1500 families, living at or below the poverty line, in their homes, homeless shelters, and family child care homes.

Parent/Professional Advocacy League (PAL)

ppal.net/
45 Bromfield Street 10th Floor
Boston, MA  02108
866-815-8122
Parent/Professional Advocacy League (PAL) is an organization that promotes a strong voice for families of children and adolescents with mental health needs. PAL advocates for supports, treatment and policies that enable families to live in their communities in an environment of stability and respect.

Parenting Teens Info

www.parentingteensinfo.com/category/blog/
PO Box 3085
Acton, MA  01720
800-234-2150
Parenting Teens Info is dedicated to one thing: We support parents in successfully raising teens.
We write and produce a variety of online and offline content in various formats: programs, books, booklets, CD's, and much more. Our goal is to deliver top quality, evidence-based information in a fun and interactive way. The online format gives parents the flexibility to choose when, where, and how long they would like to review and engage in the thought provoking readings, reflections, and activities. Our print products enable individuals and groups to learn about issues, consider expert input and engage with other parents.

Project Joy and Life is Good Playmakers

www.projectjoy.com and www.lifeisgood.com/playmakers
323 Newbury Street
Boston, MA  02115
617 266 4589
888 339 2987
Project Joy is a 501 c(3) non-profit organization dedicated to fostering the healthy development of young children who are at risk. Through innovative training retreats, Project Joy provides teachers and childcare providers with the resources they need to strengthen and heal their children through play. Established in Boston in 1989, Project Joy has expanded to national scope, currently supporting children and their caretakers from Boston to Biloxi and beyond.

Room to Grow

www.roomtogrow.org
142 Berkeley Street
Boston, MA  02116
617-859-4545
Room to Grow's innovative program provides parents raising babies in poverty with one-on-one parenting support and essential baby items throughout their children's critical first three years of life.

The Counseling Center of Nashua- EDUCATIONAL LIAISON AND CONSULTATION SERVICES

www.counselingcenter.com/edliaison.htm
One Main Street
Nashua, NH 03064
603-883-0005

Think:Kids

www.thinkkids.org
101 Merrimac Street, Suite 250
Boston, MA  02114
617-643-6030
Think:Kids is a program in the Department of Psychiatry at the non-profit Massachusetts General Hospital that trains adults in a revolutionary new way of helping kids with social, emotional, and behavioral challenges. Think:Kids aims to dramatically improve society's understanding and treatment of challenging kids.
Think:Kids teaches a revolutionary, evidence-based approach for helping children with behavioral challenges. Through training, support and clinical services, we promote the understanding that challenging kids lack the skill, not the will, to behave well - specifically skills related to problem solving, flexibility and frustration tolerance. Unlike traditional models of discipline, our approach avoids the use of power, control and motivational procedures and instead focuses on teaching at-risk kids the skills they need to succeed.

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Additional Sources of Information

In addition to the parenting organizations and publications listed on this site, your child's pediatrician, school counselors, and your school's Parent-Teacher Organization/Association may have helpful advice to offer.

Guides from Project INTERFACE

For Parents of Younger Children

For Parents of Older Children

General Resources

Cradles to Crayons provides low-income and homeless children the basic essentials they need to be safe, warm, ready to learn, and valued. Through partnerships with social service agencies, serves tens of thousands of children in need each year. 617-471-8417 or cradlestocrayons.org.

Overwhelmed No More. A free newsletter published by special needs parent coach Joan Celebi that offers tips, info, ideas, and resources to help you successfully navigate life as a parent of a child with special needs. Sign up at www.specialneedsparentcoach.com for a free guide, “The Ten Essentials of Balanced Living for Parents of Children with Special Needs” and the monthly newsletter.

Forensic Nursing provides a section on Children's Safety Resources, “a comprehensive children’s medical and safety resource guide.”

Disclaimer: Material on the Project INTERFACE web site is intended as general information. It is not a recommendation for treatment, nor should it be considered medical or mental health advice. Project INTERFACE urges families to discuss all information and questions related to medical or mental health care with a health care professional.