Peer Support for Families with Young Children Maui County

The Hawaii State Department of Health is seeking a community-based organization to provide peer-to-peer support services for families with young children in Maui County. The selected vendor will be responsible for designing and implementing community-based peer support services that strengthen informal support networks for parents and caregivers of young children. The services should be grounded in shared lived experience, mutual support, and community connection, and aligned with preventive, early childhood-focused approaches to family well-being. Some key responsibilities of the vendor include: • Providing location-based peer-led support opportunities for parents and caregivers of children birth to age five • Facilitating peer gatherings, parent circles, or group-based support spaces that promote connection, shared learning, and normalization of parenting challenges • Offering informal one-on-one peer connection, as appropriate and requested by participants to reduce isolation and strengthen trust • Conducting location-based peer support activities in accessible, trusted community settings • Utilizing outreach approaches that are low-barrier, welcoming, and non-stigmatizing, encouraging voluntary participation • Delivering peer support in accordance with peer support principles, including voluntary participation, non-judgmental engagement, respect for family self-determination, and appropriate use of lived experience • Maintaining clear peer role boundaries and ensuring services remain non-clinical and relationship-centered, focusing on support rather than assessment, monitoring, or compliance.