Designed for Connection: Ten Customized Cafés for Affinity Groups
The power of the Parent Café model lies in its adaptability to diverse communities while maintaining the integrity of its evidence-based approach. When tailored to specific affinity groups – those with shared identities, experiences, or challenges – Café experiences create even stronger connections and more sustainable support networks.
While every part of a Parent Café is carefully designed, adjustments can be made while adhering to the evidence-based model. Thought-provoking questions or specific topics can be adapted to focus on the unique challenges of a particular group.
Co-Creating Parent Café Curriculum
Be Strong Families has worked alongside many organizations to develop niche Café curriculum to meet the needs of specific subsets of parents. Here are ten examples of how we’ve co-created with partners to adapt Café curriculum to meet the needs of a specific population.
Parents with medically complex children (University of Rochester Medical Center, NY)
Research shows parents and caregivers of children with medical complexities feel isolated and have a higher risk for emotional challenges. The University of Rochester Medical Center in New York offers Parent Cafés to support their unique needs. Read more HERE.
Recovery community members (Archways of NH and NET Philadelphia)
Archways of New Hampshire and in Philadelphia collaborated with BSF to adapt Vitality Cafés for those in recovery from drugs or alcohol, and their loved ones. They call these, “Recovering Together Cafés” and focus on the six domains of vitality. Read more HERE.
New and expecting parents (Zero to Thrive and Michigan Medicine, MI)
Strong Roots is the Zero to Thrive approach to supporting parents with young children or babies on the way. Zero to Thrive also adapted the Protective Factors to meet the needs of this intended audience. Read more HERE.
Swahili language speakers (Harambee Toto, Nairobi, Kenya)
Part of an early childhood Collective Impact Initiative sponsored by the Utopia Foundation, Be Strong traveled to Nairobi, Kenya in 2015. The initiative was called Harambee Toto, meaning "all together for young children." Parent Cafés held with Swahili speakers were called Kikao Cha Wazazi, or "the sitting of the parents." Read more HERE.
Vietnamese language speakers (ICAN, Santa Clara, CA)
Founded by three Vietnamese refugees, the mission of ICAN in Santa Clara County is to raise the next generation of caring, strong Vietnamese American leaders. Parent Cafés have supported Vietnamese speakers there since 2020. Read more HERE.
6. Military personnel and families (Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, CA)
The Embedded Preventive Behavioral Health Capability (EPBHC) at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego (MCRD-SD) piloted Vitality Cafés with one battalion with great success. They are expanding to more units and subgroups to exemplify Marine Corps Total Fitness (MCTF) and promote healthy command climates through peer-led conversations around the Six Domains of Vitality.
7. Families seeking economic mobility (Early Childhood Innovation Network (ECIN), Washington, D.C.)
Long-time partners of Be Strong Families, ECIN adapted Cafés and the Protective Factors to meet the needs of their audience. For those working toward increasing income and financial stability, Cafés focus on financial skill development, education, and goal setting.
8. Families addressing gun safety (South Carolina Department of Public Health, SC)
Youth fascinated with guns and the trusted adults in their lives spent interactive classroom time learning about the real-life effects of gun usage and ownership. Cafés provide support to parents to create nonviolent homes. Read more HERE.
9. Chinese language speakers (Kai Ming Head Start, San Francisco, CA)
After rigorous research and field testing, Parent Cafés were adapted for Chinese speakers in neighborhoods across San Francisco in 2016. Chinese believe soup is an energy booster and comfort savored at the end of a hard-working day, so they called their Parent Cafés, “Chinese Soup Gatherings for the Soul.” Read more HERE.
10. LGBTQIA+ families (Gender Spectrum and Family Builders, Oakland area, CA)
This Café deck, called “Home is Where the Heart Is,” was created in partnership with parents and for parents whose children identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. It helps parents reconcile personal values, beliefs, and feelings that appear in conflict with their beloved children.
Creating Affinity Group Decks In-House
In addition to co-developing customized Cafés with partners, we’ve also made decks that speak to the unique experiences of the following groups.
Our in-house developed decks include materials created for:
Fathers: Focusing on unique challenges for fathers and father figures
Grandparents: Supporting intergenerational caregiving
Teens/emerging adults: Addressing challenges in transition to adulthood (#WoWTalk)
French speakers: Cultural and linguistic adaptation
Parents of children with disabilities: Specialized support strategies for added complexity
Grieving families: Helps process and navigate healing
Social justice: Supports parents in having conversations around social justice and peace
What makes Parent Cafés special?
Every Café is designed to create physically and emotionally safe space where people talk and listen to each other on topics that matter to them. The physical environment is designed Café-like to promote comfort and connection -- rooms are arranged with small round tables, refreshments, and decorations help create a welcoming atmosphere.
Emotional safety is cultivated through clear agreements established at the start of each session, and every adult in the room commits to all Agreements before moving on.
Every Café starts with these six Agreements:
· Use "I" statements
· Don't interrupt
· Don't give advice
· Keep sharing confidential
· No judgments (good or bad)
· Stay fully present (no multi-tasking)
Trained Café Hosts guide participants through conversations, using specific hosting techniques to ensure everyone feels heard and included. Some questions are answered in pairs, others in small groups of three to five people. Café hosts set the tone with their own vulnerability and authenticity, helping participants feel secure in sharing their experiences.
Participants move among Café tables through multiple rounds of questions, allowing them to connect with several different people. Each table has a trained Table Host to record key insights or themes that emerge from discussions, promote balanced participation, or help move stunted conversation. Most importantly, Café and Table Hosts model authentic sharing and active listening.
Let's Support Your Unique Families
Every Café shares the same structure, but the themes can be adapted for any specialized group.
How can we work together to adapt the powerful Café model to the needs of your organization and the families you serve?
Let’s co-create a specialized Café that resonates with your families while maintaining the core elements that make Parent Cafés so widely effective.
Get in touch with Robyn at robyn@bestrongfamilies.net today!