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Wales Leads with Parent Cafés: Inside BSF's First International Affiliate
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.
Designed for Connection: Ten Customized Cafés for Affinity Groups
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.
Parent Cafés Take Root in Idaho with Parent Leader as Catalyst
When Mindie Bentcik relocated from Iowa to Idaho in 2018, she looked for Parent Cafés and found none. So she spent years advocating until she helped make them happen. Here's how one determined parent leader and a handful of local, committed organizations brought Parent Cafés to Idaho for the first time.
Building a Culture of Parent Engagement: Missouri’s Success with 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.
Be Strong Families Helps Launch New York City’s First Primary Prevention Initiative
As key players in New York’s City’s first primary prevention initiative, the Be Strong Families East Team headed out to New York City in November to introduce the Strengthening Families™ Protective Factors framework and Parent Cafés.
HARAMBEE TOTO: BUILDING STRONGER FAMILIES IN KIBERA, NAIROBI, KENYA
In November, BSF's Katthe traveled to Nairobi to participate in Harambee Toto — a collective impact initiative focused on early childhood education, community development, and Parent Cafés in Kibera. The trip's centerpiece was a full cultural adaptation of the café model, now called Kikao Cha Wazazi — the sitting of the parents.