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Parenting

Sections:

Parenting- Support
Doulas
Helping kids cope with a parent's serious illness
Parents of Multiples
Family Reunification
Sexuality Education & Teen Pregnancy Prevention
Health/Mental Health - raising healthy kids
Health/Mental Health - Postpartum and New Parent Support (counseling)
Education
Resources for Fathers
Resources for Teen Parents
Resources for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
Grandparent Visitation
Resources for Divorced Parents
Adoption
Local Resources

Also see (other pages):

Children & Families > Medical/Illness (Emotional and other types of support), Baby Supplies
Employment > FMLA, Maternity/Paternity Leave and Small Necessities Leave Act


Parenting - Support

  • Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Programs (CFCE) are locally based programs serving families with children birth through school age. This is is a consolidation of the Community Partnerships for Children Programs (CPC), Massachusetts Family Network Programs (MFN), Parent Child Home Programs (PCHP) and Joint Family Support Programs (JFSP).

    Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Programs are state funded by the Department of Early Education and Care. CFCEs provide services and resources to families with infants and young children through school age. CFCEs offer play groups, family workshops, and networking to outside community resources.

    Tip: CFCEs often run parenting classes or can connect people to appropriate classes in their community.

    Boston Family Engagement Network brochure (2013) - includes general description of services and list of Boston programs.

    The difference between CFCEs and CCR&R agencies: CFCEs are specific to one town (or a few towns adjacent to each other) and offer more one-on-one services for the family such as trainings, activities, and play groups. CCR&R agencies are more regional and offer child care vouchers and information on locating child care.

    Program Highlight:

  • Welcome Family - Free Newborn Home Visits
    • Welcome family offers a one-time nurse home visit to all mothers with newborns, regardless of age, income risk or other criteria. The visit is conducted by a nurse up to 8 weeks postpartum and lasts 90 minutes. The goal of Welcome Family is to serve as an entry point into the system of care for families in Massachusetts.

      Welcome Family is available to any mother with a newborn living in Boston and is also available in Springfield, Holyoke, Fall River, Lowell and Lawrence.

      During the visit the nurse assesses physical and emotional health and well-being, including breastfeeding, safe sleep, family planning, substance use, postpartum depression and interpersonal violence. The nurse provides education and referral to services as needed and addresses the mother’s specific questions or concerns.

      Please contact the Boston Public Health Commission, the agency managing the Welcome Family Boston program for more information, to request brochures and referral forms or to refer.

      Welcome Family Boston
      Boston Public Health Commission
      617-534-5832
      welcomefamily@bphc.org

      Or for more information see the Welcome Family website. 

  • Parenting Classes
    • See the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Programs (CFCE) listing above for information and referral to local classes and supports.
    • Childbirth education, parenting, and infant CPR classe are available to pregnant women and their partner or support person free of charge at many primary care sites and hospitals. Pregnant women should speak to their provider during their pregnancy or the facility where they plan to deliver about enrolling. Women can also call their insurance provider to find out if they offer free/reduced cost classes.
      Insurance-Based Parenting Classes

      • Neighborhood Health Plan:
        • Neighborhood Health Plan will reimburse for the cost of childbirth education classes if members fill out this reimbursement form. They will also reimburse members for the full cost of breastfeeding support classes by filling out this reimbursement form in English or Spanish.
      • Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts:
        • Parenting classes can be reimbursed for mothers. Once a course has been completed, this claim form and a paid receipt that includes a name, course name, and date should be mailed to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Local Claims Department, PO Box 986030, Boston, MA 02298.
      • Harvard Pilgrim Health Care:
        • For Massachusetts members with: 1) individual coverage, or 2) coverage through an employer group with 50 or fewer employees, this reimbursement form can be mailed to Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, P. O. Box 9185, Quincy, MA 02269 after one has enrolled in and paid for a childbirth education class. Full reimbursement can be given once per pregnancy.
      • Fallon Community Health Plan:
        • Subscribers are eligible for a full reimbursement toward the cost of childbirth classes or toward the cost of either a refresher class for a covered delivery or sibling class for an older child. Members can mail this reimbursement form to Fallon Health, P.O. Box 211308, Eagan, MN 55121-2908, or email it to: reimbursements@fallonhealth.org.
      • Tufts Health Plan:
        • Members who attend childbirth/newborn/breastfeeding classes are eligible to receive a supermarket gift card if they fill out this form and mail it to Tufts Health Plan, Attn: Claims Department, P.O. Box 9194, Watertown, MA, 02471-9194 with receipts attached.

    • Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Somerville, Chelsea, Revere and Winthrop - The Parent Support Program at The Home for Little Wanderers. Services include parent support specialists (group and one-on-one assistance), support groups, webinars, classes, and educational advocacy. MGH Community News, May 2021.

Doulas

 

 Patient Handouts from the CRC Doulas and Nighttime Newborn Care

 

 

Helping kids cope with a parent's serious illness

Parents of Multiples

Family Reunification

Sexuality Education & Teen Pregnancy Prevention

  • Planned Parenthood Federation of America
    http://www.plannedparenthood.org
    • Information on sexual health and family planning. Includes a Q&A site for teens and information on recent legislation affecting family planning.
  • SIECUS (The Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S.)
    http://www.siecus.org
    • Provides information for teens and parents about sexuality, sexual health, and improving communication about such issues amongst families.
  • Campaign For Our Children, Inc.
    https://campaignforchildren.org/
    • Includes Resource Centers where parents, teens, and educators may learn more about adolescent health issues.
  • Advocates for Youth
    http://www.advocatesforyouth.org
    • Through peer education, this organization creates programs and promotes policies which help young people make informed decisions about their sexual health.
  • Healthy Teen Network (formerly The National Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Parenting, and Prevention, Inc.- NOAPPP)
    http://www.healthyteennetwork.org/
    • Extensive links for parents and teens on parenting, pregnancy, and prevention. Includes online publications that may be printed out.
  • Power to Decide
    https://powertodecide.org/
    • Provides information for parents and teens on preventing unplanned teen pregnancy.

Health/Mental Health - Raising Healthy Kids

Health/Mental Health Postpartum and New Parents

 

 

Patient Handouts from the CRC Postpartum and New Parent Support

 

Education

  • National Parent Education Network (NPEN)
    http://npen.org/
    • Extensive online library provides information about the process of parenting and family involvement in education.

Resources for Fathers

  • The Fatherhood Project
    www.thefatherhoodproject.org
    • Program of MGH Psychiatry- aims to encourage father engagement in resident and non-resident fathers. Offers fathers' and couples' groups and individual consultation.
  • Boot Camp For New Dads
    http://www.bootcampfornewdads.org/
    • Teaches new fathers how to care for themselves, their partners, and their children.
  • The National Center for Fathering
    http://www.fathers.com
    • Offers educational information on fathering. Includes sections on current publications, fathering tips, links, etc.

Resources for Teen Parents

  • MA Pregnant and Parenting Teen Initiative (MPPTI) - aims to increase life opportunities and enhance family stability among young families in the priority communities of Chelsea, Holyoke, Lawrence, New Bedford, and Springfield. Program participants receive services tailored to their individual needs, including health and social service assessments, case management, counseling, health education, referrals, and infant/children services.
  • Healthy Families - is a free and voluntary support program for young (under 21), first-time moms and dads across the state. You can sign up for the program during pregnancy and continue up to your child’s third birthday. (Additional information also available as part of the description of the MA Children's Budget at http://children.massbudget.org/healthy-families-home-visiting-program)
  • Mass Alliance on Teen Pregnancy Program closed due to decline in teen pregnancy
  • Teen Mommies and Mommies To Be message board
    http://www.justmommies.com/forums/f52-teen-mommies-and-mommies-to/
    • The community is moderated so spam or offensive messages will not be posted on the forums. The message boards offer a place to talk to others about the trials and triumphs of being a teen mom.
  • Teen Mothers Together!
     http://teenmotherstogether.weebly.com/index.html
    • Offers information for teen parents and a Pen Pal Network that may be used to connect with others in a similar situation.
  • Also see above: "Resources for Fathers"

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

  • The Foundation For Grandparenting- closed

Grandparent Visitation - Grandparent Visitation

Resources for Divorced Parents

Local Resources

Rev 5/18