Scripture and science affirm that the ideal environment to raise a child is in the context of a safe, nurturing, permanent family.  Family most naturally provides what children need to thrive. Until fairly recently, residential care was the model that most of us thought of when we considered how to care for children separated from parental care.  Residential care can look a lot of different ways, and most organizations who have been doing residential care have done it with the best of intentions.  However, the child welfare field has come to realize a massive over-reliance on the residential model.  Family care is typically a far more effective and efficient model of care, and we want to move children in that direction.
 
In some contexts, organizations that currently provide residential care are often well-positioned to expand or reshape their programs to support care for children within families.  These programs often have competent staff, committed donors, and strong relationships in the communities where they serve, enabling them to make major contributions to care within families. Transitioning to family care is a process, not an event, and will be unique for each organization.  However, there are multiple assets that each organization will need in order to successfully transition their model of care.  This self-assessment allows programs to quickly view strengths and areas for growth that can be improved at the beginning of the transition process.  The results from this tool are for your knowledge only, and will be kept confidential. 
 
We stand ready to support you on your journey toward family care!