Neighborhood-Kids All Local. All for Kids. All the Time.

Parent to Parent of Whatcom County

by Theresa Carpine10/15/2008 3:14:27 PM

Parent to Parent is a support program that provides emotional and informational support to parents of children with a variety of special needs, developmental delays and disabilities. The Parent to Parent USA movement began in the 1970s; our local Whatcom County chapter has been operating since the 1980s.

Get support from other adults at Parent to Parent of Whatcom County.

As the local chapter's website states, “[l]earning that your child has a disability or chronic health need can be a traumatic experience.” The core value of Parent to Parent is to help parents during that emotional time and to provide ongoing support in the future through a one-on-one connection with another parent.

“We try to match each parent with a formally-trained volunteer who has a similarly diagnosed child,” said Program Coordinator Christine Griffin. “No matter emotional stage you’re at—grief, anger, denial—you know that your matched parent has been in your shoes too. They can be someone who will just sit and listen, and when you’re ready, help you connect with doctors or other professionals that can help your family and children.”

Along with support for parents, Parent to Parent also helps connect individual families to local resources. Christine recommends trying some of the programs offered through Bellingham Parks and Recreation for kids and young adults with special needs. “The people at Parks and Rec always do their utmost to make sure the children feel included,” Christine said.

She also suggested checking out the Adaptive Aquatics program at the Arne Hanna Aquatics Center, and the great programs offered through the Bellingham Public Library. Many Parent to Parent families have also enjoyed taking their kids to Jump Around Fun Zone in north Bellingham.

Parent to Parent also hosts and organizes fun family events throughout the year, like semiannual Swim Socials and Sibshop (sibling support) bowling parties.

“Some families might be more comfortable attending a social event rather than a support meeting where they feel like they have to say something,” Christine said. “We try to use diverse ways to reach people.” Another important factor in achieving this goal is through a Parent to Parent Hispanic Outreach program to offer culturally relevant services to the Spanish-speaking community in Whatcom County.

If you’d like to support Parent to Parent in Whatcom County, Christine says that they are always looking for people to help with events and donations. “We also need people in the community to be our eyes and ears if they know of a family who could use our services,” she said. “We just need people to get the word out about our resources.”

To learn more about Parent to Parent of Whatcom County, call (360) 255-2056.

A Note About the Author: Theresa Carpine

Theresa Carpine graduated from WWU in 2006 with a BA in English Literature. She enjoys yoga, listening to music, riding her bike in downtown Bellingham, and babysitting really cute kids.