Parent support groups are a terrific way for parents facing similar,
challenging situations in life to offer each other encouragement, share
ideas, and generally reduce the stress of a trying time. Unfortunately,
parent support groups are often started and lead by Moms who may have little
experience organizing and managing a group. This can lead to poor outcomes
for individual group members and great frustration for the group leader.

If you are struggling to get your parent support group up and running, here
are some tips to help your group really take off!

1. Learn from the experts.
The staff at Parent to Parent of Pennsylvania have put together an online
guide that goes through all the basics of starting and running a parent
support group. Visit:
http://www.parenttoparent.org/Sup-run-t.htm

2. Identify why people aren't coming.
If you know there are a pool of parents in your area facing the challenges
your group addresses, the first thing you need to figure out is -- what road
blocks are keeping these folks from attending your meetings.

Once you know the real issue(s) holding your group back, it will be much
easier to solve them. You can arrange for on-site childcare, find different
speakers, include a map with your meeting reminder, etc.

For tips on how to keep your meetings flowing see, "Facilitation: The
Importance of Managing Group Meetings" at:
http://www.nacac.org/pg_facilitation.html

3. Talk honestly with your core group about your frustrations and
limitations.
Most groups have a small group of loyal attendees. These are the folks that
should be stepping up to help you out. Most likely one of two things is
happening -- either they don't know that you are feeling exhausted and
overextended or they don't know how to help.

By talking honestly with this small group about your frustrations, you can
open the door to solving the issues as a group. Also, remember that
volunteering does not come naturally to many people; especially if the tasks
that need done are things they've not done before. They may feel
intimidated by what a good job you've done and feel they could never put
together anything half as good. Look for small un-intimidating tasks that
will help them get their feet wet or invite them to "help you" do some of
the tasks that need to get done. This way they get involved, they become
familiar with a part of the job you would like to delegate, and you get some
immediate relief.

4. Try to determine why word of mouth isn't helping your group.
Most parent support groups grow primarily by word of mouth because they are
truly fulfilling the needs of their members. Everyone wants to share a
solution.

*Providing on-going support
*Helping in times of crisis
*Sharing positive coping strategies
*Helping focus anger and energy in positive ways
*Sharing information, ideas and resources
*Providing training for parents to increase skills
*Help in dealing with educational, medical and other service agencies
*The opportunity to relieve loneliness and form new friendships

5. Consider merging.
Maybe a parent's group focused only on a single issue (i.e. parenting a
child with Down syndrome) isn't a major need in your community. If you
can't create an active group, consider shifting to a group that meets the
needs of a broader group of parents (i.e. raising children with special
needs). One benefit of merging -- access to another person used to leading.
If both you and the other group's leader are stretched for time and energy,
consider alternating the lead role. This way you each immediately have your
workload reduced by half and can both benefit from the talents and
experiences of the other.

6. Make use of technology.
When you're looking for ways to reduce your legwork and maximize
participation, the Internet can be a terrific ally.

Services like Topica.com and Yahoo Groups allow you to do this free of
charge. The advantage of having this type of list is that the group members
can interact more frequently and build more rapport -- this way they are
coming to see friends when meeting time roles around, not strangers. The
other advantage is that it allows families to participate that may not be
able to arrange childcare during the scheduled meeting times.

Make contact with other parents online. For example, both NICHCY and
Wrightslaw.com offer state resource sheets for parents of children with
special needs. By sending an email to the contact person listed on these
sites, you could have your group listed as an available support in your
state.

NICHCY State Resources Page
http://www.nichcy.org/states.htm

Wrightslaw Yellow Pages for Kids with Disabilities
http://www.fetaweb.com/help/states.htm

I hope that some of these ideas will help get your group growing into the
active and productive one you envisioned!