1. Open Google Hangouts by clicking the Google apps icon in the upper right of a new browser tab.
2. Select the Google Hangouts App or go to https://hangouts.google.com/
3. When in the app select the phone icon to the left of your conversations.
4. Click New Conversation and input the parents phone number with area code.
5. Click Call and Google will call the phone number.  It will come up as Restricted or Anonymous on the receiving end.
6. All calls within the US are free.

Hope this helps with mitigating some of the communication issues.