Parent Café
Coordinator Training

A resilient family provides a foundation that fosters confidence, emotional intelligence, and the ability to bounce forward from difficulties.

Learn how to facilitate Parent Cafés in your community or organization with this training! You’ll receive the tools and resources you need to engage and support the families in your community.

“I really enjoy being able to chat and get tips that I can use from other moms.”

Mother attending a Parent Café in Mt. Orab.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Parent Cafés?

A parent cafe is a place where parents of all types can gather and share their stories, their experiences, their worries, their fears, their wisdom, and find community and strength together. As a family-serving professional, you can be there to help introduce parents and start the conversations.

Who can be a Parent Café Coordinator?

Anyone interested in offering parent cafes to their organization or region can be trained as a coordinator. Parent Cafés are often offered through schools, libraries, childcare/community centers, or to specific parent groups such as foster parents, kinship providers etc. This training is required for anyone interested in being certified by the Ohio Children’s Trust Fund.

What will I learn in this training?

The training covers the essentials you’ll need to know to successfully offer a parent cafe program. Those include:

Understanding the goals of the parent cafe model.
How a parent cafe is structured, including the agenda, set-up, session plans, and supplies you’ll need.
Topics for parent cafes.
Roles you’ll need for a parent café.
Location considerations.
What to think about when scheduling a parent cafe.

How long is the training?

The training will take place over two days from 9 am until 4 pm. This training is approved for 10 hours of Ohio-approved credit.

What format is the training offered in?

The training is offered in two ways:

In-Person Sessions
These sessions will take place on a specified day and time at a predetermined location, where all participants will be present.
Virtual Instructor Led Sessions
These sessions will be held virtually via Teams. There will be a designated day and time when participants must be online, and a live instructor will lead them through the training.

How much does it cost?

Each participant must purchase the course ($200 per person). The cost for 3 or more individuals from the same organization is $175 per person. Use coupon code ParentCafe at checkout to receive the discount.

Click the registration link for the session you would like to attend. You will register and pay for the class online. For virtual instructor-led sessions, you will receive the link and materials after you have registered.

For more information, email Trish Glass at tglass@costars.org

Parent Cafe Coordinator Training Dates:

Virtual Instructor Led Sessions:

Date	Time	Location	Price	Register
October 30 & 31, 2025	9:00 am - 4:00 pm	Virtually via Teams	$200 per participant, $175 per participant for 3 or more individuals from the same agency.

Parent Cafe Coordinator Train the Trainer:

This program enables certified Parent Café Coordinators to gain the skills necessary to provide Parent Café Coordinator training. Parent Cafés are structured to facilitate connections, sharing, and learning among parents to help them address their families’ needs. Certified Parent Café Coordinators eligible for this training have shown adherence to the OCTF model and a focus on supporting protective factors for families. After completing the training, participants will have the knowledge, resources, and tools required to train new coordinators and ensure they are prepared to carry out Parent Cafés in their communities in a manner that ensure positive outcomes for parents and their families.

Eligibility: Participants have successfully implemented Parent Cafés in their community and have received their OCTF certification as a Parent Café Coordinator.

Save the Date and stay tuned for more details!