The Parent Partner Evaluation project began as an evaluation contract for the Iowa Department of Human Services which found that parents with a peer mentor were more likely to achieve family reunification. This finding led to the program being federally recognized as a promising practice. The Parent Partner Program connects parents with previous involvement in the child welfare system to those who have recently had a child removed. Partners with lived experience refer parents to available services while guiding and supporting them through the court and child welfare system.
The UNL Center on Children, Families, and the Law began assisting the Iowa Department of Human Services in 2009 with the further design, development, implementation, and evaluation of their pioneering work in the child welfare system. In 2019 and 2021, CCFL developed Parent Partner Evaluation projects with the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families and the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. Additionally, the Iowa Department of Human Services has begun using Parent Partners in cases where a family has been referred to Child Protective Services, but the children have not been removed, and the UNL CCFL team is also evaluating the potential benefits of this prevention model.
