We're proud to share the story of PAN Cymru — Be Strong Families' first international affiliate. What began as a small coalition in Neath Port Talbot in 2020 has grown into a national movement, with Welsh Government funding and parents leading the way. This is how they did it.

When schools partner with families, students thrive. We're working with school districts across Illinois to bring Parent Cafés into Parent University programs — training parent leaders, building community, and making engagement accessible to every family regardless of language or background.

Parent Cafés are designed to work for every family, and sometimes that means adapting for specific communities. From families navigating medical complexity to LGBTQIA+ parents, military families to Chinese speakers, we've co-created specialized Café curriculum with partners around the world. Here's a look at ten examples.

Guns are now the leading cause of death among children and adolescents in South Carolina. In partnership with the South Carolina Department of Public Health, we've adapted the Parent Café model to address gun safety and nonviolence, taking a two-generation approach.

When Be Strong Families emerged from Strengthening Families Illinois in 2012, we intentionally chose our name to embody the vibration we wanted to bring into the world. We saw ourselves as champions and cheerleaders of the inherent goodness in people, the wisdom and resilience of families—especially those who have been historically oppressed. Our mission was to encourage parents and family members to be strong—to recognize that they already possess the internal resources to thrive. To activate those resources. That’s the heart of Parent Cafés.

What does it look like when Parent Cafés truly take root in a state? In Missouri, it started with one bus of parents in St. Louis in 2013. Today, hundreds of parents across the state attend Cafés every year, supported by a statewide network of certified trainers, regional leadership teams, and a university-backed training partner program.

What happens when suit-and-tie bureaucrats sit down with parents from the south side of Chicago? Or when foster parents and birth parents share a table? Magic, according to BSF. We explore how Parent Cafés quietly disrupt bias, shift power dynamics, and create genuine belonging, one conversation at a time.

Loneliness is a public health crisis, and Parent Cafés are part of the solution. We explore the connection between social isolation and family well-being, and why intentionally building social connections isn't just good for parents, it's good for all of us.

What if Parent Cafés are doing some of the same work as therapy and for some people, working even better? We explore the parallels between Cafés and conventional mental health services, and why peer-based community connection may be one of the most undervalued tools in the mental health toolkit.