What Parents Helping Parents does

Parents Helping Parents (PHP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1979 (incorporated 1972) and headquartered in Newton, Massachusetts, that delivers free, anonymous, and confidential peer support to parents and caregivers. Its services are organized around five core programs: the 24/7 Parent Stress Line (1-800-632-8188), virtual parent support groups via Zoom, in-person community center groups, prison and jail programs at four Massachusetts Department of Corrections facilities (Norfolk, Middlesex, Suffolk, Plymouth), and sober house and recovery programs. Supplementary resources include a free Parent Resource Directory and the 'You Are Not Alone' guide for parents navigating the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) foster care system, available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese with an interactive digital version in development.

The organization's service delivery is built on a peer-to-peer, trauma-informed mutual aid model using reflective listening and parent-empowerment approaches rather than clinical therapy. Trained volunteer counselors — many of whom are parents with lived experience — staff the helpline and facilitate groups, supported by a Master's Level Internship Program launched in FY24 with Arizona State University. PHP reaches parents through nine distinct horizontal segments including parents navigating foster care/DCF, incarcerated mothers and fathers, parents of neurodivergent children, parents of children with anxiety or depression, parents in high-conflict divorce, grandparents as caregivers, and parents of teens with special needs, alongside the general caregiver population.

PHP operates a community-led go-to-market model with all services offered at no cost to participants, requiring no insurance, referral, or payment. The organization is funded primarily through individual donations, foundation grants (Cummings Foundation, Chickering Fund, Matty Eappen Foundation, Bushrod H. Campbell and Adah F. Hall Charity Fund), and corporate giving programs such as the Stop & Shop Community Bag Program. Awareness is driven by earned media (CBS Boston, Boston Globe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, U.S. Surgeon General 2024 "Parents Under Pressure" advisory) rather than paid acquisition. Annual impact metrics disclosed include more than 9,000 Parent Stress Line calls and over 15,000 children benefiting from supported caregivers. The organization is led by Executive Director Sarah Brinley with 24 employees and is not publicly traded.

Name

Parents Helping Parents

Legal name

Parents Helping Parents - The Roundtable of Support Inc

Website

https://parentshelpingparents.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Parents Helping Parents is a Massachusetts-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1979 that provides free, anonymous, 24/7 peer support to parents and caregivers via a helpline, virtual and in-person support groups, prison/jail programs, and DCF navigation resources.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Parental and Family Social Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Parent Support Groups & Peer Networks (EDACALAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC), Family & Parent Support Services (Parent Coaching, Advocacy) (EDAJALAK), Parent Mental Health, Stress Management & Wellness Programs (EDACALAJ), Home Visiting & Parent Coaching Programs (EDACALAC)

Keywords

• Parent support services
• Peer support groups
• Parent stress helpline
• Family social services
• Community mental health

Headquarters

HQ city

Newton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: PHP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization funded primarily through individual donations, corporate giving programs (e.g., Stop & Shop Community Bag Program), and foundation grants from supporters such as Cummings Foundation, Chickering Fund, Matty Eappen Foundation, and Bushrod H. Campbell and Adah F. Hall Charity Fund.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Parents Helping Parents is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free, anonymous, and confidential support services to parents and caregivers through a 24/7 Parent Stress Line helpline, virtual and in-person peer-led support groups, prison and jail parent programs, sober house recovery programs, and free resource guides including the 'You Are Not Alone' guide for parents navigating foster care.

