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Step 1
Develop an outline of goals for the parent support group. Will you concentrate on one area of parenting, such as dealing with troubled children or children with disabilities? Or will you talk about different topics each time the group meets to encompass all aspects of parenting? Will the group meet weekly or monthly? Be flexible because your goals need to include those of parents attending the support group as time goes on.
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Step 2
Line up experts to come and talk to the group. This does not have to be for every meeting you have, but bringing in an expert every so often will make the group feel like they are getting good advice. For example, if you are talking about children with depression, a pediatric counselor would be a good choice. If you are talking about children with disabilities, a pediatric neurologist could provide useful information on the subject.
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Step 3
Generate interest in the support group through advertisements. Place an ad in your local newspaper. Get permission to place advertisements on store bulletin boards, in churches, and in local offices. Have business cards ready to hand out and give some business cards to each new member of the support group as well. They will know people you cannot reach to bring them into the group. You can also use the Internet to advertise your group.
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Step 4
Assign specific roles for parents in attendance. This will give each person a deeper sense of belonging to the group. Have someone arrange for snacks, another person take charge of getting an expert for the next meeting, and even people who are in charge of minutes for the group, as well as getting correspondence out to the group between meetings.
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Step 5
Keep a directory of parents involved with the support group. This includes first-timers as well as veteran members. If you notice that a parent has not come to the meeting for a while, contact this person to ask why they have dropped out. This will help you know if the group is meeting people's individual needs or if there is something you need to change about how the group is run. It may be that this individual just lost interest, and nothing really needs to be changed at all.
