Family Interconnection Peer Program


Family Interconnection Peer Program

PFAinc offers mutual support to individuals susceptible and currently experiencing intersectionality* within the child welfare system.


Program Provides:

Families, parents, and individuals who are:

  • Currently involved with the child welfare system;

  • In a Care and Protection (C&P) case;

  • With a goal of reunification and/or adoption;

Families, parents, and individuals currently involved with the child welfare system who:

  • Have their children currently at home;

  • May or may not have a safety plan;

and

Families, parents, and individuals who are:

  • At risk of involvement with the child welfare system, either before or after a 51A/51B report is filed

~ Transportation ~

  • Transportation: to parents for child(ren) medicial appointments, meetings, court hearings, and visitations.

~ Peer Support Advocate ~

Emotional and mental peer support advocates

  • Peer Support Advocate: attending meetings*, attending court hearings, attending appointments, mentoring and educating on parental rights

    • *Meetings by any type - Foster Care Review meetings, monthly home visit, DCF meetings of any and all types (where permitted), service provider meetings, 6 week review meetings, etc.

  • Resource Assistance

Program Length of Time -

  • Varies

  • Case by case basis

  • Staggers with current ongoing child welfare case and duration


Rolling out in small phases throughout Worcester County -

  • Beginning with Worcester, Auburn, West Boylston, Shrewsbury, Millbury, Holden, Paxton, Leicester, and Grafton



Eligibility -

  • Individuals/families

  • Annual income/no income

*Intersectionality - "Intersectionality is just a metaphor for understanding the ways that multiple forms of inequality or disadvantage sometimes compound themselves and they create obstacles that often are not understood within conventional ways of thinking about anti-[ism]... its a prism for understanding certain kinds of problems...commit [one's self] to understanding that as a way of intervening and providing equal opportunities for all regardless of their identities... you can't change outcomes without understanding how they've come about..." - Kimberle Crenshaw