Project Goals
Peer Support Group
NC Parent Advocate Leadership Training
In conjunction with NC Family Forward Peer Support Groups, project coordinators will work with local agencies, non-profits, GALS, foster parents, parent advocates from around the State, and other national parent leadership groups to develop a training programs for enhancing leadership skills and development of parent advocacy roles. Training programs will be designed to strengthen families and encourage community engagement initiatives.
Sample Roles
Role Model for Other Parents
Group leader
Participant in Activity Development and Improvement Boards
Participant at Conferences and Working Meetings
Parent Mentor
Parent Mediator
Advocate for Individuals, Families and/or Programs
Public Speaker
Spokesperson
Media Contact
Witness at Public Hearings
Co-Trainer
Contributor to written and electronic materials
Grant Reviewer
Participant in Needs/Strengths Assessment Processes
Participant in Focus Groups
Advisory Board Member
Member of Hiring Committees
Member of Boards of Directors
Peer Review Team Member
Task Force Member
Member of Planning Commission
Fundraiser
North Carolina Family Services Handbook
NC Coalition for Parent Advocacy
The aim of the coalition is to create a network and board of parents, caregivers, service providers, and those with firsthand experience using child protective services that are dedicated to improving the NC Child Welfare System. The board will work to develop avenues and opportunities for lawmakers and agency commissions to hear the opinions and stories from families who have had their children removed from their homes by Child Protective Services, and who have participated in reunification services, so that law makers and policy makers can better understand the realities of the current system. We believe that it is impossible to reform and improve on current policies without input from those who have actual experience with using the services and system currently in place. By listening to families who have been through the system, policy makers will be able to develop better solutions for improving services and reform of the system.
A primary goal of the NC Family Forward Project is to develop peer support groups throughout the State for families who are or have been involved with Child Protective Services. Peer support groups are led by parent leaders and parents who have navigated the child welfare system and services in the past. The groups will offer a confidential, non-threatening environment for parents and caregivers to receive the support and encouragement they need at a very traumatic time in their lives.
Education, empowerment, shared responsibility, leadership training, and community engagement will be primary focuses of the groups, as well as offering support from those who truly understand what families are going through because they were once there themselves. Families will have the opportunity to build life-long networks, and long-lasting life skills, through knowledge and experience, to not only improve their current situation, but to continue to strengthen their families' lives, as well as the lives of other families and their communities.
A separate group for youth, and/or childcare during meetings, will also be developed. Special sessions will be offered for families who have been reunited after a separation, who are facing issue such as separation anxiety, trust issues involved with reintegration, and heightened fears of being separated again.
The NC Family Forward is in the process of developing a North Carolina Family Services Handbook for parents and other caretakers, that can be disputed to families who are at risk of having their children removed or who are already involved with Child Protective services and the family court system. The handbook will include an overview of the child welfare system and descriptions for each of the stages involved with the Family Court system. There will be dedicated spaces for listing local and statewide resources, important contacts, and calendars for entering important dates. The handbook will also include relevant definitions, and helpful tips for improving communication between parties and increasing chances for reunification.