Program for Early Parent Support (PEPS)

Peps empowers families to build connection and community with other parents. Being a Parent is a life-changing, vulnerable time that carries with it increased risk of isolation and emotional, mental, and physical health challenges. Through weekly meetings in parenting peer-support groups, Peps provides opportunities for social connection, skill building, shared learning, and supportive resources when families need it the most. In 2023, Peps groups supported 2,898 parents through groups for expectant and new parents, parents of adolescents and teens and affinity groups.

To meet unique needs of parents and partner with existing parent-serving organizations, Peps offers the Peps network, through which it provides the Peps model of Parent peer-support groups to Parent communities served by partner organizations. Peps provides training, initial and on-going consulting to Peps network partners. In 2023 Peps helped nine network partners serve an additional 795 parents in 111 groups. Additionally, Peps has local partnerships with community-based organizations that bring Parent peer Support to communities that Peps has not served. Peps strives to build meaningful relationships that meet the unique needs of the organizations and parents involved. Peps invests resources and staff to train team members of partner organizations on the Peps model, curriculum and evaluations, and receives critical feedback on adaptations and adjustments that help the groups better meet the needs of parents. Through these partnerships, Peps collaboratively provided peer Support for 188 parents in 25 groups in 2023 through partnership Peps groups with community-based organizations.