“It’s not what you do for your children but what you have taught them to do for themselves that will make them successful human beings”
– Ann Landers
Our Mission
The mission of Parents Too! is to empower parents, caregivers, and their youth to rise together through personal growth, education, and real-world preparation.
By providing access to life-skills development, leadership training, financial awareness, communication tools, and employment readiness, Parents Too! helps families strengthen confidence, stability, and community connections.
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Vision
Parents Too! envisions communities where every parent and teen, regardless of income, background, or circumstance—has the opportunity to grow, lead, and succeed together.
We see families who are encouraged, connected, and equipped to face life’s challenges with confidence; parents who model resilience and leadership; and youth who graduate ready to thrive in school, work, and life.
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Core Values
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Empowerment: Every parent and youth has the power to shape their future. We help families recognize strengths and act on them.
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Growth: Learning continues at every stage, building skills, improving communication, and setting new goals. Graduation is a celebrated milestone.
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Belonging: Every voice matters. Our spaces are welcoming, respectful, and inclusive.
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Hope: We see potential and support steady, step-by-step progress. Small wins build strong futures.
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Community Leadership: Stronger families create stronger neighborhoods and safer communities.
Parents Too!
Because Every Parent Has a Story.
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Every parent has a story. Before they had a story as a parent, they had stories as individuals. Some stories made them stronger, others became a struggle. When these individuals became parents, their struggles were still there but held at bay as they took on the grown-up and brave role of parent.
With such a story, Parents Too! allows parents to breathe as real people for themselves and to be better parents. No matter how much parenting they do, and still have the good and challenges of their individuality, there are so many other things too.
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They are singers, visual artists, musicians, writers, cosmetologists, poets, fitness buffs, athletes, dancers, playwrights, barbers, and this list could go on. Whether they’ve lived out these dreams or not, they are there too, along with the virtues of parenthood. As parenthood becomes their priority, Parents Too! wants to keep that individual light burning as they may find time for themselves or see it passed on to their children.
The Meaning of “Too”
Parents Too! encompasses all parents, but with the “too” portion added, it assures that those who do not fit the perfect “soccer mom” image are represented as “much-effort” parents.
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Their soccer time may be waiting for a friend of a friend to come by and fix that dripping bathtub faucet that adds to their bill; the much-needed job that takes up much of their time during the day and evenings — whether a one- or two-parent household; the school that calls him every other week about behavior problems with his son; running to various community resource programs for help in keeping the electricity on; getting off work and running home to feed the children in order to later go take care of an aging parent who has to be monitored daily; or battling days of depression due to the guilt and confusion of poor choices that brought in family services for inquiry.
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These are the parents who put the “too” in Parents Too! Whether living in subsidized housing or an affluent home, they try — and they try hard. PT wants to help in their growth and knowledge that includes appropriate community resources in the meantime, until they eventually land themselves on solid foundation. With or without struggles, they are parents too.
​Our Purpose
Parents Too! wants to embrace all parents for their sincere efforts, along with the outcomes of success or the resolve to keep trying. Such persistence can become the backbone for their children as they transition into adulthood, while developing their own stories and memories of what a successful parent really is.
The goal is to help parents and youth today, in hopes of changing the trajectory of what may be heading for tomorrow. By allowing parents to continue their growth while being responsible parents, Parents Too! gives them the breathing room to be their full selves while positively investing in the lives of their children.
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A Shared Vision
Parents Too! aligns with Basics: Skills for Life’s belief in a holistic approach for transitioning into effective adulthood. While education and career growth is high on the list for each approach, as with Basics, PT recognizes the person behind degree and job for better and more positive long-term outcome.
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Some youth may find their way in life with or without healthy engagement from their parents, but for those who struggle to become effective adults due to trauma from ineffective parenting, Parents Too! and Basics stand as a bridge, helping both generations heal, grow, and build better futures together.