Support Parent Aide Services

Thank you for the fine coverage of several community resources providing help for families.

Many parents feel overwhelmed with challenges that could put their children at risk of physical, psychological or social endangerment. Lacking a healthy personal support network, parents easily become discouraged. Awareness of valuable resources often helps parents realize their need to reach out for help.

One well-researched, highly successful program providing support to families features highly trained, closely supervised Parent Aides. Carefully selected volunteers or para-professionals with parenting experience, are introduced to willing Parent Aides. When both agree, Parent Aide and parent client are formally connected under supervision of trained staff familiar with available resources. This connection may continue months or years, often developing into independent, life-long friendships.

As parents develop their own strengths and skills, they often reach out to help others needing support.

I treasure many mentoring friends while learning to be a parent, grandparent, now great-grandparent. Parents disconnected from any positive “built-in” support system may need our help. Convinced society’s cry for relationship exceeds electronic friends, I urge support of Parent Aide Services to fill this “greater family” gap in our current mobile society.

Sue Hille

Spokane