Support Groups
Support for Expecting Parents
& Parents of Newborns
LIL’ STARS FAMILY GROUP is geared towards parents expecting a baby with Down syndrome and parents of children that are newborn to age five. Our meetings are informal and often include a guest speaker. There is also time to socialize. Please come and share your experiences, and parenting ideas with others. Contact the DSAJ at 904-353-6300, www.dsaj.org
ATTACHMENT PARENTING INTERNATIONAL of Jacksonville (APIofJax) is a family/parent support group. Our mission is to educate and support all parents in raising secure, joyful and empathic children in order to strengthen families and create a more compassionate world. We meet on the 1st Friday @ South Mandarin Regional Library, the 2nd Thursday@ Southeast Regional Library,and the 4th Friday @ Murray Hill Branch Library. Meetings are from 10:15 - 12:15. For more information call Connor at 744.4837/email: connorbarnas@yahoo. com or visit www.attachmentparenting.org for more information.
LA LECHE LEAGUE provides information and encouragement to all mothers who are breastfeeding or want to breastfeed their babies. We offer mother-to-mother support, encouragement, information, and education to breastfeeding and expectant mothers at several meetings each month. La Leche League of Jacksonville (FL) meets every first Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Julington Creek area. Please contact a Leader for address and directions. Elisabeth 904-534-6999, Laura 904-994-1896 or Pat 904-371-2730. La Leche League of Jacksonville at Avondale meets every third Wednesday at 10 a.m. at Grace Church of Avondale, 3519 Herschel Street. Chrissy 770-480-9350 or Lori 904-485-0861. La Leche League of Orange Park-West Jacksonville meets every second Tuesday at Orange Park United Methodist Church’s Family Life Center (behind the church), 2063 Park Avenue. Elisabeth 904-534-6999. For additional information or support, please go to our website at www.lllflorida.comor look us up on Facebook. All meetings are free.
BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT GROUP meetings are held at Memorial Healthcare Plaza Pain Management Center Conference Room on the 3rd. Wednesday of each month at10:30 a.m. (info: 391- 1538). Orange Park Breastfeeding support group meets the 3rd Thursay of each month at 10 a.m. at Orange Park Medical Center on the 1st floor (info: 213-2543). A Beaches Breastfeeding support group meets the 1st Monday of each month at Beaches Baptist Medical Center at 7 p.m. (info: 273-8718).
Seton Center for Women & Infants’ Health meets to discuss pregnancy, childbirth and baby’s first year. Services includie: prenatal and childbirth education classes, pamphlets and videotapes, telephone consultation with nurses for advice, free postpartum assessments and infant health screening, breast pump sales and rentals , instruction on newborn care and breastfeeding. For info please call 904-308- 6359 or visit our website atwww.jaxhealth.com
SUPPORT GROUP FOR THOSE WHO HAVE LOST A BABY meets on the first and third Mondays of the month from 6 - 7:30pm at the Spirituality Center at St. Vincen’ts Medical Center. This gathering is for families who have suffered the loss of a baby through mis- carriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth, or newborn death. For info contact Kimberly Weir, kimberly. weir@bmcjax.com, 202-2240
Please be sure to confirm the dates and times before attending any meeting. To list your support group, meet-up, or free family event, send information to editorial@firstcoastparent with “Support Group” in the subject line
Support for Families, Meet-ups, and Playgroups
Federation of Families for families of Northeast Florida is a support group for parents that have children with mental health issues. Duval County parents meet the 4th Thursday of the month at 5:30 pm at the Jacksonville Children’s Commission on 1095 A Philip Randolph Blvd. In Clay County parents meet the 4th Saturday at noon at Behavioral Health Center, Inc. 3292 County Road 220 in Middleburg. A FREE meal and information on mental health advocacy is provided. Please check out the website at www.fofjax.org
S.T.A.R. GROUP--(Support, Teach, Advocate, Respect)---A parent driven group for parents of children with Autism and Developmental Delays. This group meets on the second Monday of each month from 6-7:30pm. Trained childcare workers will be available if needed. Meeting will be held at Crosswater Community Church in Nocatee. 211 Davis Park Road. Contact Liz Zurn for questions at zurnlsc@gmail.com
Kids Together Against Cancer is a support program for children who have a parent with cancer. We help families communicate with their children to reduce feeling of fear and anxiety when a parent is facing cancer treatments. Offering a monthly support program and a 6 week educational group that uses art education to help children communicate their feelings. Meets at the Cummer Museum; educational classes are held at Riverside Presbyterian Day School. Visitwww.ktacjax.com call 904-742-2916.
CHADD of Duval County is an ADHD support group that meets monthly. We have speakers and programs that are led by professionals who work with ADHD families in the community. Question and answer periods are held during each meeting. Meetings are a wonderful way for families and friends of those living with ADHD to connect. For more information call 904-333-4003. Find us on the web at www.chadd.net/580.
BIOMEDICAL INTERVENTION for Autism Spectrum Disorders - Peer to peer group with a focus on nutritional, medical and other therapies that may positively affect the daily lives of families with an ASD child. Please call 240-4770 or email autismless@gmail.com if interested.
JACKSONVILLE PARENTS OF TWINS & TRIPLETS, JACKPOTT, is a support group for parents of multiples in the greater Jacksonville area. We offer friendly support from the preg- nancy to tackling the distinct challenges of raising multiples. Meetings offer a fun social outing as well as informational speakers and great resource information. We meet the second Thursday of each month at the Brooks YMCA. New Moms’ meeting is at 7:00 p.m. and the General Meeting is at 7:30 p.m. For more information, please come to a meeting or email us atinfo@jackpotts.org.
JacksonvilleMommies.com is a free community for local moms. Connect with local moms for friendship, support and fun. Members meet on our private discussion forums to share information.Each month, we also offer many face-to-face events for our members, their children and their families.
REAL MOMS + REAL LIFE is a meeting for every mom in every stage of mothering. We meet the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 7pm at Christ the Redeemer Church. Join us for a talk-show inpsired meeting with practical recipes, applicable topics & interactive small groups. Find us on Facebook or at www.christtheredeemer.com, or call 285-8009
MOM TO MOM is a biblically based parenting program designed around the Titus 2:4 concept of older women teaching and encouraging younger women in their relationships with their husbands and children. It includes quality instruction in parenting, small group discussion, and the interaction of more experienced mothers with younger moms, as we build relationships with each other. The group meets Tuesdays from Sept. through April from 9:30-11:30AM at First Baptist Church, downtown. Cost is $60 for the year or $5 per meeting. Breakfast is provided at no charge. Also childcare is provided at no charge for preschoolers and homeschoolers through 5th grade. Call 904.366.1242 or e-mail womensministry@fbcjax.com for more information.
MOMS Club invites moms and their kids to join us for weekly activities, playgroups, mom’s night out and family events. Contact your local club for more information: MOMS Club of St. Augustine N ( 32092 and 32095 zipcodes) sanmoms@gmail.com; MOMS Club of Orange Park/Westside momsclubjopw@yahoo.com; MOMS Club of Jacksonville/Mandarin - SE (32258 zipcode) semandarinmoms@yahoo.com; MOMS Club of Jacksonville/Arlington - N (32211,32277,32225,32226,32218,32246 zipcodes) arlingtonmomsclub@yahoo.com; MOMS Club of Jacksonville/Beaches momsclubbeaches@yahoo.com; MOMS Club of Fruit Cove (32259 zipcode) fruitcovemoms@yahoo.com. and MomS Club of Ponte Vedra Beach (32081 and 32082 zipcodes) momsclubpvb@gmail.com