Peer Coaching

Peer Foster Care Coaching

PURPOSE

Foster Family Alliance of NC (FFA-NC), is developing a Peer Coaching program to support the needs of families experiencing burnout, placement instability and possible disruption. The additional coaching will support the current private agency staff in providing support to the family not to the child/youth in the home. FFA-NC will not provide direct guidance or recommendations about the individual child/youth case but will encourage the resource parent to work in partnership with their private agency, GAL and county social worker. FFA-NC’s hope is that by providing more support to the family they will gain confidence, education and encouragement to continue to meet the needs of the child/youth in their home.

SERVICES

FFA-NC will provide coaching for up to 15 families total during the contract period. Services are expected to be maintained with the family for at least 90 days and will go beyond this timeframe if the team is in agreement. Coaches will provide services in the form of phone consultation or virtual meetings.

FFA-NC will provide individual coaching to families to offer the following:

  • Ongoing encouragement

  • Emotional and tangible supports

  • Mentorship

  • Education and resources

ONGOING ENCOURAGEMENT
Parents will receive weekly calls from their coach and will be given the chance to vent and problem solve the current situations they are experiencing. Parents will be asked to not share confidential information about the child/youth in their home but to share information about the challenges they are facing as the parent. Coaches will assist families in recognizing their strengths and needs as a resource home and encourage their development. Coaches will also encourage families to identify a self-care routine and encourage participation in the routine.

EMOTIONAL & TANGIBLE SUPPORT
FFA-NC coaches will be available to provide emotional support by being accessible in times of need and listening to the concerns of the family without bias or judgement. Coaches will also recognize times that the resource parent may need additional support such as tangible items to assist the family through a difficult period. Tangible supports could come in the form of gift cards, care packages, a prepared meal, or assistance with planning a day trip for the caregivers.

MENTORSHIP
FFA-NC understands the importance of peer mentoring and will provide families with coaches that have experience in foster care, adoption and kinship care. Coaches will provide solutions to barriers that families are experiencing by utilizing their own personal experience.

EDUCATION & RESOURCES
As families experience various situations in their fostering journey, they will need various education and resources to support the child/youth in their home. FFA-NC coaches will have access to trainings provided in the FFA-NC network and through fosteringnc.org to promote and educate resource homes. Coaches will also research various resources that could support the caregiver and family system.

REFERRAL PROCESS
Private agency staff will be able to contact FFA-NC directly to make a referral. FFA-NC will provide agencies with a family referral form that will provide information about the families history, strengths, needs, current barriers and potential risks/concerns for the family and child/youth in the home. All referrals will be emailed to Erica Burgess @ erica.burgess@ffa-nc.org.

MONITORING OUTCOMES
FFA-NC will administer both pre and post family surveys to track both needs and progress of the family and meeting their needs through the coaching model.