By Sarah Bahn, PEPS Communications & Marketing Manager (Estimated reading time: 8 minutes)
At PEPS, we often hear questions like, “Do you have PEPS in Chicago? My sister lives there and is about to have a baby,” or “I’m pregnant and moving to Boston, can I do PEPS there?” While PEPS only operates our parent peer-support groups in the greater Puget Sound area, our Network Partners program allows other organizations to license our curriculum and Group Leader training to run parent peer-support groups in their own communities. This model makes it simpler for organizations to launch parent support programs without reinventing the wheel, whether they’re an existing organization adding on new programming or a new organization created based on the PEPS model. The latter is the case for Early Parent Support – Anchorage (EPSA), an organization founded by two new moms eager to bring support and connection to parents in Alaska.
The Birth of Early Parent Support – Anchorage
EPSA began with a chance encounter and a shared vision. When Shaina Seidner was a new mom in Anchorage in 2019, she heard about PEPS through a friend in Seattle. While Anchorage had some drop-in parent support groups, Shaina imagined how valuable a more immersive program like PEPS would be to build community with other parents going through the same phase of life. While reading a newsletter from the doula service she used, Shaina stumbled upon a photo of Amanda Dale, another mom who recently had a baby and used the same doula. Amanda was featured in the newsletter with a quote about the importance of community and connection for new parents, referencing a parent peer-support model used widely in Denmark, where she had previously lived.
Intrigued by Amanda’s quote and their shared interest in fostering community support for parents, Shaina reached out to Amanda to float the idea of bringing the PEPS model to Alaska. Amanda was immediately enthusiastic about the idea, and the two teamed up to make it a reality in their community. While juggling day jobs and babies, Shaina and Amanda spent three years during the pandemic fundraising, facilitating community conversations, and waiting for the time when people could gather in person again to launch their new organization, Early Parent Support – Anchorage. They tapped into the knowledge and experience of the PEPS Partnerships Manager for guidance throughout the process. To make the Network Partners program accessible to organizations in varying stages and sizes, PEPS uses a sliding scale fee structure based on the partner organization’s annual budget. This structure allowed EPSA to pay a smaller fee to license the PEPS curriculum, giving them more breathing room to launch the program and seek additional funding.
Launching the First Group
EPSA ran their first parent peer-support group in Wasilla, Alaska in summer 2023. The group of six moms gathered in a community meeting space, traveling from different parts of Matanuska-Susitna borough, an area the size of West Virginia. In addition to their geographical spread, the group members represented a wide range of identities – from newcomers to long-time Alaska residents, moms in their early 20s to their late 30s, with professions ranging from nursing to hotel housekeeping. South Central Alaska is a very transient area, with many people coming and going with jobs in the military and oil industry. For the group members who were brand new to the area and navigating becoming a parent in a place where they didn’t have an existing community of support, EPSA provided a much-needed space to connect with other parents each week.
Even with the wide diversity of experiences represented in the group, the group members clicked immediately. Amanda, the group facilitator, was amazed at the strong sense of community and support within the group. During the first session when group members were encouraged to share their baby’s arrival stories, all the moms shared raw, real accounts of their entry into parenthood, rather than sticking with a surface-level story. They asked each other beautiful questions, cried together, and validated each other’s experiences in a way that laid the foundation for a strong group bond and deeper connection in the weeks to come.
“I feel absolutely amazing that I have new mom friends and people who understand. I love that my daughter gets to grow up with others her age and she can make friends as well.”
EPSA Pilot Group Participant
While leading the group, Amanda also had an infant herself, so she found herself relating deeply with the other moms as they worked through challenging conversations around body image and society’s expectations of new parents. Amanda shared, “People really started to show some of our really deeply held beliefs about ourselves and what’s expected of us, and how we see ourselves managing, or struggling, or fighting that. And those kind of deep conversations are just the heart, and the meat, of the work… It’s not about ‘we’re going to get to a right answer together,’ it’s recognizing what sea are we all swimming in, and what are some things we do to make it to the shore?” During a vulnerable time, EPSA’s pilot group offered an essential outlet for challenging conversations.
