When Megan Webber, Co-Founder of KnowThe Glow, and Helene Dameris, Director of Global Outreach, met with Susana Navarro, they were introduced to the extraordinary story of Parents Helping Parents (PHP), a nonprofit that has been transforming lives for nearly half a century.
What began in the 1970s as a small group of parents gathering in a garage has grown into a cornerstone of support for families of children with disabilities. In those early days, the founders could not find the support they needed while navigating complicated systems of care with their children, so they established a support network for other like-minded families in the community. By 1980, PHP was incorporated and went on to become one of the first nationally recognized parent training and information centers supported by the U.S. Department of Education.
Today, PHP has grown to a team of over 40 staff serving families in Santa Clara County, the Bay Area, and throughout California with 5 locations in Santa Clara County. PHP provides support to families in English, Spanish and Vietnamese who have children of any age and with any disability, offering guidance, resources, and connection to services all at no cost to families. Whether families are receiving a new diagnosis or their child is transitioning into adulthood, there is information to support all children throughout their lifespan.
What makes PHP especially impactful is that nearly all of its staff are themselves parents of children with disabilities. Families know that when they reach out, they will be speaking to someone who understands not just the challenges but also the hopes and fears that come with raising a child with special needs.
PHP has built an impressive network of resources and programs, including 1:1 support, educational trainings, support groups and social events to bring families together to build community. The 0-5 Get an Early Start program provides parent-to-parent mentoring, carefully matching families with trained mentors who can guide young families through the process of obtaining services and understanding their rights. While pairings for low vision and blindness are less commonly requested, Susana explained that PHP connects those families with trusted partners such as Pam Chapin, the LightHouse for the Blind, and the STARS Early Intervention program.
In addition, PHP hosts annual resource fairs, including this year’s event held at Santa Clara University in collaboration with Special Olympics of Northern California. They conduct workshops on special education rights and offer trainings and resources to families during the critical Transition and Adulthood period when children between 18 and 22 age out of the educational system. PHP also supports the need for better systems of care to better serve families and individuals with disabilities and offers advocacy training through the Parents for Change Advocacy Program. PHP publishes a monthly newsletter in English, Spanish and Vietnamese which reaches over 40,000 subscribers to keep families informed and connected.
Innovation remains at the heart of their mission. As an example, PHP recently partnered with the Undiagnosed Diseases Network at Stanford University. In this partnership, PHP assists the UDN by connecting them to families from underserved communities who can identify barriers to accessing the UDN, with the goal to find potential solutions.
In 2026, Parents Helping Parents will celebrate its 50th anniversary, a milestone that reflects not just the organization’s longevity but also its resilience, innovation, and love. For Megan and Helene, hearing Susana describe this history and vision underscored the power of parent-to-parent support. PHP continues to stand as a model of how compassion, lived experience, and determination can build a movement that changes thousands of lives.
