Parent to parent support and health care.

Parent to Parent programs offer a unique model for personalizing family support services according to family preferences. Over 500 of these programs across the United States provide emotional and informational support through careful matching of veteran parents with referred parents who have a child with a disability. A national survey of Parent to Parent program coordinators and participating parents examined referral sources, program supports, program demographics/descriptions, and examples of best practices. Parent to Parent programs can complement health care services by empowering parents through information and support and should be an essential component of a comprehensive family support system.