Professional treatment program to prevent child abuse and neglect. Parents Anonymous® Inc. leads an international network of hundreds of accredited organizations and local affiliates that implement quality Parents Anonymous® programs for adults, children and youth. They provide training and technical assistance, develop publications and conduct research on meaningful Parent and Shared Leadership®, and engage in systems reform and effective community-based strategies to strengthen families worldwide.
Their mission is to ensure meaningful Parent and Youth Leadership with lived experiences in Shared Leadership® that results in better outcomes for families and communities by advocating, implementing and evaluating across systems through evidence-based Parents Anonymous® Groups, National Parent Helpline®, California Parent & Youth Helpline, Shared Leadership® in Action and National Certification of Parent Leaders and Staff. Parents Anonymous® Inc. is a community of parents, organizations and volunteers committed to:
- Building resiliency in all parents, children & youth that mitigates the impact and prevents adverse childhood Experiences that lead to all major health and mental health concerns
- Fostering the well-being of parents/caregivers, children and youth and family functioning
- Strengthening families and building strong communities
- Achieving meaningful parent and youth leadership and Shared Leadership® with agencies, policy-makers and the community
- Improving programs, creating meaningful policy change, and contributing to the body of knowledge through research and evaluation efforts
- Ensuring that they stand with families by fostering personal empowerment and resilient human spirit to harness vital social capital to support parents/caregivers with any mental health and other related concerns
Parents Anonymous® Inc. was founded in 1969 by Jolly K., a courageous and tenacious mother who sought help to create a safe and caring home for her family and millions of others. Created in California, the Parents Anonymous® Group still stands as the only evidence-based Parent Partner Program according to the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare. The program meets weekly, is free of charge to parents and caregivers and is evidenced-based and utilizes mutual support, parental leadership and Shared Leadership® to empower, inspire and create long term positive changes in their families. Children and youth of Parents Anonymous® simultaneously attend weekly groups which utilize the same principles to improve self-esteem, problem solving skills, enhance well-being and create leadership opportunities for personal growth and development. They created the only National Certification of Parent Leaders and National Certification on Shared Leadership® for staff to enhance social capital and ensure high level knowledge, skills and abilities to improve the lives of families and communities.