Parents Anonymous® Calls on California Legislature to Provide Funding for California Parent & Youth Helpline as Demand Surges 25% and Mental Health Needs Intensify

As summer childcare gaps and economic pressure grow, a 47% abandonment rate is leaving too many callers without timely support

SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Parents Anonymous^® is urging California Governor Gavin Newsom and the California State Legislature to take immediate action to sustain and expand funding for the California Parent & Youth Helpline, as families across the state face mounting pressure from economic instability, summer childcare gaps, escalating mental health needs, and a 25% increase in demand for help. That growing need, combined with a 47% abandonment rate, is leaving too many callers without timely support.

The call comes as California families enter the summer months with school out, safety concerns rising, and parents working to keep children supported, engaged, and safe while managing tighter budgets, higher gas prices, and fewer available resources.

"Families are carrying enormous stress right now, and too many are reaching out to the Helpline at a moment of crisis only to be left waiting for someone to answer," said Dr. Lisa Pion-Berlin, President & CEO of Parents Anonymous. "In a season when parents are worried about living costs, their mental health, and keeping their children safe and connected, California must protect and invest in this Helpline so that everyone gets connected quickly with a caring counselor."

The California Parent & Youth Helpline is a free, always-on resource for parents, children and youth who need real-time, confidential, emotional support in over 240 languages. But due to loss in funding, nearly one in two callers are not reaching a person in time and are forced to hang up before getting help. 

Parents Anonymous warns that without immediate funding, more families will be left alone at the very moment they need support most.

"The California Parent & Youth Helpline is more than a comfort — it is a lifeline," said Angela, a California parent who turned to the Helpline while caring for her children and supporting her mother through cancer treatment. "Families across California are carrying heavy burdens, and too many are doing it alone. I urge the Governor and Legislature to protect and fund the Helpline because families should not have to face crisis alone."

The Helpline has long served as a trusted source of compassionate, evidence-based support for diverse families across California. It helps parents and youth navigate anxiety, depression, trauma, family conflict, substance use and other urgent challenges before they escalate. The service is especially vital for communities facing barriers to care, including multilingual families, rural communities, and LGBTQ+ Californians seeking affirming support, especially with the loss of 988.

Research proves 85% of parents had a more positive or solution-focused outlook after contacting the Helpline, while Parents Anonymous support groups have been shown to reduce child abuse and neglect by 63%.

Parents Anonymous is calling on state leaders to prioritize $5 million in annual funding for each of the next three years in the 2026–27 state budget to reduce abandonment rates, strengthen staffing, and ensure that every caller can reach support in real time. Investing in the California Parent & Youth Helpline is an investment in prevention, family stability and community well-being.

If you'd like to help save the Helpline, please visit savethehelpline.org, for more on the California Parent & Youth Helpline and additional resources, visit parentsanonymous.org. 

About Parents Anonymous^®, Inc.
For over half a century, Parents Anonymous^® has served as a steadfast pillar of support for parents, caregivers and youth across the nation. Since its establishment in 1969, this organization has been at the forefront of developing evidence-based programs dedicated to strengthening families. Through the decades, it has furthered its unwavering commitment through the establishment of National Parent Leadership Month^® every February, its community-based organizations, such as the Community & Family Resource Center and Weekly Adult and Children & Youth Parents Anonymous^® Groups, and its California Parent & Youth Helpline^® and National Parent & Youth Helpline™ which provides emotional support 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling/texting 1-855-427-2736 or through live chat at caparentyouthhelpline.org and nationalparentyouthhelpline.org. Parents Anonymous^®, Inc. is also the only program recognized by The Federal Title IV-E Prevention Clearinghouse that is proven to Effectively Improve Parenting, Enhance Mental Health and Reduce Substance Abuse while Ensuring Child Safety for parents, children and youth of all ages.

Media Contact:
Taylor Murray
[email protected]
281.692.8700 

SOURCE Parents Anonymous