Product overview

Parents Helping Parents is a non-profit organization providing free, confidential support services for parents and caregivers through multiple interconnected programs. The core offerings include the 24/7 Parent Stress Line (a anonymous helpline), Virtual Parent Support Groups (various specialized topics), Community Center Groups (in-person), Prison & Jail Programs (for incarcerated parents), and Sober House & Recovery Programs. Supporting resources include the Free Parent Resource Directory and the You Are Not Alone Guide for foster care navigation. All services are free, anonymous, confidential, and accessible.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Parent Stress Line Free, anonymous, and confidential 24/7 helpline (1-800-632-8188) for parenting issues. Trained volunteer counselors provide emotional support and a listening ear to parents and caregivers.
• Virtual Parent Support Groups Peer-led virtual support groups connecting parents anonymously with others who can relate to their situation. Multiple specialized groups cover topics such as parenting preschoolers, children with anxiety/depression, neurodivergent children, teens with special needs, high conflict divorce, and mothers support.
• Community Center Groups In-person support groups held in community spaces where parents can gather safely to learn and grow together as parents in their local communities across Massachusetts.
• Prison & Jail Programs Peer-led support groups for incarcerated parents at Massachusetts correctional facilities including Suffolk County House of Correction, MCI-Norfolk, and Plymouth County Correctional Facility. Groups help parents discuss ways to stay connected, nurture, and love their children while incarcerated.
• Sober House & Recovery Programs Support programs for parents in recovery, providing safe spaces for those navigating sobriety while parenting.
• You Are Not Alone Guide Free comprehensive guide for parents whose children have been placed in DCF foster care. Created by parents with lived experience, it provides practical guidance about the DCF process, court proceedings, family action plans, and parent rights. Available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
• Free Parent Resource Directory Comprehensive directory of free resources for parents and caregivers including legal aid, community services, and support organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% of parents felt supported through PHP programs
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Stop & Shop (Watertown, MA location)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPHP was selected by the Stop & Shop at 171 Watertown Street in Watertown, MA to benefit from their Community Bag Program for June 2024. Every $2.50 reusable Community Bag purchased resulted in a $1 donation to PHP, with a goal of 200 bags ($200).
• CandidcoreOthersCandid (formerly GuideStar) awarded PHP the 2026 Gold Seal of Transparency, recognizing PHP's commitment to transparency and accountability by maintaining an up-to-date profile with information about its mission, programs, leadership, finances, and impact.
• Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPHP works closely with the Massachusetts DCF system, providing support groups for parents navigating DCF involvement and producing the 'You Are Not Alone' guide specifically designed to help parents understand DCF processes, court proceedings, family action plans, and their rights.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Parents Anonymous (National Parent Helpline): National nonprofit operating the National Parent Helpline (1-855-4A-PARENT) — the closest direct competitor to PHP's Parent Stress Line. Uses a similar peer-led mutual support model, runs support groups for parents, and serves as a federal-funded alternative to PHP in many states.
• La Leche League International: Mother-to-mother peer support organization founded on the same mutual-aid model PHP uses. While focused on breastfeeding, its peer-counselor network, free support groups, and volunteer-driven ethos make it a structurally analogous nonprofit operating in the parents-of-young-children space.
• Postpartum Support International (PSI): Nonprofit providing peer support groups, helpline, and resources specifically for perinatal mental health. Closely comparable to PHP's Mothers Support Group and parenting anxiety/depression offerings, sharing the peer-led support model for a narrower maternal-mental-health focus.
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Federally funded 24/7 crisis hotline for mental health and suicide prevention. Overlaps with PHP's Parent Stress Line in serving parents in crisis but at much broader scope; represents the national alternative parents may turn to for acute distress.

Emerging players

• Parents as Teachers: National nonprofit providing parent education and home-visiting models for early childhood. Overlaps with PHP's Parenting Preschoolers and early-childhood segments but with an evidence-based curriculum-driven model rather than peer mutual aid.
• Healthy Families America (HFA): Prevent Child Injury America's home-visiting program for at-risk parents — operates with state contracts and credentialed home visitors. Closely comparable to PHP's at-risk family segment (DCF-involved, foster care) but uses a paid professional staff model rather than peer volunteers.

Broad incumbents

• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness): Largest U.S. grassroots mental health organization, runs free peer-led Family-to-Family support groups for family members of people with mental illness. Broader mental-health scope than PHP but identical peer-support methodology and free-access model.
• Childhelp (National Child Abuse Hotline): Operates the national 24/7 child abuse hotline and provides parent education resources. Operates in a related but adjacent space — child welfare rather than parent mental health — and represents a complementary referral source for PHP's DCF-involved families.

Others

• Fatherhood programs at National Fatherhood Initiative: National nonprofit providing father-focused resources and 24/7 Dad® curricula for fatherhood programs. Comparable to PHP's incarcerated fathers program segment with similar father-engagement philosophy and partnership networks in correctional and community settings.

Regional players

• Massachusetts Children's Trust: Statewide nonprofit in Massachusetts focused on strengthening families and preventing child abuse. Direct peer within PHP's home geography; both organizations channel state-level funding to parent-support services and often refer families to each other.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/parentshelpingparents.ma
• Instagraminstagram.com/parentshelpingparentsma
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/parents-helping-parents108

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Parents Helping Parents