Minority families are less likely than Anglos to seek services from community agencies. Two studies were conducted with 178 Hispanic, 309 American Indian (Ute and Navajo), and 363 Anglo parents using the Social Network Questionnaire, Self-Perceptions of the Parental Role scale, checklists of community resources, and the Marin acculturation measure. In Study 1, low-income Mexican American, American Indian, and Anglo parents reported their use of community programs as well as personality and network characteristics. Study 2 included measures of acculturation and substance use. Anglo parents were more likely to use community services, even controlling for income. Self-efficacy explained ethnic and income variations in formal support in both studies. Study 1 parents with interconnected social networks also sought help less often. Focus groups with minority parents revealed that geographic distance from services and socialization patterns, particularly self-reliance and reticence, also contributed to ethnic differences. Data indicate that motivations and alternative resources explain ethnic differences in help seeking. (SAS)