New parents may feel overwhelmed as they adjust to parenthood. Our support groups and consultations provide assistance as parents navigate the mental health challenges that may arise while raising young children.

Through weekly in-person visits, support groups, therapeutic interventions, and parent consultations, we are with you through every step of the early parenting journey.

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.

Our new parents groups (formerly known as "new moms groups") provide safe and nurturing spaces for mothers and/or fathers with their babies to give and receive support, ask questions, and begin building a parent community. In addition to groups for parents of infants, CERS also offers groups for pregnant women and parents of toddlers aged 1-3.

Since 1989, our new parents groups and services have been empowering parents to find what works best for them and for their babies. All CERS support 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 of the group to ensure that their registration is approved. For more information, please contact Leslie Pucker at lpucker@jfcsboston.org.

Support Groups for Parents of Infants

Pregnancy Support Group

Open to all women during their pregnancy.
Tuesdays, 12:00 - 12:45 p.m.
Register Here
For more information, please contact Jen Roberts at 781-434-9544.
Virtual

For parents of babies under age 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

Specialty Support Groups

Pregnancy Support Group

Epiphany School (Dorchester)

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 12:00 – 12:45 p.m.
Where: Online, via Zoom video conferencing
Register ›

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

Postpartum Depression Support Group

“This Isn’t What I Expected”

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.

Parents of Toddlers Support Group

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.

New Adoptive Parents Support Group

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

Mothering After Mother Loss Support Group

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.

Sometimes a friendly face, adult conversation, a chance to tell someone that you feel overwhelmed and tired can make a world of difference.

The Lauren & Mark Rubin Visiting Moms® program is a free service that matches volunteers with new moms or dads during the first year of their baby’s life, whether it’s the first baby or a new baby in the household.

Learn more about the powerful and vital impact of these in-home visits here.

Early Connections/Conexiones Tempranas

Early Connections/Conexiones Tempranas (EC/CT) clinicians help parents and their young children find their way to stronger, healthier relationships. Read more here.

Apreté aquí para ver esta página web en español.

EC/CT provides therapeutic interventions focused on supporting the relationships of young children and their parents. EC/CT clinicians are trained in perinatal and early childhood mental health and offer treatment in the home or office with a goal of fostering nurturing and resilient parent-child relationships.

EC/CT offers:

  • Parent and parent-child therapy to address postpartum depression or anxiety, perinatal mood disorders, and related stressors
  • Child-parent psychotherapy (CPP) to help families heal from traumatic stress and build resilience
  • Circle of Security parenting groups to support parents' understanding of their child's emotional needs

Referrals to EC/CT

Mothers and young children are referred to Early Connections/Conexiones Tempranas for a variety of reasons: a new mother may be confronting the challenges of an unresolved history of loss; a baby may be particularly difficult to soothe; or a couple may be coping with significant stress or overwhelming life events even as they begin their parenting journey.

Whatever the origin, the result is a parent-child relationship in distress. EC/CT’s focus on the developing parent-child relationship is supported by significant research showing that babies need safe, secure relationships to build a solid foundation for future learning and social-emotional well-being.

EC/CT services are provided free of charge or on a sliding fee scale.

To make a referral or for more information, contact Sarah Nielsen, LICSW at snielsen@jfcsboston.org or 781-860-2195. For referrals of Spanish-speaking clients, please contact Karen Garber, LICSW at kgarber@jfcsboston.org or 781-693-5048.

To reach our CERS Intake line, please call 781-693-1200 or email CERSintake@jfcsboston.org.

Project NESST® offers support for substance-exposed newborns and their families.

We work with parents, caregivers, and infants to address the impact of substance use and trauma on parents’ mental health, the early parent-child relationship, and infant development. Services are available free of charge to families of all faiths and races throughout Greater Boston who are caring for infants who were exposed to opiates, cocaine, prescription medications, or other substances that may have contributed to challenges in the infant’s postpartum course or in the parent-infant relationship. Clinicians are also available to provide technical assistance and training to interested community partners on relationship-based treatment and care for these newborns and their families.

Learn more about Project NESST here.

The Oliver, Ian, and Serenity Wolk Fragile Beginnings program is committed to improving the lives of parents of premature infants and other infants who have had a stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

In Massachusetts, one in ten babies is born prematurely and many more spend time in the NICU. We provide therapeutic support and developmental guidance, as well as a connection to other families who have also experienced the stress of a NICU stay.

Our clinicians, trained in perinatal and infant mental health, work to support the developing parent-child relationship beginning in the hospital and during and after the transition home. We have found that parents welcome the opportunity to process their experience and to begin to move forward with the support of a Fragile Beginnings clinician.

You can learn more about the therapeutic support and developmental guidance Fragile Beginnings offers here.

Fragile Beginnings Support Group

For parents whose babies have spent time in the NICU.
Thursdays, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Register ›

Healthy Families of JF&CS is a free, voluntary, and confidential home visiting program for first-time pregnant and/or parenting moms and dads 23 years old and younger.

Weekly visits are provided in your home, virtually, or at a agreed upon location in your community, beginning during pregnancy and continuing through the first six months of your baby’s life.

Learn more about the Healthy Families program here.