Multidimensional Parent Advocacy Support In Child Welfare: A Scoping Review of Peer-Based Support Domains

Background and Purpose
Parent peer advocacy programs involve parents with lived experience of the child welfare system providing support, mentoring, and advocacy to parents currently involved with child protection services. These programs are increasingly implemented across jurisdictions and have shown promise in improving parent engagement, system navigation, and family outcomes. However, the literature often describes the support provided by parent advocates in broad terms—such as emotional, social, or practical support—without clearly specifying the range and nature of these supports or how lived experience shapes them. This lack of conceptual clarity limits the ability of researchers and practitioners to understand the mechanisms through which parent advocacy contributes to improved outcomes. The purpose of this study was to synthesize the empirical literature on parent peer advocacy in child welfare to identify and conceptualize the specific domains of support provided by parent advocates and examine how lived experience contributes to these supports.

Methods
This study employed a scoping review methodology informed by PRISMA guidelines to examine empirical research on parent peer advocacy and support programs in child welfare. A systematic search of databases and grey literature was conducted. After removing duplicates and screening titles and abstracts, full texts were reviewed based on predefined inclusion criteria. Forty-five studies representing 24 parent advocacy programs across four countries were included in the initial mapping of the evidence base. A second analytic phase focused on a subsample of 20 studies that contained detailed descriptions of the supports associated with positive experiential or case outcomes. Findings sections of these studies were systematically coded and analyzed using an inductive thematic approach to identify patterns in the types of support described.

Results
Analysis revealed a diverse range of supports delivered by parent advocates, leading to the identification of 14 distinct support domains organized into four broader categories: emotional, advocacy, social, and practical support. Emotional supports included expressed support, psychosocial support, and empowerment support. Advocacy-related supports included educational support, cognitive and behavioral support, professional engagement support, case plan management support, and case plan advocacy support. Social supports encompassed allyship support, cultural support, and social network support. Practical supports included community resource support, material support, and instrumental support. Across these domains, parent advocates’ lived experience emerged as a central mechanism shaping how support is delivered and received, particularly by fostering trust, improving communication between parents and professionals, and helping parents navigate systems.

Conclusions and Implications
Findings provide a more precise and evidence-informed conceptualization of the multidimensional supports delivered through parent advocacy programs. By identifying distinct domains of support, this study clarifies the mechanisms through which advocates contribute to improved engagement and outcomes for families. The findings have implications for program development, workforce training, and evaluation by offering a framework for understanding and measuring parent advocacy practice. More broadly, the study highlights the value of integrating lived experience into child welfare services and underscores the potential for peer-based approaches to advance more responsive, participatory, and equitable child welfare systems.