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Relationship Between Family Support, Family Preservation, Child Protection, & Child Welfare Services
Two types of family-centered services—family support services and family preservation services—are used in a number of important ways that relate to child protection and child welfare.
- Family support services are used to strengthen the ability of families to care for their children. These services can be employed as a preventive measure, to address parenting concerns, to assist families in reunifying, and to support families postpermanency.
- Family preservation services are most often employed to prevent unnecessary placement of children, to speed reunification, and as a postpermanency service when families are at risk of disruption.
Connecting these services to child protective and child welfare services is vital to ensuring that children and families receive a coordinated, individualized service response.
National Resource Center for In-Home Services
Provides training and technical assistance to States and Tribes to ensure the safety and well-being of children and youth in their homes, prevent their initial placement or re-entry into foster care, and preserve, support, and stabilize their families.
National Resource Center for Child Protective Services
Assists States and Tribes with system and practice issues in all areas of child protective services that help improve the prevention, reporting, assessment, and treatment of child abuse and neglect.
Balancing Family-Centered Services and Child Well-Being: Exploring Issues in Policy, Practice, Theory, and Research
Walton, Sandau-Beckler, & Mannes (Eds.) (2001)
View Abstract
Argues that a balance between the well-being of the family and the well-being of the child is possible.
Child Protective Services and Domestic Violence
Findlater & Kelly
Future of Children, 9(3), 1999
Describes emerging collaborative efforts between child protective services and domestic violence programs, based on a common goal of safety from violence for all family members.
Connecting Family Preservation and Family Support: The Family Partnership Project
Allen, Zalenski, Day, & Gruenwald
Prevention Report, Spring 1994
View Abstract
Summarizes the results of a meeting sponsored by the Family Partnership Project that focused on the coordination of family preservation and family support services. Includes information on programs, service delivery, obstacles, and strategies.
Creating a Constructive Practice: Family and Professional Partnership in High-Risk Child Protection Case Conferences
Lohrbach & Sawyer
Protecting Children, 19(2), 2004
View Abstract
Details the implementation of family case conferencing in the Rochester, Minnesota, juvenile court system involving children determined to be at high risk of maltreatment.
Family Preservation in Perspective
Maluccio & Fein
Family Preservation Journal, 6(1), 2002
View Abstract
Argues that permanency planning services, especially family preservation initiatives, remain relevant for child welfare programs despite concerns about their ability to protect children.
A New Direction in Child Welfare in North Carolina
North Carolina Division of Social Services and the Family and Children's Resource Program
Children's Services Practice Notes, 7(4), 2002
Describes the historical conflict between the need to protect children and desire to engage and support families, and North Carolina's efforts to embrace a more solution-focused, family-centered approach.
Protecting Our Children — and Our Liberty: Striking the Balance in Child Protection Removals (PDF - 207 KB)
Duquette (2008)
Cites several child removal cases in order to explore the proper balance between aggressive action to protect children from abuse and neglect and undesirable overreaction resulting in erosion of civil liberties and imposition of unnecessary psychological harm on children and their families.
Serving the Same Families: Fruitful Relationships Between DSS and Family Resource Centers
North Carolina Division of Social Services and the Family and Children's Resource Program
Children's Services Practice Notes, 5(1), 2000
How county departments of social services in North Carolina are working with community family resource centers to pursue common goals.