Child Welfare Program Objectives
Every child has a right to be safe. Our society will ultimately be judged by the manner in which we choose to protect our most vulnerable citizens. We support programs that enhance safety for children by:
- Increasing the use of multidisciplinary teams in the investigation of child abuse allegations.
- Enhancing the quality of the initial assessment of safety.
- Providing intensive services to either keep families together or shorten the time until successful reunification.
Too many children grow up in foster care without a caring adult who has made a lifetime commitment to their well-being. We support programs that nurture permanency and lifelong connections by:
- Promoting stable, long-term family placements for all children who have passed the opportunity for early return to their family of origin.
- Supporting permanent families by ensuring access to needed services.
- Supporting "lifelong connections" for all children who have not been placed with a legally permanent family.
Mere safety and survival are not adequate goals. Children will thrive when they are cherished, nurtured and supported by their families and communities. We support programs that improve the well-being of foster children and youth by:
- Facilitating a successful transition to adulthood.
- Ensuring children's physical and mental well-being.
- Honoring and supporting sibling ties.
The ability to become a productive and contributing member of a community is deeply tied to the level of educational success that a young person achieves. Foster youth face unique challenges in achieving their educational aspirations. We support programs that create strong and vibrant educational opportunities for foster youth by:
- Providing intensive educational supports for foster youth.
- Promoting educational advocacy for foster youth.
- Supporting college access and retention for foster youth.
We believe it is essential to harness the energy, power and compassion that exist in foster youth, families and communities and to support partnerships with dedicated individuals in public and private child welfare agencies to improve the child welfare system. We support programs that improve youth, family and community engagement by:
- Providing opportunities for current and former foster youth to advocate for themselves and those in similar situations.
- Engaging birth parents and foster parents to improve the system.
- Supporting trained advocates for foster children.
- Supporting partnerships between community organizations and public agencies in efforts to improve the child welfare system.
