NCJ Number
195313
Date Published
1999
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This handbook is designed to teach child protection agencies how to develop new approaches to child protection and, in particular, to use a family team conferencing approach to safeguard the welfare of families and children.
Abstract
This handbook was developed for the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation’s initiative to develop new approaches to child protection. The Foundation partnered with four communities to develop new strategies for child welfare. Currently the initiative is assisting St. Louis, Missouri, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Jacksonville, Florida, and Louisville, Kentucky in developing a family team conferencing approach to their child protective services. The goals of the initiative are to provide services to children and families in targeted neighborhoods, to ensure that children who are reported to child protective services will be less likely to be re-abused, and to reduce serious injuries to children caused by abuse or neglect. In order to accomplish these goals, this handbook encourages child protective services to implement the family team conference approach to child welfare. This approach brings the family together with friends and members of the community who can offer support and guidance to the family as they transition to a healthy environment free from abuse and neglect. The underlying philosophy of this approach is that families in distress need the assistance of a trusted circle of family and friends. The family team conference approach uses a trained facilitator to being friends and family members together to brainstorm on how to improve the safety of the family unit. The appendix of this handbook offers guidance to the facilitator on how to conduct the family team conference, what type of documentation should be maintained, and offers tips for conducting a successful team conference.