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Parent Connection

Parent Connection is a group of volunteer parents who have personally experienced hospitalization or complications during pregnancy and/or the hospitalization of a newborn or child in pediatrics. We offer support and resources to families of hospitalized and discharged patients.

Coffee Breaks

Did you know that our Thursday night and Saturday morning "Coffee Breaks are available to families of premature and critically ill newborns of all ages? Whether your baby is in the unit now or an NICU graduate, our breaks are a popular way to relax, de-stress and meet other families who have experienced similar situations.

Please join us for coffee, juice and cookies at our twice weekly "Coffee Breaks" in the Neonatal Waiting Room. We also host "Pizza Nights" (last Thursday of the month), and Baby Showers (held quarterly). The breaks are hosted by a Parent Connection Volunteer who has experienced the hospitalization of a newborn.

Thursday, 6:30-8pm
Saturday, 10-11:30am
Neonatal Waiting Room

Infant CPR Classes

Parent Connection offers free, weekly infant CPR classes for current and recently discharged NICU families. The classes are taught by a certified instructor on Tuesdays, from 4:00-5:00pm, in the NICU conference room. To attend, you must call to make a reservation: (626) 397-8509

Scrapbooking Classes

Scrapbooking is a great way to relax, but still be near your baby. On the third Saturday of every month we offer a scrapbooking class in the Neonatal Conference Room with free materials to make an NICU page for your baby, all you do is bring the pictures. The class is hosted by a veteran NICU and PICU/Pediatric parent in the NICU Conference Room, East Tower, First Floor.

Telephone Support

Parent Connection will match you with a trained support parent to offer a listening ear, and caring from a parent who has "been there".

Please click HERE to read the most recent Connecting Lines newsletter for families of critically ill newborns and neonatal graduates.

If you would like to share your NICU experience with other readers please send a picture from the NICU and current picture along with your story to Mary Holzer.

Volunteer Opportunities

Parent Connection volunteers are a vital component of Huntington Hospital's family-focused neonatal team. Support parents offer the hope, empathy and valuable insights that only a parent who has "been there" can provide to families of premature and/or critically ill newborns. Parent Connection volunteers provide peer support by hosting: "Coffee Breaks", telephone support to Neonatal, Perinatal High Risk Pediatric Intensive Care and pediatric families. Volunteers must be parents of a child who has been in the NICU, PICU or Pediatrics Unit. Their child must have "graduated" at least six months before they begin Parent Connection volunteer training. Potential volunteers must successfully complete the Parent Connection training [program, the hospital volunteer information and orientation meetings, and co-host two supervised "Coffee Breaks" before being eligible to become Parent Connection volunteers. A health history form must be completed and on file with your application. In addition you must have two TB tests, which are provided by the hospital.

Bereavement Support

Parent Connection provides support to families who have suffered the loss of a child through, miscarriage, fetal demise, still born, neonatal or pediatric.

In October of each year, a special gathering of families and staff is held to honor the children who have died, "A Time to Remember".