Parents in Partnership Program

About the Program

Category: Human Services (Best in Category)

Year: 2012

The mission of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is that all children grow up healthy, educated, and in safe, permanent homes. When children must be removed from their home, families are in crisis and despite DCFS efforts, parents are often mistrustful, lost, and confused in the system. They may not know how to access the services they are ordered to complete. The Parents in Partnership (PIP) program seeks to address these difficulties. PIP is a team effort between DCFS and parents who were involved with the Department and successfully reunified with their children. PIP was implemented to bring about system change to help facilitate timely reunification and permanency through education, support, positive role modeling, and mentoring of parents by “Parent Partners.” As a result of their journey through the child welfare and dependency court systems, Parent Partners engage, educate, and empower parents new to the system in a manner that cannot be duplicated by DCFS staff. They also assist parents and staff in overcoming communication barriers, and provide hands-on instruction to help parents make meaningful progress in complying with court orders, and successfully bringing their children home in a timely manner.