Logo<\/p>\n The call comes as California families enter the summer months with school out, safety concerns rising, and parents working to keep children supported, engaged, and safe while managing tighter budgets, higher gas prices, and fewer available resources.<\/p>\n “Families are carrying enormous stress right now, and too many are reaching out to the Helpline at a moment of crisis only to be left waiting for someone to answer,” said Dr. Lisa Pion-Berlin, President & CEO of Parents Anonymous. “In a season when parents are worried about living costs, their mental health, and keeping their children safe and connected, California must protect and invest in this Helpline so that everyone gets connected quickly with a caring counselor.”<\/p>\n The California Parent & Youth Helpline<\/a>\u00a0is a free, always-on resource for parents, children and youth who need real-time, confidential, emotional support in over 240 languages. But due to loss in funding, nearly one in two callers are not reaching a person in time and are forced to hang up before getting help.\u00a0<\/p>\n Parents Anonymous warns that without immediate funding, more families will be left alone at the very moment they need support most.<\/p>\n “The California Parent & Youth Helpline is more than a comfort \u2014 it is a lifeline,” said Angela, a California parent who turned to the Helpline while caring for her children and supporting her mother through cancer treatment. “Families across California are carrying heavy burdens, and too many are doing it alone. I urge the Governor and Legislature to protect and fund the Helpline because families should not have to face crisis alone.”<\/p>\n The Helpline has long served as a trusted source of compassionate, evidence-based support for diverse families across California. It helps parents and youth navigate anxiety, depression, trauma, family conflict, substance use and other urgent challenges before they escalate. The service is especially vital for communities facing barriers to care, including multilingual families, rural communities, and LGBTQ+ Californians seeking affirming support, especially with the loss of 988.<\/p>\n Research proves 85% of parents<\/a>\u00a0had a more positive or solution-focused outlook after contacting the Helpline, while Parents Anonymous support groups have been shown to reduce child abuse and neglect by 63%.<\/p>\n Parents Anonymous is calling on state leaders to prioritize $5 million in annual funding for\u00a0each of the next\u00a0three years in the 2026\u201327 state budget to reduce abandonment rates, strengthen staffing, and ensure that every caller can reach support in real time. Investing in the California Parent & Youth Helpline is an investment in prevention, family stability and community well-being.<\/p>\n If you’d like to help save the Helpline, please visit savethehelpline.org,<\/a>\u00a0for more on\u00a0the California Parent & Youth Helpline and additional resources, visit\u00a0parentsanonymous.org<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n About Parents Anonymous\u00ae, Inc. <\/a><\/p>\n
For over half a century, Parents Anonymous\u00ae has served as a steadfast pillar of support for parents, caregivers and youth across the nation. Since its establishment in 1969, this organization has been at the forefront of developing evidence-based programs dedicated to strengthening families. Through the decades, it has furthered its unwavering commitment through the establishment of National Parent Leadership Month\u00ae every February, its community-based organizations, such as the Community & Family Resource Center and Weekly Adult and Children & Youth Parents Anonymous\u00ae Groups, and its California Parent & Youth Helpline\u00ae and National Parent & Youth Helpline\u2122 which provides emotional support 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling\/texting 1-855-427-2736 or through live chat at\u00a0caparentyouthhelpline.org<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0nationalparentyouthhelpline.org.<\/a>\u00a0Parents Anonymous\u00ae, Inc. is also the only program recognized by The Federal Title IV-E Prevention Clearinghouse that is proven to Effectively Improve Parenting, Enhance Mental Health and Reduce Substance Abuse while Ensuring Child Safety for parents, children and youth of all ages.<\/p>\n
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