The Family to Family practice is changing the way child welfare cases are handled in Denver by using four core strategies: Recruitment of Neighborhood Foster Care Parent(s), Team Decision Making, Community Partnerships, and Data Collection. Our top priority remains keeping children safe.
Recruitment of Kinship and Foster Families
When a child needs to be removed from their home due to safety concerns, our first choice is to place the child with a relative. If this option isn't viable, our next choice is to place within a foster care family in the child's own neighborhood.
Team Decision Making
Denver uses this method to determine a safety plan for a child. A group decides where to place the child and treatment options for the family. We want to reunify families, but only when this is a safe and viable option. TDM's may include a group facilitator, casework, the parent(s), relatives, a family advocate, a school teacher, and anyone else who knows the family.
Community Partnerships
Denver believes helping families within their own neighborhoods is the best option. We have seven community partners in Denver.
Self-Evaluation (Data Collection)
We monitor cases to track the progress of this initiative. Since the program was adopted by the Annie E. Casey Foundation in 2002, the following results have been shown:
- 12% more children stay with family members, as our goal is to keep children safe within their own neighborhoods, and, if viable, their own families
- 35% fewer placements in treatment centers, as we aim to place children in foster care or with relatives when feasible
- 59% more in-home services to families since the program started in 2002
- The re-abuse rate for children in Denver (2 ½%) is significantly lower than the national average (6%)
- 7 Community Sites with over 100 agencies, the courts, families and probation all work together