Often a family is referred directly from the neonatal intensive care unit follow-up program. The program clusters families into small group meetings. These groups help parents form support networks. They know each other's joy and pain. Parents gain a perspective from each other.
Many families continue their friendships into the child's teenage years.
The group sessions are facilitated by staff including infant development and mental health specialists. The families represent a wide diversity of languages and cultures. The Asian Community Mental Health Agency provides interpreters, and some of the PIP staff are bilingual in Spanish. Home-based support may be provided for specific difficulties and needs. The small plastic tub of icy popsicles on the table in the Early Intervention Program classroom at Monte Vista School could easily go unnoticed.