Lily is a Blair County child who was being bullied at school, on the bus, and even at the bus stop. To her, it felt like it would never end. She started to hate going to school and even downright refused to take the bus anymore. She just couldn’t take the bullying, and the anxiety it caused any longer. Her parents were aware of the situation and had been calling the school constantly to try and get the bullying to stop. Their calls were going unanswered, and their voicemails were left unreturned. Now that Lily was refusing to ride the bus, they were overextended. They both had to completely rework their days to be able to take their daughter to and from school. With aggravated bosses and a scared child, they knew they had to do something about the bullying, their family couldn’t operate like this sustainably. They felt like nobody was listening to them at school, so they reached out to the PA Department of Education’s Office of Safe Schools, and they were immediately referred to the Parent Alliance. The Parent Alliance listened to and validated their concerns about Lily and about how this bullying could forever impact her mental health and self-esteem. The first thing the Parent Alliance helped them do was to get good and reliable contact information for the principal and guidance counselor. Lily’s parents were then reminded about the importance of documentation and how to properly create a paper trail of requests and attempts made at contacting the school. Lily’s parents were happy that the school was finally getting back to them, but they wanted more than that - they wanted Lily to feel comfortable again at school. This, of course, will take Lily some time to feel, but the Parent Alliance agreed that more needed to be done. So, the Parent Alliance encouraged Lily’s parent to set up a meeting to discuss the bullying, and they offered to virtually attend it with them. For the first time, since this all started, they felt listened to by Lily’s school. They said what they needed to say, and the Parent Alliance doubled down on it, reminding the school of Lily’s legal rights. If Lily’s parents forgot to mention something that they had planned to say, the Parent Alliance made sure it was heard. After the meeting the school and Lily’s parents had agreed that they would set up regular meetings between Lily and the school’s guidance counselor who she had grown to trust. Not only that, but they also set up a meeting with Lily and her new bus driver, so she felt like she had an ally whenever she needed them. To be extra sure that Lily can regain comfortability with school Lily’s parents asked the school to make further accommodations. Lily now has an alternative bus stop (free of bullies) and a plan on what to do, and who to go to if she ever feels unsafe. Lily’s parents love and determination, mixed with the expertise of the Parent Alliance knowing exactly how to navigate challenges like this was a game-changer. Things have gotten better for Lily. She slowly eased back into taking the bus and she feels much safer knowing she doesn’t have to endure any bullying alone. Lily’s parents are still closely monitoring the situation and feel like Lily has started to act more like herself. She is even starting to get excited about going to school and seeing her friends again. The entire family (and their bosses) are much happier than they were before the Parent Alliance was called. Sadly, Lily isn’t the only child out there being bullied and her parents aren’t the only ones not being listened to by their child’s school. YOU can make an immediate impact on the lives of families like Lily by giving to the Parent Alliance today. If you have ever attended a meeting for your child by yourself, you know how intimidating it can be. No parent should have to face that alone – and you can make sure of it. Your donation today can ensure that a family, just like Lily’s, has the Parent Alliance by their side when they need it most. For a monthly gift of just $5, you can make sure a parent doesn’t have to attend their next meeting alone. A meeting that could change their child’s life forever.