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Support Groups

Services

The Parent-to-Parent program provides one-to-one support for many parents whose children are patients at Children's. If interested, parents are matched with a trained volunteer whose child has had a similar experience. Volunteers provide emotional support and non-medical information. For information, call the Parent-to-Parent coordinators at (651) 220-6731 or (612) 813-6059.

Mental health professionals, chaplains, nurses, child life specialists, and social workers offer on-site support and therapy groups for children, adolescents, and parents. Information about these groups as well as national and community-based support groups can be obtained by calling The Family Resource Center at (612) 813-6816 or (651) 220-6368.

Some of the support groups offered at Children's include:

  • Cleft and craniofacial, consisting of educational meetings, one-to-one parent connections, and "Cleft Pals," a pen pal program that connects children of various ages who are facing similar challenges
  • Diabetes, age-specific groups for children and their parents
  • Grief, for siblings and parents
  • Helping Hearts and Parents for Heart, for parents of children with cardiovascular disorders
  • Hematology/Oncology, for parents
  • NICU Parent Circle, a one-session class for parents of preemies
  • Preemie Play and Learn, a class for NICU graduates and their families
  • Sudden Infant Death Syndrome


Also see Support Groups/Programs for a partial list of support groups.