It’s easy for a single parent to become defensive and anticipate rejection by a minister or by church members. “I often wonder,” Dr. Manning muses, “if we singles let ourselves feel too alienated — almost paranoid — if we’re not welcomed specifically as singles. We will probably be welcomed if we put ourselves forward as individuals who can help in real ways — participate on committees, for instance — and thus gain credibility when we propose programs for single people and their children.
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For children from divorced homes, the public schools of Andover, Massachusetts, have developed a peer support program that has the cooperation and endorsement of the superintendent and assistant superintendent of schools. The heart of the Andover program consists of support groups, run by mental health personnel and trained Peer Counselors, motivated and caring teenagers who devote time and energy to helping others. Groups are limited to youngsters from stepfamilies or single-parent homes.
