The National Parent Helpline® 03/01/2011
STRENGTHENING FAMILIES ALL ACROSS AMERICA
(This content is provided by Parents Anonymous.)
Introduction
Research has established that child abuse and neglect is a contributing factor to many chronic diseases and psychological problems. Parents Anonymous® Inc. has implemented a strengths-based model of child abuse and neglect prevention spanning over four decades. (1) Our programs and strategies have served millions of parents, caregivers and children of all ages in diverse communities worldwide impacting this public health issue. Safe, stable and nurturing relationships have been established as essential to childhood development and a central edict to the public health approach to preventing child maltreatment.(2) Furthermore, protective factors act as buffers by helping families defend against negative influences from their surroundings. Click here for a bilingual poster with the National Parent Helpline® contact information. Oprime aqui para recibir un cartel bilingue que contiene los numeros de telefono para la Linea Nacional de Ayuda para Padres® (National Parent HelpLine®).
The new National Parent Helpline® launched on February 1, 2011 confirms our commitment to stand with families to ensure the future of our country. Being a parent is a critically important job. All parents and caregivers benefit from support at some time in order to provide safe and nurturing homes for their children. Parents and caregivers face many challenges -economic insecurity, community safety, the education of their children, nurturing positive child development and the prevention of child abuse and juvenile delinquency — just to name a few. Where can a parent turn to get emotional support and assistance to develop solutions to the issues they face raising their children? The answer is the landmark National Parent Helpline®, available Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM Pacific Standard Time.
Asking for Help is a Sign of Strength®
With one telephone call or computer mouse click parents and caregivers become empowered to resolve their issues and receive referrals to services when appropriate. The National Parent Helpline® website with linkages to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube includes comprehensive online parenting resources and a bulletin board for parents and caregivers to share their National Parent Helpline® experiences to build community and help others. This vital new national resource will assist parents with a wide range of issues such as parenting and positive discipline techniques, effective communication strategies, stress reduction, personal care and safety, and will provide referrals to community-based prevention programs, shelters, substance abuse programs, respite care and child care. When parents feel empowered they utilize and expand their own social support networks and build on their resiliency to strengthen their families, reach out to others in their communities and create long term societal change that benefits everyone.
Call 1-855-4 A PARENT
Every call to the National Parent Helpline® is answered by a trained Helpline Advocate who provides various supports and assistance to parents and caregivers by giving:- Emotional support through a non-judgmental approach and active listening to achieve parent empowerment.
- Parenting information to assist in finding practical solutions to parenting concerns, including an online resource library for appropriate referrals; transfers for emergency or crisis response; linkage to Parents Anonymous® Inc. network of accredited organizations operating weekly adult support groups and children and youth programs; and access to nationally recognized parenting publications.
- Social support by connecting callers to an online network of parents and caregivers committed to taking a proactive approach to their health, their children’s well-being and the holistic development of their family.
Ensuring Protective Family Factors
The National Parent Helpline® will promote five key protective factors(3):- Parental resilience: parents’ ability to effectively cope with the various challenges of parenting and every-day life
- Social connections: emotional and concrete assistance from friends, family, neighbors and other community members
- Knowledge of parenting and child development: accurate information about how to raise your children and appropriate expectations of child behavior
- Concrete support in times of need: financial security as well as access to formal financial support, such as TANF; and informal support from social networks
- Children’s social and emotional competence: children’s ability to effectively interact with other people and appropriately communicate their emotions
Lasting Benefits to Families and Communities
By building on the strengths of parents and caregivers, the National Parent Helpline® will result in individual, relationship, community and societal change. Parents will become change agents and reach out to others in their community. As leaders, parents can provide valuable input to creating responsive programs and policies that meet the needs of families. The National Parent Helpline® will serve as an essential prevention resource for the 149 million parents and caregivers who can seek help, get support, build their strengths and create hope for the future.(4)
For more information, click here to contact us: info@nationalparenthelpline.org
Stay connected with the National Parent Helpline®! Like us on Facebook (NationalParentHelpline); follow us on Twitter (parenthelpline); and watch us on YouTube (www.youtube.com/parenthelpline).
(1) CDC. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2008). Strategic direction for child maltreatment prevention: Preventing child maltreatment through the promotion of safe, stable, and nurturing relationships between children and caregivers. Atlanta, GA:Author. www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/ overview/strategicdirections.html.
(2) Middlebrooks, JS, & Audage, NC. (2008). The effects of childhood stress on health across the lifespan. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.
(3) CSSP. The Center for the Study of Social Policy. (2010a). Strengthening Families. http://www.strengtheningfamilies.net.
(4) NCCD (National Council on Crime and Delinquency). (July 30, 2007). Outcome evaluation of Parents Anonymous®. Report submitted to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. www.nccd-crc.org.