Come and connect with other families parenting solo! 

Meetings are every 3rd Wednesday of the month, 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. Link to join online here.

About Sole to Soul

This will be a cohort of Open Arms clients who self-identify as a solo parent. Although this identity is self-designated, a common description of a solo parent is a person who does not have a co-parent – regardless of their relationship(s) or support they may have in their Circle. All solo parents are welcome – those by choice or by circumstance, those by traditional means, adoption, kinship, donor-conceived, those who have family/friend/community support, and those who do not. The cohort welcomes all backgrounds and cultures and seeks to amplify the voices and experiences of Queer Parents, BIPOC Parents, and others that find themselves marginalized in this world. It aims to be a place of understanding, relief, knowledge sharing, and community – a place where you and your children are welcome and celebrated.

Group Agreements

• These agreements are dynamic and can be amended and evolved as the cohort evolves
• We listen to and believe each others experience
• In areas where our experience is marginalized, we take space; in areas where our experience is normalized, we give space
• We tell our own stories, we let others tell theirs
• We seek the best intentions, and recognize that our best intentions do not override the impact of our words or actions
• There are many different parenting styles, we trust each person has picked what works best for their family
• Families have come to parenting through many different routes each is valid
• Parents are solo for many different reasons – death, abandonment, choice, immigration, incarceration, kinship, etc. We don’t judge the reason – we have solidarity in our shared experience

Purpose

Solo parents can often have a unique experience. Having a child is a massive responsibility of time, physical and emotional labor, finances, housing and more. Any parenting situation can be intense – but it is much more intense when all responsibilities rest on one person – all challenges, all joys, every moment of each day. This cohort seeks to grow a community of solo parents who can rely on each other for support, knowledge and, opportunity sharing, understanding in a common experience.