PARENTS of very young children — newborn to four years old — can find themselves isolated, stressed, and weighed down with the demands of daily care and essential tasks. Practical support and connections with other moms and dads are vital and often missing during this hectic time.
Encouragement and breaks are especially needed in what Salli Maxwell calls the “fourth trimester” of a new parent’s life, but certainly essential throughout the child’s first four years.
“It’s a huge transition,” says Maxwell, founding director of the nonprofit organization Step Up For Kids, commenting on the isolation and loneliness in which many new parents find themselves. “A high percentage, about 85%, of new parents express that they don’t see their friends.”
So she decided to create a place for parents to meet up and become part of a “village” in which cooperative child care, education and hands-on strategies can alleviate some of the solitude and day-to-day pressures.
Parent Co, a new program for Step Up For Kids, is a cooperative, collaborative, creative cohort of care consisting of structured support for parents, by parents. It takes place in partnership with the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Prescott, and begins with four workshop sessions, each 90 minutes long, in a small-group setting.
“Each session blends the latest research in child development with hands-on strategies you can use right away,” Maxwell said in her description of the series, titled Foundations for Positive Development, an evidence-based, research-backed curriculum. Topics include brain development, age-appropriate expectations, communication strategies, discipline techniques and setting boundaries.
She is currently seeking a cohort of ten families to begin the next session in the fall. Attendance at the workshops is mandatory, “so everyone is on the same page.” There is also a requirement for fingerprint clearance and first-aid/CPR training.
The goal for Parent Co is to help develop cooperative childcare arrangements as well as provide positive connections and support. Maxwell said, “For every one placed in licensed child care there are eleven who don’t have a spot. Child care is definitely a problem.”
Parent Co can’t immediately set up child care for a parent’s 40-hour work week. But parents who need a break can find it through cooperative arrangements. The group’s buddy system helps ensure that no parent will be doing child care alone, with the goal of one-to-one parity, she said.
“We’re hoping to alleviate some of the childcare time so families can get their needs met with child care and find friendships along the way.” Childcare provisions are in alignment with the standards of the state Department of Health.
The partnership with the First Congregational Church has been providing space for classes and workshops since September 2024. “It’s been a really positive relationship,” Maxwell said. “We could outgrow the basement, but right now they have quite a few rooms available for us. One vision is to have a nap zone for parents! Children can be cared for while they rest or work onsite. Sleep-deprivation is a common experience.”
The connections parents make through Parent Co lead to friendships among the children as well as the adults. The Tiny Tots and their Grown Ups workshops through Step Up For Kids will begin again in the fall on Wednesdays, 10-11am, with songs, stories and crafts.
Parent Co is open to the community. “We strive to make it accessible for all families,” Maxwell said. The workshop series costs $125, and there is a monthly membership fee that Maxwell points out is significantly less than typical daycare costs. The Step Up For Kids organization is celebrating 17 years of service to area families, and a fundraising event for scholarships will take place in the fall.
For more information, visit stepupkids.org or call Salli Maxwell MEd. at 928-458-6068.
Needed: Volunteers for first three months of parenthood
Exhausted new parents can always use an extra hand and a friend during the first few months of parenthood. A volunteer can make a cup of tea, help with housework, hold the baby, run errands, in other words be a compassionate presence in what is often an isolating time of transition. Volunteers initially attend a four-session orientation program, and a volunteer coordinator supports every match.
