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.

BSF doesn't just prevent crises; we help people navigate them. In this edition of "Why Are Cafés So Great?", our CEO reframes the conversation around crisis intervention, asking: what if the real agents of change aren't the professionals, but the community itself?

The winter solstice is upon us — Sunday, December 22. This
On the winter solstice — the day the sun stands still — BSF's Kathryn Leigh Goetz reflects on what it means to turn inward, find stillness, and hold onto faith in the light that's always returning, even in the darkest season.

To the slave master, the auction block was a public space for selling slaves. For the slave and their family, it was a source of fear, shame, and humiliation. There are some public places in America where slave auction blocks remain intact- a daunting reminder of an ugly past. Today, Aug. 20, we honor the memories of our African ancestors that endured the horrors of slavery, a shameful American atrocity that lasted 400 years.

As a privileged white woman in a position of power and authority, committed to diversity, inclusion and radical co-creation, CEO Co-founder and CEO, Kathyn, was trying to sit this one out. “Let actions speak louder than words,” she thought. But watching the "parent engagement through a lens of equity" conversation cycle through the field for 30 years without moving the needle? Her response breaks down what economic, political, and social equity actually look like in practice — and why BSF stopped treating them as aspirational and started treating them as operational.

What happens when human services systems put policy before people? Kathryn Leigh Goetz makes the case for flipping the script on intake processes and putting relationship first — with a practical model from a Pasadena coalition that gets it right.

When Germany approved a third gender on official documents in 2018, Kathryn saw an opening to ask bigger questions about gender, identity, and self-determination. Her reflection is both personal and philosophical.

BSF CEO couldn't be in the same room with her Trump-supporting brother after the 2016 election. Then came Thanksgiving. Her honest reflection on family, inclusion, and the unexpected path back to connection is exactly the kind of story that sits at the heart of BSF's mission.

The American Academy of Pediatrics issued their strongest statement yet against spanking (which they defined as “noninjurious, openhanded hitting with the intention of modifying child behavior”) and also said to avoid non-physical punishment that is humiliating, scary, or threatening.

So, what’s a parent to do?