SPOKANE, Wash. — Local non-profit Forge is bringing a peer mentoring program to Spokane designed to help parents navigating the child welfare system.
Parents for Parents serves families who are in the dependency system and services are initiated when a child is at risk or has been removed from their home by child protective services.
The goal of this program is to help families gain the tools to safely reunite with their kids by receiving help from mentors who have been in similar circumstances.
“When the judge said I could have my kids back, there’s nothing I can say that can describe that,” said Forge’s Parents for Parents program coordinator Gabrial Cisneros-Lassey.
Cisneros-Lassey navigated the child welfare system for seven years, went through the program himself and reunited with his kids permanently in 2020.
“Being able to hug and hold my kids is one of the most important things in my world,” he said.
Now, he is helping other parents hug and hold their kids again too.
“One of the big things that we offer is our Hope class,” Cisneros-Lassey said. “It’s our intro class for the Parents for Parents program and that’s where we show all the parents all the parts and pieces, the different players, how things work and most importantly, what parents can do to help themselves.”
The program also offers connections to services like substance abuse treatment, mental health resources, housing assistance and more.
“Having somebody who’s been through it that can offer some guidance and a shoulder and just let you know that you can do it,” Cisneros-Lassey said. “There is hope and there’s a way to get through that and reunite with your kids and get your family back together. I know this. I’ve seen many other people do it and I’ve done it myself.”
Forge is officially launching the program on Monday, February 3. Forge is currently seeking more community partners.
You can find out more information on this program here.
If you are interested in joining this program click here.
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