Family Support - Parent Groups & Information
Mom2Mom
The Mom 2 Mom program is designed to provide a compassionate and encouraging environment for mothers of children with special needs to come together and share support. Mom2Mom has a 24/7 peer support helpline for mothers of children with special needs directed by the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
The unique aspect of this free helpline is that calls are answered by other mothers of children with special needs who have been trained as counselors. They provide empathy, mental health/emotional support and resources for the mother and her family.
The helpline is 877-914-MOM2. The website offers live chat.
Tend To A Friend
Tend To A Friend is dedicated to ensuring the inclusion of children with special needs in our communities, while providing support to their families.
Tend To A Friend sponsors Kids' Night Out, a respite program offered once a month for children with special needs and their typically developing siblings. The children experience an evening of fun, filled with games, pizza and activities including arts and crafts, face painting, movie time and more. Their parents then have the opportunity to take time for themselves to do errands, have dinner with available discounts from local restaurants, see a movie or just relax.
Children between the ages of three and twelve years old will be supervised by trained counselors from The Arc of Somerset County and student volunteers from Rutgers Prep School. Parents must register their child(ren) at least 10 days prior to each event.
For more information, please email Info@TendToAFriend.org.
Regional Family Support Planning Council
In accordance with the 1993 Family Support Act The New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities established the Regional Family Support Planning Councils (RFSPCs) to provide a way for parents and family members of people with developmental disabilities to come together to exchange knowledge and information. They also collaborate with the state Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) on how to better serve individuals and their families.
RFSPC members, through their regional councils, monitor and evaluate family support programs, inform families about current family support issues, provide information to policymakers, partner with DDD, and advocate to local officials and state legislators about the needs of those who support a family member with a developmental disability at home.
RFSCP #3 supports Somerset and Union Counties and meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month at The Arc's Main Office located on South Main Street in Manville. New members are welcome! For information about Council Membership, please contact the Council Chair rfspc3@yahoo.com.
United Way Caregivers Coalition
The mission of the United Way Caregivers Coalition is to promote knowledge of and action around caregiving issues to ensure all caregivers identify themselves in this role and have access to the resources, services, education, and other support needed to sustain them as caregivers.
United Way Caregivers Coalition goals are:
•To strengthen services and resources to caregivers in northern New Jersey
•To improve access to information about caregiving, and about available and appropriate services
To identify and respond to gaps in services to caregivers
•To advocate for policies and legislation to improve the quality of life for caregivers
•To provide caregiver educational programs and resource information to social service providers, health care providers, family caregivers, corporations and businesses, and the community
The Somerset County Meetings are held 2nd Thursday of each month from 9:30 am to 11:30 am at Shimon & Sara Birnbaum JCC located at 775 Talamini Rd., Bridgewater, NJ. New members are welcome! For more information, please contact Stephanie Mamary at Stephanie.Mamary@unitedwaynnj.org or 908-253-6534
