Parent Groups

There are a variety of resources specially designed to support parents, in and around Rochester. Membership or participation fees are typically free or low cost. Because meeting dates and times tend to vary, and these groups often offer additional special events, those particulars have been left off on purpose (wouldn’t want you to show up for a Tuesday meeting when this month’s meeting has been moved to Wednesday). Click on the link for meeting dates, times, and other particulars. 

Parents who have lost a child to cancer are invited to attend Tomorrow’s Chapter meetings, a support group which is offered periodically as driven by the needs of the group. The sessions are facilitated by Marianne Maruca, a highly trained bereavement professional who carries several degrees in the field. A light dinner is also provided. Please contact us for meeting locaitons.

Rochester Area Fatherhood Network works to facilitate the positive engagement of all fathers in the lives of their children. 

All Pro Dad’s provides fun activities and interactive discussions for dads and their kids. Click here for your elementary school’s All Pro Dad’s contact information.

Rochester Minnesota Dads at Home MDAH offers stay at home dads and their kids a variety of options, including: play groups, dads night out, and summer park get togethers.

Families of children who are cancer survivors or are in various stages of treatment are invited to attend Brighter Tomorrow’s Support Group family get-togethers. We meet the first Tuesday of each month, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Grace Lutheran Church. A light dinner is provided. Organized activities are offered for the children thorugh the B.L.A.S.T. Program (Bonding, Loving, and Sharing Truth).

Rochester Center for Autsim holds a parent and sibling support group the last Wednesday of each month. Most months during the school year a family meal is served prior to the group meeting. Childare is available for a small fee. 

Olmsted County sponsors a parent-led adoption support group. The group is open to the public and is tailored to meet the support and educational needs of foster parents, those families considering adoption, or those families who have adopted privately, publicly, domestically or internationally. 

Come See What Moms on the Run Really Look Like! We are a group of women, not just moms, of all ages and fitness levels. We focus on interval training to increase cardiovascular levels and boost metabolism. You start out right where you are at, and with coaching, encouragement, and dedication, you will walk/run your way up to a 5K or shoot for a new PR at any distance! Programs available for walkers, beginners, recreational and competitive runners. Your class fee includes: a structured, guided exercise program and coaching, accountability, motivation, a MOTR shirt, new friends, and lots of FUN! Our ladies enjoy entering races as well as engaging in volunteer and social activities outside of class.

PAIIR is Parents Are Important in Rochester, PAIIR, is the Rochester Public School’s ECFE program. Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) is a voluntary public school program for all Minnesota families (regardless of income) with children from birth through kindergarten. PAIIR offers one-time, ongoing, and online parent/child and parent-only classes. PAIIR also offers support groups including the single parent support group, parenting a child with disabilities, and parenting across cultures (for families where English is a second language).

The Single Parent Support Group is offered through PAIIR (Parents Are Important In Rochester). Meet with other single parents to share feelings, gain appreciation and encouragement, and learn techniques for creative survival as custodial parents. No fee, registration required.

Families First of Minnesota holds PARRK (Parents and Relatives Raising Kids), a no-cost educational group for anyone raising kids, the third Tuesday of the month, 6:45 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Speakers, discussion, and child care at no cost to you. Limited transportation available.

Family Service Rochester is proud to provide our community with The Incredible Years, a parenting course for parents of 8-13 year olds. Pre-adolescence can be a challenging time, learn how you can best help your child through this stage in every way possible. The Incredible Years is an award winning, research based course, which helps parents: increase skill, learn how to influence their child’s behavior, and build positive child-parent relationships.

Catholic Charities’ Pregnancy, Parenting and Adoption program offers parents and expectant parents the opportunity to expand their parenting skills through the Nurturing Healthy Families educational classes. Classes are offered to expectant parents and parents with children up to 12 months old and are offered the second Tuesday of each month. Each session last 60-90 minutes with a light lunch, fun activities, opportunities to earn gift cards, and topics ranging from Positive Discipline to Nutrition to Budgeting.

Hearts of Heroes is a support group for parents and other caregivers of children with congenital heart defects. Each meeting will include a presentation on various topics, group sharing and supporting, and informal mingling/networking. For more information, call Jennifer Hargreaves at 281-9621.

