Initiative

Program for Early Parent Support (PEPS)

This evidence-based parenting cohort program builds space for community, shared information, parent identity formation and empowerment. We envision living, working and growing our families in a region where every caretaker, parent, and guardian is empowered to build healthy, resilient families. Participation in PEPS newborn cohorts has been shown to broaden parents’ social networks, create greater feelings of confidence in parenting, enhance the relationship of the couple, improve parents social and emotional health, provide customized educational experiences based on needs of individual cohorts, and much more. Key features include closed cohorts, intentional creation of mutually beneficial peer relationships, facilitation by trained leaders, normalization of the challenging experiences of early parenting, and regionally focused cohorts for long term connection and sustained impact.

Home Pathways Action Map Program for Early Parent Support (PEPS)

Fast Facts

Relevant Actions Action 2.1, Action 2.2, Action 4.8
State or Local?

Local
Counties

Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Johnston, Orange, Wake
Lead Agency

Triangle Area Parenting Support
Type of Agency

Nonprofit
Racial Equity Lens
  • Intentionally investing in uplifting the voices and wisdom of people of color by investing in community leadership empowerment.
  • Promoting equity at an organizational level through staff training, equitable hiring practices, and equitable leadership recruitment practices. The organization is 100% female staff led and the majority of the members of the TAPS Board of Directors represent historically marginalized communities.
  • Identifying gaps in services for people of color and working to create culturally relevant solutions through community driven engagement and action.
Community Voice
  • Prioritizes relationship building and authenticity in communication before, during, and after program service delivery
  • Programming centers the needs of families through topic discussion choice
  • Parents’ choices and voices have space for acknowledgement and are respected as the expert on their family’s experience.
Impact
  • Programming has lasting impacts on the families participating—well beyond the typical 4-6 months sustained impact of educational programs.
    • 80% of participating families remain connected with at least 1 other member of their cohort beyond 1 year.
    • 100 % of program participants would recommend participation to a friend.
    • 65% of recent Spanish speaking participants expressed interest in training to become a cohort facilitator.
Next Steps
  • Expand breadth of services offered to include prenatal social support and education
  • Implement a unified screening tool and referral system to ensure that 100% of participating families have access to the resources needed (food, housing, mental health care, safe sleep spaces, car seats)
  • Expand access to services through removal of programming fee for all programs.
Primary Partners
  • Mental health care workers
  • Perinatal support workers such as doulas, social workers, nurses, midwives and obstetricians
  • Community-based organizations in Wake and Durham counties
Primary Funders
  • Individual donors
  • Local early childhood partnerships for children
  • Small businesses
Contact

Monica Richardson

Active Counties