“Peer review brings together two family support centers or programs in a mentoring relationship and facilitates the sharing of expertise and information. Peer review is an opportunity for a center to learn and share ideas and strategies with another center that provides similar services. Program staff members, parents, and administrators help to review each center’s strengths and identify areas for potential improvement. Peer review is not a tool that allows funders or state or county governments to monitor a family support center.”
- Family Support America
The key Federal legislation addressing child abuse and neglect is the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) originally enacted in 1974. As the CAPTA lead agency in New Hampshire dedicated to community-based child abuse prevention programs (CBCAP), NHCT is required to engage in peer review practice with our grantee programs. NHCT sees peer review as an opportunity to facilitate mentoring relationships between our grantee partners that will result in improved program management and service delivery. Within the family support program sector, and especially in New Hampshire, it is imperative that agencies, managers, and funders work together to build high quality programs and services for children and families. Peer review is one way to work towards this goal.
In the fall of 2006, NHCT facilitated a two-day training in collaboration with the FRIENDS National Resource Center and the NH Division for Children, Youth, and Families to provide family support programs with an opportunity to develop guidelines to define family support programs and family resource centers, outline a plan for peer review in New Hampshire, and collaborate to share best practices.
The following documents were created from the workshop outputs and the meeting with the Peer Review Workgroup. If agencies have further questions about peer review they may contact NHCT. Questions related to Family Resource Certification may be directed to John Harrington at the NH Division for Children, Youth, and Families.
The documents below are PDF files. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view them. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, click here to download a free copy.
Source Authority: NHCT
Source Authority: NH DHHS