In addition to the moral support the group shared, participants offered each other concrete support, bringing in items to share with the group such as clothing their baby had outgrown, a bouncer their baby didn’t like, and even apples from the tree in their yard. Even after the pilot group ended, their group text has continued to stay active with messages of support, hiking plans, and more. The moms have stayed in touch through social media as well, congratulating each other on life milestones and delivering food when one mom posted that she was stuck at home with the flu. One of the participants who is a photographer even hosted the group at her farm to do mini photo sessions of the moms and babies.
Many of the pilot group participants stayed involved with EPSA after their group ended, helping recruit new participants and suggesting location ideas for future EPSA groups. One of the pilot group participants even volunteered to facilitate the next group! After a successful launch over the summer, EPSA ran another group in the fall and is planning additional groups in the winter and spring in Wasilla and Anchorage, refining the program structure as they go.
Nuances of Parent Support in Alaska
As EPSA enters their first winter season, they’re navigating the complexities of running in-person parent support groups in Alaska’s harsh climate. While limited public transportation and road blockages due to snow will be challenges, Shaina and Amanda plan to approach the winter season with an expectation of flexibility and a plan to adjust meeting arrangements as needed to keep participants safe.
Interested in learning more about our Network Partners? Read more about partnerships at PEPS.
During the dark and brutal winters, many people stay home as much as possible, leading to increased isolation and loneliness, particularly for new parents. Amanda hopes that despite the cultural norm to stay in during winter, new parents will see the value of getting out of the house and finding connection during this time. She reflected, “my guess is it will be harder for people to get themselves to come, and they will feel 10x better once they’re there and after the session.” In fact, Amanda even sees the parent support group model as something that could fit in nicely with people’s natural instincts during long, cold winters: “There’s a real, I think, human instinct, and you feel it up here, that winter is a time to be together, inside. To take stock of things, and to reflect… winter is when we slow down. So, I think there’s a real opportunity that really aligns with these groups, and the vibe of the group. So figuring out how to lean into that and also make sure these spaces feel really cozy and kind of nourishing will be important.” Despite the unique challenges of Alaska’s climate and geography, EPSA hopes to offer a lifeline of support during a time when isolation and extreme weather can take a toll on parents’ mental health.
In addition to the physical challenges of the weather, Amanda and Shaina are navigating a unique challenge in their community – convincing people to join a support group in a culture that deeply values independence and self-reliance. Amanda reflected that Alaska, and in particular the Valley where the first pilot group was held, has a firmly entrenched “do-it-yourself” type of culture. Many residents emphasize the importance of not relying on others for help, being prepared to take care of yourself in the winter and pulling yourself up by your bootstraps. When Shaina and Amanda were in the early stages of starting EPSA and gathering feedback from the community, they were warned that it may be an uphill battle to get people to register for a group that is advertised as “helping” new parents or providing support. They’ve kept this cultural nuance in mind when marketing groups, highlighting the program as a way for parents to build their own support network, rather than passively receive help.
Amanda hopes that participating in EPSA will encourage local parents to change the culture around connection and support for families: “[Parenthood] should be a time in our lives when we feel the most connected to others. And instead it’s often the most isolating.” She hopes that by creating space for people to share openly and ask questions during one of the most vulnerable phases of life, EPSA groups will normalize talking about the challenges of parenting and supporting each other through difficult times, laying the foundation for a more supportive community for everyone.
Get in Touch
Early Parent Support Anchorage’s journey is a testament to the power of collaboration, determination, and unwavering commitment to supporting parents and building community. Do you or someone you know live in Alaska and want to be part of this exciting expansion of parent peer-support programming? EPSA encourages anyone who’s interested to reach out to the organization if the current meeting times or formats don’t meet your needs. As they expand, they’re eager to hear feedback from community members so they can best adapt to community needs.
About the Author
Sarah Bahn (she/her) is the Communications and Marketing Manager at PEPS. She loves amplifying the incredible stories of the PEPS community through the PEPS blog, website, and social media. Sarah is passionate about the community-building power of nonprofits and loves to support our local organizations. In her free time, she enjoys taking long walks through Seattle neighborhoods and parks with a coffee in hand.