What is Peer Support In PFS?
“Peer support” is the approach that was chosen to try to engage noncustodial parents and offer them new perspectives on child support and fatherhood. Based on a group counseling and education model that is used for many types of behavior-change interventions (such as substance abuse treatment), this component relies on a detailed curriculum for group meetings, called Responsible Fatherhood. (2) “Peer group facilitators” in each PFS site use the curriculum to structure and lead group discussion, although the participants play an important role as each others’ teachers, as well as learners. The underlying hypothesis, and the reason for the name of the activity, is that most poor, noncustodial parents want to do the right thing at least their own version of it but need understanding and encouragement from men like themselves to try, as well as new knowledge and skills. It is assumed that men who are perceived to be “in the same boat” will be more successful than society’s authority figure
