Peer-led conversation supports people in ways that “professional” programs and services can‘t. Read the evidence from national evaluations, independent research, and Café participants themselves.

Why Cafés?

EVIDENCE & EVALUATION

“I used to think I was doing it wrong. Now I know I'm not alone.”

— Café participant

Download The Evidence Report

97%

Less isolated

of participants report feeling more confident and less isolated after attending Cafés

96%

Use Protective Factors

of participants said they learned how to use the Protective Factors to keep their family strong

87%

Want deeper involvement

of participants want to become more involved or join the Café team

32K+

Study participants

study participants across multiple evaluation studies over 12 years

Parent Café participants grow in all five Protective Factors

Parent Café participants report 80-98% growth in all five Strengthening Families™ Protective Factors — the evidence-based framework for reducing child abuse and neglect and strengthening family resilience.

The Be Strong Families National Parent Café Evaluation collected data from 96 partner programs across 895 Cafés and nearly 14,000 participants — showing significant improvements across all five factors, across a broad diversity of participants.

Resilience
Parental Resilience

“I learned a new way to handle stress or challenges in my life.”

↑ 90.5% of participants

Relationships
Social Connections

“I met a person (or people) I plan to stay in touch with.”

↑ 81.7% of participants

Knowledge
Knowledge of parenting & child development

“I learned something that will help me deal positively with a challenge with my child.”

↑ 91.4% of participants

Support
Concrete support in times of need

“I feel more comfortable going to a professional or seeking community resources for help.”

↑ 91.9% of participants

Communication
Social and emotional competence of children

“I practiced ways to talk with others that will improve my relationships.”

↑ 95.4% of participants

Six independent studies. Same conclusion.

Six independent studies were conducted between 2012 and 2018 across diverse settings — from urban Chicago to rural Missouri, from Los Angeles County to statewide programs in Maryland and Illinois.

External evaluators used validated instruments including the Connor-Davidson Resiliency Scale and the Protective Factors Survey. Each reached the same conclusion: Cafés work.

Statistically significant improvements in resilience, family functioning, and social connections were documented across multiple studies. The full summaries are in the Evidence & Evaluation Report.

Download The Full Evidence & Evaluation Report

Voices from Café Participants

  • “This was a wonderful experience that made me feel truly connected with the other parents. It is a true gift to meet others in a safe space and share thoughts and feelings.”

  • “This was such a great opportunity to hear from others that I am not the only one going through the same challenges.”

  • “Parent Café is popular because it's organic and not didactic. It doesn't tell somebody what to do. It's just parents supporting one another. We were surprised by how well-received and important that is.”

  • “Some of the people I met through the Café — I was able to lean on those folks as a shoulder.”

  • “It’s not just a program where people are receiving a service. They are also helping others. People like to be part of the solution; they want to know what they can do to help. It’s very peer-to-peer.”

  • “The structure is great — everybody has a voice and an equal opportunity to share. It really gets everyone involved in expressing themselves and communicating to others.”

  • “It gives people real tools — new skills they can use right away.”

  • “The Cafés are where I found hope and where I found my purpose.”

  • “This Café has helped me to reprioritize what’s important to me and how to give myself more gratitude. One of my peers introduced the idea of showing yourself the same gratitude you give others. That really resonated with me.”

  • “Siempre me siento mejor después de un Café para Padres. Me pongo en contacto con quién y cómo quiero ser como padre.”

  • “It’s structured, not just conversing. There is just enough structure to keep people focused and make it productive. Everyone gets to experience at the beginning the power of the dyads, and sharing out the collective wisdom of the group.”

  • “I leave every Café feeling like I can handle things a little better than when I came in.”

Featured Stories

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EXPERIENCE

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CERTIFICATION

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Learn about levels of Café certification and how to bring Cafés to your organization.

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OVERVIEW

Learn more about Cafés

Explore how Cafés were developed, and which Café model might work best for you.

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