Monday, March 28, 2016

New Parent Support Circle in Altadena

The Village Family Support Services has launched a new Parent Support Circle in Altadena, now holding sessions every Wednesday at the Loma Alta Park at 3330 Lincoln Avenue.

The circle launched last March 23 and will go on until May 25, 2016. Sessions for the Altadena Parents Circle are from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m.

Xochitl Palomera, Parent Support Circle Coordinator at The Village Family Services, says the project is an initiative to reduce isolation among parents and connect them to programs, free courses and events in Los Angeles county that will help support raising healthy children.

“Sometimes parents will encounter different challenges when raising their children,” Palomera says. “Sometimes it’s behavior challenges, or they have children with special needs, or they’re just financial struggles. Sometimes it’s hard to admit that you need help, that you need some type of support. So we at Parents Support Circle create a space where parents can come, feel safe to share their experiences and in that process of sharing, they break through any taboos, their fears or expectations. And they become vulnerable. And with their vulnerability, they’re able to connect with other parents.”

The Altadena Parents Circle is part of the Los Angeles County Parents Support Circles, funded by First 5 LA and supported by the Children’s Institute Inc., the county’s Department of Parks and Recreation and other community organizations.

Every Wednesday, parents gather together and hear about each other’s experiences.

“It’s a support talking circle, not therapy,” Palomera says. “So there’s no professional therapist. It’s not a class, so there’s no instructor. It’s actually a peer-to-peer model so the facilitators are parents themselves.”

The organizers provide bus tokens for the parents and serve snacks and refreshments during the sessions. The also provide free childcare so parents can concentrate on their peer-support session and participate freely in the discussion.

Parents who have not registered can walk in starting this Wednesday and take part in the other sessions, at the end of which they will be given certificates of participation.

To learn more about the Altadena Parents Support Circle, call Xochitl Palomera at (323) 277-4759 or send an email to xpalomera@thevillagefs.org.