If you know there are a pool of parents in your area facing the challenges your group addresses, the first thing you need to figure out is -- what road blocks are keeping these folks from attending your meetings.
- Is childcare an issue?
- Are the speakers/topics you're selecting relevant to the age of their kids?
- Are your meetings too structured or too informal to meet their current needs?
- Is your meeting site unfamiliar or difficult to find if you are drawing parents from multiple communities?
- Do your meetings seem to go on forever, break down into a hundred mini-conversations or run out of steam due to poor group participation?
Once you know the real issue(s) holding your group back, it will be much easier to solve them. You can arrange for on-site childcare, find different speakers, include a map with your meeting reminder, etc.
For tips on how to keep your meetings flowing see, "Facilitation: The Importance of Managing Group Meetings."
