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Philosophy & Values of Family-Centered Practice: State and local examples

State and local agencies have articulated values and principles of family-centered practice in describing their mission and goals to employees and the communities they serve. They familiarize community members with the family-centered approach to child welfare services and their intended benefits and outcomes, and provide yardsticks by which the community can evaluate their progress in supporting families.

Family Centered Practice (PDF - 196 KB)
Nebraska Health and Human Services (2005)
Core set of values, beliefs, and principles guiding the agency's work.

Family-Centered Practice: How Are We Doing? (PDF - 193 KB)
Rhode Island Coalition for Family Support and Involvement (2004)
A tool for families, providers, schools, and communities to evaluate and improve how individuals and organizations in Rhode Island support families.

Family-Centered Practice Model (PDF - 119 KB)
Washington State Division of Children and Family Services (2005)
Describes the agency's family-centered approach to child welfare services and the intended benefits and outcomes.

Family-Centered Practices (PDF - 162 KB)
McDaniel & McKinney
Residential Group Care Quarterly, 6(1), 2005
The family services approach used by the Wyoming Department of Family Services.

A Foundation for Family-Centered Practice
North Carolina Division of Social Services and the Family and Children's Resource Program
Children's Services Practice Notes, 9(1), 2003
Eleven principles of family-centered practice.

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 the desire to engage and support families, and the agency's efforts to embrace a more solution-focused, family-centered approach.

A Vision and Plan for Improving Child Well Being and Strengthening Families in Wisconsin Using Service Integration as the Path (PDF - 107 KB)
Wisconsin Association of Family and Children's Agencies (2003)
Describes the importance of family empowerment and service integration as demonstrated in the El Paso County, Colorado, child welfare model, with suggestions for implementation in Milwaukee County.

Updated on December 7, 2007