Friends:
Listening well is so important. Sometimes, it’s the important thing we do.
Asking “How can I help?” and “What do you need?” can go a long way.
What can you do?
Parenting is challenging at times and sometimes very often.
Acknowledging this and offering support makes it easier for parents to accept help. Offer resources, such as Family Resource Center of the Redwoods and Del Norte Child Care Council can go a long way.
Be a resource to families.
Get to know resources in your area so you can be a source of information for families, including your friends. Help connect parents with specific needs to the appropriate organization. Offer to contact the group yourself to make reaching out less intimidating.
Offer to babysit for a friends’s children so that parents can enjoy a night off.
Contribute to concrete support for families.
Donate goods and services through St. Vincent de Paul, Pacific Pantry, Rural Human Services, Family Resource Center of the Redwoods, and other organizations.
“Fill in” for a family member when they can’t attend their child’s recital or soccer game.
Get to know the families that live around you.
Meet the kids and talk to the parents so that they know you are there is they need help. Social connection and social support are the cornerstones of Family well-being and child safety.
Gain confidence in knowing what do do when you are concerned about a child.
Find out what to do when face with a tricky situation and if you should report it.