Healthy Families Montgomery, Family Services Agency, 301/840-3232
This program is for low income, first-time parents and the family must be enrolled while the mother is pregnant, or within a few weeks of delivery. This is a home-based service and can continue up to five years. Services are free and provided throughout Montgomery County.
Families Foremost, 301/585-3424 1109 Spring Street, Suite 300, SS, MD 20910 This free program is for parents with children under the age of four. They have a home-based intervention program and also offer weekly drop-in classes. The center is located in downtown Silver Spring.
MOMS program (Mothers Offering Maternal Support), Mental Health Association, 301/424-0656, ext 114 This program is for mothers under the age of 24. They assign a trained, volunteer mentor to work with the mother one on one. They also hold monthly educational programs that involve the mentors, mothers and children.
Early Head Start, Family Services Agency, 301/840-3276 Serving Upper Montgomery County Early Head Start, Reginald S. Lourie Center for Infants and Young Children, 301/984-4444 Serving the down-county area
This program works with low income families with children up to the age of 27 months.
Reginald S. Lourie Center for Infants & Young Children,301/984-4444 12301 Academy Way, Rockville, MD 20852 http://www.louriecenter.com/
They have an innovative parent-child dyadic psychotherapy model which can essentially be considered therapeutic, individualized parenting education. This would be most appropriate for a child under the age of six with a parent who has behavioral concerns about their child and/or their own ability to manage their child. The parent MUST be motivated to participate in a long-term service and the family should have medical assistance and/or private insurance.
Other Parenting Resources:
YMCA of Bethesda, 301/229-1347 YMCA of Silver Spring, 301/593-1160 Call for description and schedule of upcoming workshops and classes.
Parents Encouraging Parents (PEP), Classes are held county-wide, 301/929-8824 Provides the resources and support parents need to raise confident, capable and courageous children. Since 1982, PEP has offered classes and workshops taught by Certified Parent Educators throughout the Washington, DC area, including Montgomery County Maryland and Northern Virginia. Programs focus on general parenting techniques, as well as on specific issues such as parenting extra challenging children, handling sibling rivalry, managing anger, communicating with teens, and many others. PEP leaders are also available to present to local businesses, schools and other parenting groups. For a complete listing of current classes or for additional information, visit PEP's website at www.pepparent.org
Responsible Fathers, Child Welfare Services, 240/777-4006 Program is for CW involved fathers or fathers referred by other DHHS programs. It’s a free, six week education and support group that focuses on parenting as well as life and work skills.
Linkages to Learning, 301/929-2037 (see attached map of current MCPS sites) Programs are available ONLY for parents w/ children who attend the school which is offering the class. See attached map of current school sites. Contact each program separately to ask about upcoming classes. http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/linkages/linkages_sites.html
Parent and Community Education (PACE), 301/983-9133 Are you making the adjustment to parenthood, with all of the wonders and challenges? Then check out Parent and Community Education (formerly Parents After Childbirth Education), which has been leading support groups for new moms with infants (up to six months) since 1973. P.A.C.E. discussion groups meet for eight, two hour sessions (weekdays), with locations in DC, Montgomery County, and Northern Virginia. Topics include eating, sleeping, emotional attachment, safety, relationships, and parenting. Most groups continue as playgroups after the P.A.C.E. sessions end.
Chesapeake ADHD Center, 301/562-8448, ext 26 http://chesapeakeadd.com/services/index.html
This could be appropriate for parents of children with ADHD, but may be on the more expensive side. They may accept some insurance plans.
The Judy Centers, Rolling Terrace ES in SS, 301/431-7696 Rosemont and Summit Hall ES in Gaithersburg, 301/548-8287
The Judy Centers promote school readiness and focus on the development of children from birth through five years of age.
This is a link to many private resources including some already cited here. Many are probably on the expensive side, but they may accept some insurance plans. http://www.groups4kids.com/parent.html
