GATHER. LEARN. COLLABORATE.
____ Hosted by the Court Improvement Program of the Louisiana Supreme Court ____
SUPPORTING PARENTS THROUGH THE CHILD WELFARE PROCESS: THE LOUISIANA PARENT PARTNER PROGRAM
Virtual CLE/CEU:
Presumptively approved for 1 hour general credit CLE
Approved for 1 hour general CEU
Thursday, December 15th | 12:00pm-1:00pm
A Parent Partner is someone who has previously been involved with the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) due to child abuse and/or neglect and has since successfully resolved the issues that brought them into contact with the child welfare system. This model of peer support for parents was first piloted in 2010 in the Lafayette Region by DCFS and The Extra Mile. The program has been a success, helping parents with children in foster care or at risk of entering foster care know that they are not alone with the steep hurdles they face. Since 2020, DCFS has partnered with Family Resource Centers and The Extra Mile to implement Parent Partner programs across the state.
The experiences that the Parent Partners have had enable them to mentor and help guide families who are currently involved because they offer hope, realistic advice, and advocacy for families. In addition, they foster cooperation among the family, DCFS caseworker, and other professionals. Yet not all stakeholders are aware of this supportive resource. Evangeline Boudreaux from The Extra Mile and Jaqueta Taylor from DCFS will provide information about the model as well as what parent partners do to support parents going through the DCFS process. They will also discuss how the courts can assist in the success of the program. The presentation will feature a Parent Partner who experienced this program during her Child in Need of Care (CINC) case.
Speakers:
- Evangeline Boudreaux, Program Director, The Extra Mile
- Jaqueta Taylor, Family Services (FS) Consultant, DCFS
- Latricia Marquez, Parent Partner, The Extra Mile
Objectives:
Learn about the Parent Partner model used by Louisiana’s Family Resource Centers.
Identify the benefits of peer support in a child welfare case.
Understand how and where to refer to a Parent Partner, and what a provider can expect from the service.
This training is free and is designed for all judges, private adoption attorneys, adoption agencies, clerks of court, foster parents, social workers, educators, faith-based leaders and child welfare stakeholders.
