For over 40 years, PEPS has made a tremendous impact on babies and families. We have provided tens of thousands of families with critical support and connection during the vulnerable weeks and months of new parenthood. We know that when parents break out of isolation and find community, they build confidence and resilience, and babies thrive.
Over the past several years, PEPS has been listening to and learning from parents and organizations across the community and focusing on how we can do even better. We have been reflecting on the places and people we have not served or not served well. PEPS has largely grown and remained in communities that are predominantly white and middle/upper income. In these neighborhoods, as well as others in our service area, we have not been a consistent and reliable resource for many low-income communities and communities of color. In 2016, PEPS made an explicit commitment to prioritizing racial equity in all aspects of our work. From that point on, we (staff, board, and volunteers) have been digging deep in our own learning, analysis, and invested in improving our policies, practices, programming, and curriculum.
In 2019, we incorporated what we have learned and developed a new mission, vision and values, as well as a new Strategic Direction. Over the next five years (2020-2024), PEPS will be taking bold action to be an organization that not only lives its values and is accessible to all parents and families, but also one that speaks up and advocates for equitable outcomes in our region.
Our Strategic Goals
Our Strategic Direction includes four goals, which are guided by our values of equity, inclusion, authenticity, innovation, and community.
|
Grow the PEPS Reach and Impact
|
Innovate Our Approach to Parent Support
|
Advocate for Equitable Policies
|
Strengthen Organizational Effectiveness
|
Learn more about our progress toward our strategic goals in the 2023 Annual Report.
[Top]
Grow the PEPS Reach and Impact
PEPS is accessible, inclusive, and reflects our values and commitment to racial equity.
BUILD ACCESS
- We commit to breaking down barriers and to making our services accessible to communities who want them. We will offer and refine our Flexible Pricing program fee options on all PEPS groups. We will continue to offer groups virtually, in homes, and in community sites. Our growth will be intentional and data informed.
- We will refine our Group Leader model by removing barriers to volunteering and being more inclusive and accessible.
|
Cultivate
- We believe that we can make generational change, by starting with parents who influence the children they raise. We will plant seeds towards a more equitable future by providing parents with tools and resources to raise anti-racist children. We will ensure that parents in PEPS groups can have conversations in community about race and social identity development.
- We will continue our work to cultivate a culture of belonging and inclusion for all parents in every PEPS group.
|
COLLABORATE
- We will grow our reach by continuing to partner locally with other community-based organizations and nationally with our Network Partners serving communities previously not reached by PEPS. We will invest in our partnerships and approach our partnership work with the lens of re-imagining what’s possible through authentic, responsive relationships.
|
[Top]
Innovate Our Approach to Parent Support
PEPS creates multiple opportunities for parents to engage and connect.
Adapt
- We reject the one-size fits all approach and will creatively build community and connection for parents around specific identities including LGBTQIA+, single, working parents, and more.
|
EXPAND
|
Connect
- While we remain committed to in-person connection, we will explore digital strategies for connecting parents in and outside of PEPS groups.
|
[Top]
Advocate for Equitable Policies
PEPS shows up for families by taking action on policies that impact equity in our region.
Engage
- We will embrace our responsibility to leverage the large community of parents in our network. We'll develop and adopt an advocacy platform and strategy.
|
Activate
- We will bring awareness to issues that impact families who face the most disparities and inform and activate our community to take action.
|
[Top]
Strengthen Organizational Effectiveness
PEPS operates with an equity lens across all areas and continues to invest in building an effective and supportive organizational culture.
Develop
- We will strive to be an organization that lives our values in our organizational culture and internal practices. We commit to workplace equity, professional development, employee health and wellness, and learning and connection.
- We will ensure we have the staffing, resources, and support to lead innovatively and utilize digital strategies and technology.
- We will invest in bringing our brand into alignment with the work we have been doing around access, equity, and adaptability.
|
BUILD
- To effectively advance equity in our communities, we will not limit equity focus to one part of the organization. We will operate with a racial equity lens, through which we center families and communities of color, as well as other marginalized communities. We will apply this lens to our programming, organizational structure, resources, partnerships, and more.
|
Support
- We will continue to strengthen Group Leader vetting, training, and development.
- We will implement a learning management system to improve our online Group Leader trainings and continue to offer advanced facilitation sessions.
- We will focus our Group Leader support and learning opportunities on equipping them to guide courageous conversations on issues including race, racism, social and racial identity, gender, class, intersectionality and other aspects of identity in the context of parenting.
|
[Top]
Join Us!
Our work of supporting new families is possible in large part thanks to those who generously invest their time, financial resources, and expertise. Are you interested in contributing to strengthen families and build community? Get involved today!
Tell a neighbor, colleague, or friend about PEPS
|
|
Sign up
for our newsletter
|
[Top]
Join our community
