Inside a quiet church tucked into a residential neighborhood in the heart of the township, a small group of women meets every Wednesday morning.

Some are church members; some are not. Some are residents; others commute to the church. They are in their 20s, 30s, 40s and beyond. Yet they all have one thing in common: they are mothers.

These mothers tote their toddlers behind them to Oak Arbor Church for Moms & Kids – a play group that doubles as a support group for mothers.

Moms & Kids is free and open to any parent who wishes to attend. At this week's gathering, about a dozen mothers and toddlers were present, though parents do not have to bring their children to participate in the support group.

"You don't have to be members of the church; it's for whomever," said Program Coordinator Kim de Chazal, who helped found Moms & Kids more than 10 years ago. "The idea is that it's really focused on the moms and that you don't have to have a little kid in order to come."

The program is based in the church's large multi-purpose room and banquet hall, which is carpeted and provides plenty of space in which the children can safely run and play while their mothers keep watch nearby.

"Its very accepting, and nobody is standing in judgment on your parenting; we're all in this together," said de Chazal, a mother of three young children. "We're all helping each other the best we can."

Sometimes, the moms read short passages from inspiration books. This week, they concentrated on a short story from Mitten Strings for God, though de Chazal said she never expects any of the moms to find time to read the stories beforehand.

Bryn Brock, another founding member of the group, has six older children of her own. Now a caregiver for a toddler, she still frequents the play group with her ward.

"It's a great chance for the kids to run around and play with a fresh set of toys," Brock said, who enjoys the support and fellowship of the moms as well as the warm environment.

"I like the fact that my kids get socialized a little bit more and I get to talk to grown-ups for the first time in seven days," said Kelly Wille, a stay-at-home mom of two toddlers and pregnant with her third child. "That's probably my No. 1 favorite thing – to have moms to share things in common with."

Wille travels 30 minutes just to attend the weekly playgroup, which meets at the church at 9:30 a.m. every Wednesday during the school year.

"All of us come here in our pajamas with our hair in a bird's nest, and everybody just laughs it off," she said. "It's nice to go somewhere where people completely understand you because they've all been there before."