Affiliates will become members in the Association of PEPS Affiliates, which includes opportunities for additional training and information sharing. After the initial training is completed, a PEPS staff person will be available by email or phone for consultation. PEPS will conduct an annual site visit with each new program as part of our annual re-certification process. After the phone interviews the Replication Selection Team will meet and discuss each organization s merits. This combined with our increasingly mobile society has prevented many American families from developing the support systems so necessary for new parents.
Research shows that there are several crucial components to any successful intervention program.
By providing early family support to all parents, including teen parents, PEPS acts as a first line of defense in the fight against child abuse and neglect as well as emotional and behavioral problems later in life. The development of children s brains during the first three years of life has a dramatic impact on their future ability to function in society. Researchers have identified three broad categories of protective factors that support healthy brain development. In addition, the prevention of child abuse and neglect is crucial to the health of families and communities. In groups, parents often learn as much from each other as from the professionals and bringing people together helps to strengthen local neighborhoods.