New parents face a series of challenges and triumphs in the first few years of their child's life. JF&CS is ready to support new parents through every part of their parenting journey, helping them build a foundation for successful and healthy relationships with their children.

Drop-in Support Groups

Our FREE support groups provide safe and nurturing spaces for mothers and/or fathers with their babies (birth to one year) to give and receive support, ask questions, and begin building a parent community.

Since 1989, CERS groups and services have been empowering parents to find what works best for them and for their babies.

All CERS groups and services are non-sectarian and open to all parents in the community. Please let us know if you require any accommodations to participate. Learn more about each group in their pages below!

What We Do:

Our facilitated groups provide:

What You Need to Know:

Our weekly drop-in groups are:

Free Support Groups for Parents of Infants and Pregnant Women

Offered by the Center for Early Relationship Support®, all parents with a baby (or babies) under the age of one are invited to attend our FREE new parent support groups.

In addition to groups for parents of infants, CERS also offers groups for pregnant women and parents of toddlers aged 1-3.

Please let us know if you require any accommodations to participate. Parents are welcome to attend any and as many groups as they would like!

New participants should register at least 24 hours in advance of the group to ensure that their registration is approved. For more information, please contact Leslie Pucker at lpucker@jfcsboston.org.

*Five of our general support groups meet in-person at their regularly scheduled times. Two general groups, as well as the specialty groups, continue to meet virtually.

If you have registered for the Zoom groups already, you can attend the in-person groups without having to register again.

Support Groups for Parents of Infants

For parents of babies under the age of one.

Arlington Parents Group

Fridays, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
Register Here

Pre-registration encouraged.

Calvary United Methodist Church
300 Massachusetts Avenue
In-person

Boston-Area Virtual Group

Thursdays, 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Register Here
Virtual

Brookline Parents Group

Tuesdays, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
Register Here

Pre-registration encouraged.

Temple Ohabei Shalom
1187 Beacon Street
In-person

Jamaica Plain Parents Group

Wednesdays, 1:30 - 3:00 p.m.
Register Here

Pre-registration encouraged.

Jamaica Plain Branch of the Boston Public Library
Community Room
30 South Street
In-person

Medford Parents Group

Tuesdays, 12:30 - 2:00 p.m.
Register Here

Pre-registration encouraged.

Medford Family Network at
Medford High School
489 Winthrop Street
In-person

Sharon Parents Group

Fridays, 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
Register Here

Pre-registration encouraged.

Temple Israel
125 Pond Street
In-person

Watertown Parents Group

Fridays, 9:15 - 10:45 a.m.
Register Here
Virtual

This FREE support group provides a safe and nurturing space for pregnant parents to give and receive support, ask questions, and begin building a parent community. All CERS® groups and services are non-sectarian and open to all parents in the community. Please let us know if you require any accommodations to participate. New participants should register at least 24 hours in advance.

When: Tuesdays 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Where: Online, via Zoom video conferencing
Register ›

For more information, contact Jen Roberts at 781-434-9544.

“This Isn’t What I Expected”: Navigating Postpartum Depression, Anxiety, and Other Emotional Complications

The Center for Early Relationship Support® offers a FREE, weekly support group for mothers suffering from postpartum depression or anxiety. It provides moms with a nurturing environment to talk about their experiences with postpartum depression and/or postpartum anxiety.

When: Tuesdays, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Where: Online, via Zoom video conferencing
Register ›

Registration is required. For more information, please contact Jen Roberts at jroberts@jfcsboston.org or 781-434-9544.

The Center for Early Relationship Support® offers this FREE weekly support group for parents of toddlers. The group is open to parents with children who are 1 - 3 years old.

When: Wednesdays, 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
Where: Online, via Zoom video conferencing.
Register ›

For more information, please contact Leslie Pucker at lpucker@jfcsboston.org.

The Center for Early Relationship Support® offers this FREE support group for adoptive parents. Come share the unique experiences of parenting a child through adoption. The group is open to parents and babies under one year old.

When: Fridays, 10:00-11:30 a.m.
Where: Online, via Zoom conferencing
Register ›

This group meets in person on the first Friday of each month and continues on Zoom the other weeks.

Registration is required. For more information, contact Michelle Kahan and Adoption Resources at 781-693-1363 or at michellekahan@jfcsboston.org

This Zoom support group for parents whose babies have spent time in the NICU provides an opportunity to connect with other parents who have shared similar experiences and concerns. The group uses a drop-in format so participants can register once and then join whenever it works for them. Join us to:

  • Share your story
  • Support others and be supported
  • Exchange information, ideas, and strategies
  • Nurture yourself as you make meaning of this unexpected journey, especially during this difficult time in the world

This group is facilitated by a JF&CS group leader. The Zoom link to participate will be shared once registration is complete. New participants should register at least 24 hours in advance of the group to ensure that their registration is approved. As always, the group is offered at no charge to participants.

When: Thursdays, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Where: Online, via Zoom video conferencing
Register ›

This group is offered by the Oliver, Ian, and Serenity Wolk Fragile Beginnings program of the JF&CS Center for Early Relationship Support®. JF&CS is a nonsectarian, nonprofit human services agency.

If you have any questions, please contact Leslie Pucker at lpucker@jfcsboston.org.

This five-week support group from the Center for Early Relationship Support® is an opportunity for mothers of young children to explore how the loss or absence of a mother influences one's own parenting experience. Participants will also have the opportunity to receive and give support to others in the group.

When: TBD

Where: Online, via Zoom video conferencing.

Please contact La'Shell Thompson at lthompson@jfcsboston.org for more information.

For more information, please contact contact CERS Intake at cersintake@jfcsboston.org or 781-693-1200.