"The National Parent Helpline replaced hopelessness with hope. My first call replaced helplessness with new ideas,” testifies Art, a father in California, on the National Parent Helpline website. “Knowing that you’re not a bad parent, that you did not learn good coping skills, can set you free."
The National Parent Helpline, operated by Parents Anonymous, Inc, opened on February 1, 2011 and seeks to strengthen families by helping parents and building protective factors. Working under the motto of “Asking for Help is a Sign of Strength,” the Helpline is a toll-free service that can be reached by calling 1-855-4A PARENT (1-855-427-2736), Monday through Friday from noon-9:00pm.
Every call to the National Parent Helpline is answered by a trained Helpline Advocate who provides support and assistance to parents and caregivers through:
- Emotional support using a non-judgmental, active listening approach to achieve parent empowerment.
- Parenting information to assist in finding practical solutions to parenting concerns, including an online resource library for appropriate referrals, transfer for emergency or crisis response, connections to support groups and other services.
- 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.
The Helpline Advocate is available to help callers problem-solve, create solutions, explore new resources, connect families with local services and help parents to build their own strengths. Assistance is available in English and Spanish.
“We believe everyone needs a supportive, listening person to reach out to,” states Dr. Lisa Pion-Berlin, the Helpline’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Prevention is about building on the strengths we all have as parents. It is a daily and lifetime commitment for all of us to provide help, ensure support, build on strengths and secure hope for our future.”
In addition to the Helpline, parents can also visit the National Parent Helpline website at (www.nationalparenthelpline.org) for online parenting resources, downloadable materials resources by state, online communities, a blog by the Dr. Pion-Berlin and more. More information about the Helpline is also available on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NationalParentHelpline, Twitter at twitter.com/parenthelpline or on YouTube at youtube.com/parenthelpline.
