Georgia Parent Advisory Council

National Parent Leadership Month

February is National Parent Leadership Month which highlights the many opportunities available for parents, staff, policymakers and other community members to engage in partnerships with the goal of building and supporting strong, safe families.

 

Read more

Georgia Parent Advisory Council

The Georgia Parent Advisory Council (GAPAC) works with the Prevention and Community Support (PCS) Section within the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS), to help expand meaningful partnerships between parents and staff throughout child welfare. The purpose of GAPAC is to advise the Division and PCS on changes to child welfare services and systems, particularly prevention programming. GAPAC is a sounding board for decisions, ideas, and questions. Parental involvement in decision-making is the key to having policies and programs that support families’ strengths and needs. Therefore, GAPAC is designed to ensure there are parent voices included in shaping programs, services, and strategies that result in better outcomes for children and families. The Division and PCS are committed to partnering with GAPAC to:

• Strengthen and support families
• Engage all Georgia communities in child abuse and neglect prevention strategies and services
• Reduce the need for out-of-home placement of children

GAPAC includes a diverse group of up to 16 parents, including birth parents, kinship caregivers, foster parents, and adoptive parents from across the state. These members have a range of expertise and personal experience within the child welfare system or have successfully used community supports, or services, to strengthen their own families. Because of their experiences, GAPAC members help provide a greater understanding of family needs and service gaps. GAPAC members:

•  Promote parent leadership development
• Advocate on behalf of other parents and caregivers to promote improvements to the child welfare system, particularly with regard to prevention services
• Model the value of partnerships and collaboration between parents and staff

The roles of the Georgia Parent Advisory Council members are to:

• Advise PCS about prevention strategies provided in the community to families before they interact with the child welfare system.
• Serve as a representative voice for parents in promoting positive changes in services and practices that strengthen families and help keep them safely together.
• Advise PCS on developing meaningful roles in various service areas.
• Develop resources to assist PCS staff in creating supportive, strength-based strategies in their work with parents and families.
• Promote and support the implementation of the protective factors framework.
• Serve in various other roles based on the emerging needs of DFCS and PCS such as: committee and work group members, co-trainers, public speakers, reviewers of funding proposals, and contributors to written materials.

Application Process

We encourage parents with an interest in joining the Georgia Parent Advisory Council to apply. We currently have openings on GAPAC in DFCS Regions 3, 8, 9, 10 and 12. We require that the applicant live within the DFCS Region they are applying to represent.

We encourage applications from

• Fathers
• Kinship caregivers
• Parents with experience using community-based prevention services such as: parent support groups, home visiting programs, family or community resource centers, etc.
• Parents with previous involvement in the child protective services system with a case that has been closed for a minimum of 8-12 months
• Parents in recovery for 18 months or more
• Foster and adoptive parents

All candidates must complete an application form. Applications may be submitted online here or in writing to Lindsey Dale, PCS Program Specialist and Georgia Parent Advisory Council Liaison, at [email protected].

Georgia Parent Advisory Council Members