What Happens During a Match?
Parents call us or are referred to us through a variety of sources: medical staff, service coordinators, parents, disability groups, etc. When you contact us to request a match, we will spend some time on the phone finding out about your needs and what would make the best match. The match between a volunteer parent and a referred parent is usually based on similarities of concerns or disability, age of child, location, and similar family experiences.
We check our database of volunteers and contact the volunteer that is the best match. Our volunteer will contact the parent requesting a match as soon as possible. Once the initial contact has occurred, the on-going relationship develops according to the needs and preferences of the referred parent. Some matches are short-term, consisting of only 2 or 3 contacts. Others evolve into lasting friendships. Parents often emerge from their parent to parent connection feeling less alone and more confident.
A parent to parent match does not replace physicians, therapists or other professionals. We believe that many families' needs go beyond the boundaries of formal services. What we can offer each other is uniquely ours. We have all been there.
All information is kept confidential.
To request a Parent to Parent match or learn more about becoming a support parent as a Dreamweavers volunteer, call Parents Reaching Out at 505-247-0192 or 1-800-524-5176 (Toll Free in New Mexico only) or e-mail P2P@parentsreachingout.org.
