Back to School Brings New Pressures for Families. The Parent Stress Line Is Here to Listen.
The start of a school year brings many changes to family life. New routines take time. Children may be worried about school, friendships, or being away from home. Parents may be trying to help while managing work, appointments, and everything else their family needs.
Now is a good time to share what the Parent Stress Line has meant to families this past year and to remind caregivers they can call whenever they need support.
The Parent Stress Line’s Impact This Year
During FY26, Parent Stress Line counselors answered 5,575 calls, offering parents and caregivers a place to talk through challenges and find support.
Behind those numbers are conversations about family conflict, a child’s behavior, financial pressure, isolation and the ordinary days that have become overwhelming. Some callers have a specific question. Others need time to say what is happening and have someone listen. You don't need to be in crisis to call.
Why Support Matters During the School Year
Back-to-school stress does not always end after the first week. A child may struggle with drop-off, sleep or friendships well into the fall. Caregivers can feel the strain too, especially when they are unsure how best to help.
A CDC report released in January 2026 found that emergency department visits for several mental and behavioral health conditions among children and adolescents ages 10–17 tended to rise around the start of the school year and remain elevated during the school year compared with summer. The report highlights the value of social support and strong connections among families, schools, and communities.
A call to the Parent Stress Line cannot solve every challenge a family faces. It can give a parent room to talk, feel heard, and think through a next step.
What Happens When a Parent Calls?
The Parent Stress Line is free, confidential, and available nationwide, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, at 1-800-632-8188. It is open to parents, grandparents, foster parents, and anyone else in a parenting role.
A trained counselor listens with compassion and without judgment. Callers can share as much or as little as they want.
At the heart of the Parent Stress Line’s model is the belief that callers are the experts in their own lives. Counselors help callers identify their strengths and build on them, offering confidential support when they need it most. When helpful, they can also talk through options or connect callers with resources. The parent decides where the conversation goes. That approach has guided Parents Helping Parents since the line began in 1979.
Support is also available in Spanish through the callback line. Callers will hear a prompt in Spanish explaining how to call back and press 2. They will then hear instructions in Spanish to leave their phone number. A Spanish-speaking counselor will return their call within 24 hours.
The People Who Keep the Line Going
The Parent Stress Line depends on people who are willing to listen, along with the training and supervision that support them. In FY26, volunteers and interns contributed 7,948.3 hours to the Parent Stress Line, helping keep compassionate support available to families.
A new group of interns has recently joined the team. Director Kimberlee Wollman also reports that the line’s callback option is working well and that callers have appreciated having it available. These are practical ways to keep support within reach for families.
Help More Parents Find Support
If a parent or caregiver in your life is having a hard time, share the Parent Stress Line number: 1-800-632-8188. They can call about a specific concern or simply because they need someone to talk to.
Community support helps Parents Helping Parents keep the line available day and night. To help sustain this free service, make a gift to Parents Helping Parents.
