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Single Parenting Summit offers support for West Michigan families

Nation's only Single Parenting Summit seeks to provide valuable resources to single moms and dads.

More than 30 percent of U.S. children are being raised in single parent homes. Each year, that number continues to grow.

Wednesday, March 21, is National Single Parent Day. It's a day set aside to show support for parents doing it solo.

It is also a day Dawn VanderWerf is using to promote an upcoming event designed to help single parents in West Michigan. Vanderwerf is the co-founder of The Second Annual Single Parenting Summit. She says it is the only event of its kind in the nation and seeks to provide valuable resources to single moms and dads.

"We wanted to come alongside single parent families to encourage them and help them discover a hopeful plan for their lives," explains VanderWerf. "That's why we created the Summit. We need to let single parents know they're not alone and give them resources to help them thrive. More importantly, we want to impact the next generation so they don't have to repeat the cycle of single parenting."

She says one of the goals is to get community leaders, especially those affiliated with churches, to understand the unique challenges single parents face and mobilize them to better serve single parent families.

"One of the first places a single mom will often go looking for help is to a church. But only one percent of churches offer any kind of single parenting support group or ministry. We want to help close that gap," she said.

The Summit, which has the theme "Finding Your True Course," will be held April 27-28 at Cornerstone Church in Caledonia, MI and is open to all single parents and their kids through 5th grade.

Registration and agenda details can be found on the event website.

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