Company Profile
Program for Early Parent Support
Company Overview
Over the past 40 years PEPS has become a respected, sought-after community asset to new families in King and Snohomish Counties and one of few organizations focusing on the well-being and support of first-time parents. Pre-pandemic, more than 4,000 parents of babies and young children participated annually in more than 340 in-person, neighborhood-based and facilitated peer support groups building confidence and resilience, reducing stress and isolation, forming communities of support, and better understanding their child’s
development. Additionally, we offer parent peer support groups for expectant parents, LGBTQIA+ parents, single parents, working moms and parents of adolescents and teens. In collaboration with community-based organizations, we serve Spanish speaking parents and parents of children with developmental delays and disabilities.
Mission
Connect parents to strengthen families and build community.
Vision
Resilient Families, Connected Communities, Equitable Outcomes
Values
Equity, Innovation, Inclusion, Community, Authenticity
Culture
The PEPS staff and board believe that its success as an organization is based on its unique and supportive organizational culture, which strongly affirms that all new parents deserve community, support, and social connection. When parents build connection with one another, their babies, families, and communities are healthier. To work towards healthy outcomes for all families, PEPS operates with a racial equity lens across all of its activities and embraces learning and growth.
PEPS Equity Statement
We believe that all new families should have access to a healthy, supported start in life. As long as race and ethnicity continue to predict the future life chances of children in our state, we are committed to working with families, partner organizations, and communities to identify barriers to parent support and wellness, interrupt their negative impact and eliminate the persistent disparities in child outcomes.
Company History
Our History: Successfully supporting parents for four decades
In 1982, a group of early childhood educators and social service workers from public and private agencies in King County, WA, joined to design a preventative model of support and education for new parents. These collaborative visionaries saw the need for a program that would bring new parents together, in their communities, during the critical first few months when feelings of isolation and inadequacy mix with the joy of welcoming a new baby. Informed by study of family support programs across the nation, PEPS launched three neighborhood groups in 1983 and was quickly embraced by the community as a unique and incredibly valuable family resource.
Notable Accomplishments / Recognition
Our outcomes evaluations confirm that PEPS participants usually feel less isolated, more confident and competent about their parenting skills, aware of parenting resources in their community and neighborhood and well connected with people who support them as parents.
After participating in a PEPS program, parents say:
96% "I feel confident about my ability to parent well "
93% "I have connections to people who can support me."
88% "I have people in town who would help me in an emergency or an unexpected situation."
90% "I feel I can manage my day-to-day routine, and handle tasks that need to be done."
79% "I know about local resources for families."
Benefits
Our generous benefits package includes medical and dental benefits, 12 weeks of paid parental leave, short-term disability insurance, life insurance and retirement matching. Medical and dental insurance are offered through Kaiser. Employees enjoy flexible scheduling and a culture of care that values taking time away from work - including 12 paid holidays and a paid office closure every year between Christmas and New Year's. We offer 15 days of accrued PTO and two floating personal days per year for new employees with PTO increases at two and four years and a 4-week paid sabbatical after seven years of employment.
PEPS offers an inspiring, collaborative, family-friendly working environment that values flexibility and professional development for staff.
The PEPS main office is located in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle with a satellite office in South Seattle.