It is critical that child welfare systems learn from parents and other lived experts who have experience with child welfare, and then leverage that expertise in meaningful ways. This engagement can take many forms, including advisory councils at the systems level, and parent partner programs at the individual level. Based on a peer support model, parent partner programs provide parents impacted by child welfare with a mentor who is a parent with a closed child welfare case. While relatively new in child welfare, peer mentor programs have been studied extensively in disciplines such as mental health and substance abuse treatment, and are found to be an effective intervention. The evidence base for child welfare parent partners is growing, with parents often sharing that having a parent partner as a role model, coach, and advocate is invaluable.

Parent partner programs can operate through community providers, courts, or child protection agencies, and can be called by different names, such as peer partner or parent mentor. Ensuring that this expertise and support is available to every parent impacted by child welfare is one way for child welfare agencies and their partners to engage parents and support families on the path to permanency and well-being.