Are you new to the Rochester area? Rochester Greeters wants to assist you in settling into your new location. They have a welcome bag that is full of helpful information that will give you an excellent start in finding your way around the Rochester area! The welcome bag includes: county and city maps, civic information, and lists of clubs and organizations. The welcome bag also includes products, coupons, and gift certificates from local businesses. Are you interested in receiving a welcome package? Would you like to request a greeting for yourself or someone else? Contact Rochester Greeters!

Southern Minnesota Mothers of Multiples is an organization devoted to making the experience of raising twins, triplets (or more) a positive one. Our members are from Rochester and its surrounding communities. Membership runs January to December. Any parent or guardian of multiples is eligible for membership. Benefits of membership include a monthly newsletter, access to the “members only” pre-sale at each of our Used Clothing & Equipment Sales, monthly support group meetings, 4+ events for the entire family, access to a library of resources and connection and networking with a great group of mothers of multiples.

Side By Side-Rochester is a group of women from a variety of places, backgrounds and denominations, who are here in Rochester, both short and long term with a desire to grow in their relationship with God, while supporting each other as medical wives. Being married to a physician or medical student brings with it a unique set of circumstances. We are here to pray for, love and encourage one another through whatever those circumstances might be, while spurring one another on in our personal relationships with Jesus Christ. We have weekly worship, prayer, small group Bible study and fellowship. We also get together for activities including girls’ coffee nights, crafts, play dates with our children and more! See website for registration, current activities and meeting times.

Choices is a Minnesota Displaced Homemaker program funded by a grant from the Minnesota Department of Economic Security and delivered by RCTC. Choices offers career, work, and personal development programs for individuals who are divorced, widowed, separated, affected by a partner’s disability, experiencing a loss of other family assistance, or experiencing a major life change. Call 280-3716 for more information.

Rochester Area Moms is here to remind moms that they are more than just a mom. We offer Monthly Mingles, meal delivery (CARE), weekday and weekend playgroup, family events, moms night out, book club, working moms club, cooking club and so much more. If you are wondering if Rochester Area Moms is right for you, we would like to invite you to join us to see if the group might be good fit for you and your family. Prospective members are welcome to attend up to two events before deciding to join.
Rochester Assembly hosts R Play a group for young moms to hang out while their children play at different parks and kid-friendly places around Rochester. Check out their FB group for locations and times.

Hope Summer Christian Church hosts MAMAs (Moms Affirming Moms At Hope Summit) a group for moms: mentor moms, speakers, activities, food and fun. Childcare available.

Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS)
MOPS exists to meet the needs of every mom — urban, suburban, and rural moms, stay-at-home and working moms, teen, single, and married moms — moms with different lifestyles who all share a similar desire to be the very best moms they can be! MOPS recognizes that the years from infancy to kindergarten (birth-6 yrs) are foundational in a mother-child relationship and are filled with unique needs.
MOPS is a non-denominational program. MOPS helps moms through relationships established in the context of local groups that provide a caring atmosphere for today’s mother of young children. Locally, there are numerous MOPS groups. The groups and their contact info are listed below.

• MOPS at Christ Community Church (including Teen MOPS)
• MOPS at Calvary Baptist Church

• Autumn Ridge Church MOPS Group

La Leche League of Rochester is part of La Leche League International and offers both morning and evening meetings. Meetings last about 60-90 minutes. All leaders are accredited volunteers. Membership is offered but not required. La Leche League offers: mother-to-mother support, latest breastfeeding information and research, telephone help from accredited leaders, monthly meetings for pregnant women, mothers & babies, a lending library with books on breastfeeding & parenting, books and other items for sale. Local leaders are Aimee 536-6332, Jennifer 288-9846, and Amanda 398-2688. Meetings held at Zumbro Lutheran Church, 624 3rd Ave. SW, Rochester. Babies are always welcome at meetings.

The Women’s Shelter offers shelter, advocacy, intervention and transition housing. It is a shelter program for battered women and their children. Call 285-1010 for more information.

Do you know of other Parent Groups? Let us know. Send relevant information (organization’s name, services they provide, phone number or e-mail address) to Rachjson@rochestrfamils.com.

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