The Maine Chapter, AAP recognizes the crucial role that parents play in ensuring the best health and development for their child.

Maine Family Networks offers Maine communities the opportunity to reach out to and connect all parents of infants and young children in each town and city neighborhood so that their children reach school age healthy and eager to learn. With CATCH funding from the American Academy of Pediatrics, Maine Family Networks began as a pilot effort in Augusta and the adjacent Winthrop area towns.

A highly motivated group of parents helped to germinate this idea and created outreach materials and a framework for how family networks can be replicated in any town or school district in Maine. The Chapter is currently applying for funding to support additional family networks around Maine. Please feel free to contact the Chapter at (email and phone) if you are interested in learning more or about starting up a network in your area!

Project Goal:

The goal of Maine Family Networks is to encourage self-established networks of parents of infants and toddlers in a town or neighborhood, so that through their connections, parents and other caregivers can:

• Support each other through the joys and trials of parenting;
• Keep up to date on important discoveries about how infants learn, remember, and develop;
• Share experiences and gain new parenting skills from each other; and
• Talk with other parents about the pros and cons of recommended best practices.

Further, parents can identify the strengths and needs of their community and expect, request and receive coordinated support from their primary health care office, local schools, and other community resources such as libraries, churches, and businesses.

Click here to download a copy of the Maine Family Networks Brochure. (1.2MB PDF)

Click here to visit the Maine Family Networks website!