INSIGHTS #3: Someone to Turn To: A Vision for Creating Networks of Parent Peer Care
This Insights paper presents Rise’s vision for a peer network of collective care by and for parents. This fall, Rise created a parent Peer Vision Team to explore building a peer care model that can strengthen families while reducing contact with the family policing system.
Nationwide and in New York City, where Rise is based, it’s crucial to broadly reorganize supports for families so that accessing resources and services does not put parents at risk of state intervention in their families. Our society should target community conditions, not families. This report shares a vision for one critical component of strong communities: networks of peer support and community care.
Parents often trust other parents from their community who can share information and provide support as peers—and evaluations of credible messenger and peer support models show that they are effective. Relationship-building that respects, values and supports families getting what they need without shame, blame and coercion can better support family safety.
Our vision is that trained networks of peers with credible life experience will:
- Increase the likelihood that parents in emerging crises safely get support without state intervention;
- Increase the flourishing of peer relationships that reduce stress, trauma and isolation and strengthen healing, care, connectedness and joy.