Safe Families for Children Safe Families for Children

Safe Families Mission and Goal Safe Families for Children (SFFC) hosts vulnerable children and creates extended family-like support for desperate families who have no where else to turn through a community of devoted volunteers motivated by compassion to keep children safe and ultimately together with their parents. The Safe Families Program strives to meet three objectives: Child Welfare Deflection, Child Abuse Prevention, and Family Support and Stabilization.

Facts Approval Process: Fingerprint Background check (same background check as foster parents), references, home assessment, home safety inspection, training based on Foster Pride, ongoing monthly education via webinars and quarterly support group meetings. Monitoring: Children are monitored in the host home consistent with foster home monitoring (e.g. after first 48 hours, weekly during the first month) Length of Stay: Average length of stay is 45 days with ranges from 2 days to 2 years (in accordance with the Short-term Guardianship Statute). Ages: New born infants through parenting teens. Discharge: 85-90% return to parents. Parental Mentoring: The relationship between the host family and placing parent may continue (if the parent desires this) even after the children are returned home.

Mechanics of Safe Families Recruiting and approving families Monitoring kids in care Supporting and resourcing host families – Faith Communities Supporting and resourcing placing parents – Faith Communities Family coaching vs. Case Management

Roles within Safe Families Host Families: Volunteers who care for children while a parent gets back on their feet. Family Friend: Volunteers who provide a range of other supportive services to help a parent get on their feet (e.g. mentoring, budgeting, finding work). Resource Friend: Volunteers offering tangible resources (e.g. beds, clothes, furniture) Family Coaches: Staff (and some volunteers) who support the host family, monitor kids in care, and coordinate services for the placing parent. Every placement will have a family coach.

The Role of Faith Communities Faith Communities serve as the engine behind Safe Families. 1.Recruit and support host families and other volunteers 2.Reach out to and resource placing parents 3.Outreach to local community

Why Consider Safe Families: Parent’s Perspective All host families are volunteers. They don’t get paid for caring for children. SFFC is not involved in adoption. The intention is to return children to better supported parents. Relationships that develop while children are with a host family continue on after children are returned home. The host family becomes part of the parent’s support network. Parents can easily request the host family to help out again. They often will have the host family’s phone number. Other volunteers are available to help address some of the causes that led to the need for Safe Families. A broad range of volunteers are available to help. A family coach is available to help the parent get back on their feet. Provides a compassionate and supportive tone to families in crisis.

Why Consider Safe Families: DCP Worker’s Perspective Provides you the time needed to determine the outcome of an allegation. Safe Family staff will pick up the kids and facilitate placement. Family coach is available to help resource the parents Provides a safe place for the child and support for the parent without the need for custody. Custody can still be taken of children if the parent doesn’t make the necessary changes. Provides a compassionate and supportive tone to families in crisis.

Who to Refer A parent whose safety/risk issues can be resolved in 6 months or so. Children who do not have severe behavioral problems. Neglect, risk of harm, no fault dependency, etc. Cases where more time is needed to assess allegation but the children are better off in a safe place. When no relatives are available or relatives are not the best option.

Who Not to Refer Children/adolescents with severe behavioral problems. Parents who will not comply with a safety plan

Referral Process Call Safe Families on our toll free number 24 hours a day. Provide a brief description of the situation, ages of children, expected length of stay, and when placement is needed. If urgent, Safe Families will dispatch a staff person to immediately pick up the children. Explain Safe Families to parent to engage their cooperation. Secure signatures on consent forms. SFFC staff are available to speak/meet directly with parent to further explain and reassure the parent. Safe Families will pick up children and place with host family.

Explaining Safe Families to the Parent Going to a Safe Family home does not mean the child is going to foster care. Parent retains rights and decision making. Can change his/her mind. Host parents do not get paid for caring for the children and cover all costs themselves. All host families have had background checks and assessments. The host family can be considered like an aunt/uncle (extended family) you didn’t know but wished you had. A family coach will be available to help them get the resources they need. They certainly can visit their child and have regular phone contact.

FAQs 1.Can host families take children with medical complexities? Yes, but it depends on the severity of the medical problems. 2.Will siblings be kept together? Not always. We always attempt to keep siblings together but it depends on the availability of host families. 3.Can workers visit children in host family homes? Yes. 4.Can Safe Families respond immediately to a crisis? Yes. 5.Once placed with a host family, do children ever get moved? Yes, occasionally. If a host family cannot continue to care for a child, another family will be located. Approval from a placing parent will be sought. 6.Will school aged children be able to stay in their current school? Not always. Of course we always try to find the closest available family. If out of region, many schools offer transportation to keep the children in the current school as children are considered homeless. If that is not available, the child will attend the local school of the host family. 7.What happens if the parent requests their children back? If the parent chooses to not comply with the safety plan (if one is in place), the investigator/worker will be notified and will determine the next appropriate steps.

FAQs 8.Do all host families and placing parents stay in relationship after return home? This occurs in many situation but depends on whether the placing parent wants it. 9.Can a mom reuse Safe families? Yes, as many times as needed as long as its not being abused. 10.If a child needed to return to Safe Families, will they go to the same host home? Yes, if the host family is open to that. If not, another family will be located. 11.What if a parent does not want their child back? Court appointed guardianship has been used as an option. If the parent wants the host family to adopt, they will be referred to an adoption agency. 12.If DCP decides to take custody, can the child remain with a host family? Yes, as long as they are licensed or willing to do what is needed to be considered. 13.If a relative becomes available, can the child be moved to the relative? Yes, if that is what the parent wants. 14.Is it up to the DCFS worker to help a parent get on their feet? No, the host family, family coach, and other volunteers (Family Friends) are available to help a parent out.