Systems Change when Parents Lead: PLTI Parent Leaders Prove That Lived Experience Is Leadership

Families navigating the child welfare system are often experiencing some of the most overwhelming and complex moments of their lives while also trying to preserve connection, healing, and stability for their children. Behind every case is a family carrying layers of grief, trauma, uncertainty, and hope—and systems work best when families are met not only with mandates and scrutiny, but with relationships, trust, and support.

That belief is at the heart of the Safe Babies approach, a national initiative of ZERO TO THREE focused on strengthening child and family well-being for babies and toddlers involved in the child welfare system. The Safe Babies model emphasizes compassionate, collaborative, trauma-responsive support that recognizes both the resilience of parents and the importance of keeping families connected whenever safely possible. 

Now, PLTI Parent Leaders are preparing to strengthen that work even further through the development of a new Peer for Parents (P4P) Parent Peer program in Jackson County. P4P is a peer mentoring and education program that connects parents involved in the child welfare system with trained Parent Allies who have navigated similar experiences. Grounded in the belief that parents are experts in their own lives, P4P provides early, consistent, and compassionate support to help families understand their rights, strengthen their voice, and work toward safe, stable, and lasting outcomes for their children.

Over the past year, PLTI parent leaders have been working alongside community partners to co-design the Parent Peer component within the Safe Babies program in Jackson County. Their role has been essential in helping ensure the program reflects the realities, needs, and dignity of the families it serves.

The Peer for Parents model recognizes that families need more than compliance checklists. They need connection to people who understand what it feels like to sit in a courtroom, scared and overwhelmed. They need someone who can help translate systems, offer encouragement, reduce isolation, and remind them that healing and growth are possible.

Research behind the Peer for Parents model shows that peer mentorship improves trust, increases family engagement, and can contribute to stronger reunification outcomes for families. Parent Allies help families feel seen, heard, informed, and supported while also helping systems become more relational, collaborative, and humane.

This work connects deeply to PLTI’s mission and values. At PLTI, we believe parents are leaders, advocates, experts in their own lives, and essential partners in building stronger systems for children and communities.

The Peer for Parents program also reflects one of PLTI’s core beliefs: lived experience is leadership.

Many of the parent leaders helping shape this work understand firsthand what it means to navigate systems during moments of crisis and vulnerability. One of those parents is Tabatha Paxton, a recent PLTI graduate. 

“Six years ago, I personally experienced involvement with the DFS system and successfully reunified with my child. It was one of the most difficult and emotionally overwhelming experiences of my life. During that time, I often felt unheard, misunderstood, and alone. I remember sitting at tables where decisions were being made about both my child and my future, while struggling to fully understand the process or feel like my voice truly mattered.”

Tabatha is now sharing her experience to help other parents navigate similar paths. 

“I became a Parent Peer for Safe Babies because I know what it feels like to struggle, to feel unheard, and to navigate systems that were never designed with compassion at the center. I am passionate about advocacy because families deserve support, not shame. I want parents to know that their past does not define their ability to grow, heal, and show up for their children. I believe lived experience matters, and I’m committed to breaking the stigma surrounding mental health, substance use, and family involvement in systems.”

As the Peer for Parents pilot launches within Safe Babies Court, PLTI is proud to support parent leaders who are helping transform systems through empathy, advocacy, and lived expertise—ensuring all families are met with humanity.