Definition for Parent Partner Programs for Families Involved in the Child Welfare System:
Parent Partner Programs for Families Involved in the Child Welfare System are defined by the CEBC as programs that include parents with experience in the child welfare system (who may be called veterans, alumni, or other similar titles) as mentors, advocates, and/or peer support to parents currently involved with the child welfare system. The goals of parent partner programs may vary, but are typically to engage parents more fully in the child welfare case planning and services process; provide information to parents about the child welfare system and their right and responsibilities; and provide support, modeling, and linkages to assist families in meeting their safety, permanency, and well-being goals.
Although not a part of formal parent partner programs as defined above, parents may also partner with the child welfare system by being advisory members to child welfare system committees and providing a parent's perspective on programmatic and policy development.
Target population: Parents involved with the child welfare system
Services/types that fit: Typically outpatient services in an individual or group format that include assessment, case planning, case management, education, and/or skill building
Delivered by: Trained paraprofessionals
In order to be included: Program must utilize parents with experience in the child welfare system as the primary delivery agent for services
In order to be rated: There must be research evidence (as specified by the Scientific Rating Scale) that examines outcomes for families, such as decreased occurrence of maltreatment, reduced out-of-home placement, increased engagement in services, or improvements in knowledge and satisfaction
Programs in this Topic Area
The programs listed below have been reviewed by the CEBC and, if appropriate, been rated using the Scientific Rating Scale.
Two Programs with a Scientific Rating of 3 - Promising Research Evidence:
Parents involved with the Child Welfare System through a protective investigation
Why was this topic chosen by the Advisory Committee?
The Parent Partner Programs for Families Involved in the Child Welfare System topic area is relevant to child welfare because the child welfare field has embraced the value of including recipients of child welfare services as an effective strategy for meeting new clients "where they are," and having these individuals provide guidance to parents as parent partners. Parent partners are individuals who have successfully overcome the challenges that brought them to the attention of Child Welfare Services. It is believed that because of their experiences in successfully navigating the child welfare system, they are able to provide positive motivation to other parents who have had their children removed due to parental abuse or neglect, or have had the possibility of them being removed. The child welfare field has also followed other fields, such as mental health and AOD, where parents' input on policy/ program development and staff training has been effective in helping to achieve agency goals.
Because Parent Partner Programs for Families Involved in the Child Welfare System have been expanding throughout California, it is important to determine whether there is evidence of their effectiveness. By reviewing current research on this practice, it is hoped that there are programs being supported by research, and that by including this on the CEBC, future research will be encouraged.
Kimberly Hoagwood, PhD, Professor Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry New York University School of Medicine New York, NY
