Member Spotlight: Partners in Parenting
Partners in Parenting (PIP) improves the wellbeing of Austin’s new parents, so they are confident, connected, and have the tools to blossom into their full potential. Our proven approach connects parents of babies with peers, trained facilitators, and experts, so they can share the joy and weather the storms of new parenthood together.
PIP believes that we build the foundation for healthy families by supporting parents in this early phase of parenthood. By helping Austin’s parents thrive, we help our entire community thrive. PIP has supported close to fifteen hundred families in the transition to parenthood since 2014.
For eight to ten weeks, new parents get together and cover an array of topics from feeding and sleeping to racial and social identity to emotional struggles or parent-baby bonding techniques. As a new parent, feeling part of a community has never been more important, especially for those who don’t have local support otherwise.
The mission of Partners in Parenting is this: build a village for all new parents.
PIP supports all of Austin’s new parents, so they are confident, connected, and have the tools to reach their full potential. PIP exists in the community to provide a safe space to share the highs and lows of parenting, grow as a new parent, combat social isolation, and build community.
Equity remains central to our work, especially now that the pandemic has exacerbated the inequities families face as they transition into parenthood. Some of our continually evolving areas of change include our desire to keep listening to the community's needs, prioritizing the diversity of our board, and elevating and centering the voices of those who have real-life experiences and incorporating them into our decision-making process.
Community Impact
PIP supports new parents, parents welcoming a second (third, fourth, etc.) child into their home, parents with toddlers, and expecting parents. We understand that the challenges that families face as new parents differ significantly across our community. Our strategic goal this year is to serve families that have historically been underserved such as Spanish-speaking, Black, Brown, and LGBTQIA+ families.
Because of Their PIP Group…
90% of parents feel they have more local connections to people who can support them as a parent.
90% of parents feel less isolated.
92% of parents feel more confident caring for their baby.
94% of parents feel more emotionally connected to their child.
92% of parents feel less overwhelmed and stressed about parenting.
Amplify Impact: How Mission Capital Supports this Organization?
PIP has benefitted greatly from the “how-to” toolkits provided by Mission Capital - such as the “Board Essentials” tool kit. This helped us to create a clear process and guide for those interested in becoming PIP board members.
We have also been grateful to participate in 1-1 consulting to collaborate on solving organizational issues, connecting with community partners, and posting open positions.
Get Involved
There are many ways to get involved with us! In this season, we are actively seeking volunteers who are interested in supporting Austin parents by becoming a PIP Group Leader.
Our volunteer Group Leaders create a welcoming space for new parents to share, connect, and support one another. They are passionate about facilitating engaging discussions which help parents generate ideas, find information, and build neighborhood communities together. PIP simply could not exist without their support.
Does this sound like you? Apply to be a group leader today!
If PIP sounds like a place you would love to work, we currently have a Volunteer Coordinator position that you can review and apply for via the Mission Capital Jobs Board.
You’re Invited - Upcoming Events
Our biggest fundraising event of the year, Connection Matters, is coming up in September! - For more details and information, stay tuned on our website or join our mailing list from the homepage!
A special thank you to Jenna Williamson, Marketing Coordinator for Partners in Parenting, for spending time with us to bring you this spotlight. For more information about Partners in Parenting, check out their website.