Directions for Living’s Families First programs are in response to the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA), which marks a pivotal moment in child welfare policy – prioritizing prevention and family preservation. Under this act, services are provided to families to address underlying issues and challenges before they escalate to the point of requiring out-of-home placement for children.
Recognizing that strong, healthy families are the foundation of thriving communities, the FFPSA aims to intervene early, providing support and resources to address the root causes of family instability and prevent the need for more intrusive interventions. By investing in prevention and early intervention through the FFPSA, we not only improve outcomes for children and families but also yield significant cost savings to the child welfare system over the long term.
FIRST FIVE
The First Five program provides a research supported approach to engaging and working with identified early learning center teachers in order to create a trauma-informed culture in their classrooms. In order to prevent expulsion or removal from the early learning center classroom, the First Five team supports teachers of children under 5 years old and their families by providing them with tools that better prepare them to support the complex issues that many of their children under 5 years of age are experiencing. Services are provided in the home, early learning center, and community by a counselor and behavior specialist team who work intensively with the teachers, the young children, and their parents to address the behaviors that resulted in the referral to the First Five program.
EARLY CHILDHOOD CONSULTATION (ECC)
The ECC program provides a combination of prevention and early intervention services focused on improving caregiver knowledge and practice in relation to children under 5 years old. All ECC services utilize the evidence-based Nurturing Parenting Curriculum, and include in-home parent education, parenting education groups, group parenting education with caregiver / child observations, and community education groups.
To inquire about this program, please email [email protected].
TOGETHER WE RISE
The Together We Rise program provides an intensive Wraparound™ approach to engaging and working with families that have a child deemed safe, but at high or very high risk of future maltreatment. The goal of services is to remove the risk of harm to the child and prevent out-of-home placement through intensive, in-home intervention. Services are provided in the home, school, and community by a counselor and behavioral health case manager team who work intensively with the parent and children as a family unit to address the behaviors that resulted in the referral to the Together We Rise program. Parent involvement is required in order for successful treatment outcomes.
HOMEBUILDERS
The Homebuilders™ program provides an intensive evidenced based approach to engaging and working with families that have a child that has been deemed unsafe and at imminent risk of out-of-home placement, or in foster care due to abuse or neglect. The goal of services is to remove the risk of harm to the child and prevent out-of-home placement, or to reunify the child with the family through intensive, in-home intervention. Services are provided in the home, school, and community by a counselor and behavioral health case manager team who work intensively with the parent and family to address the behaviors that resulted in the referral to the Homebuilders™ program. Parent involvement is required in order for successful treatment outcomes.
CHILDREN'S ACTION TEAM FOR CHILDREN UNDER 5 (BABYCAT)
The BabyCAT program provides an intensive Wraparound™ approach to engaging and working with parents of children ages 0-5 who are at-risk of entering or currently in the child welfare system. The goal of services is to ensure that both the children and their parents are stabilized and able to remain safely in home. Services are provided in the home, school, and community by a counselor and behavioral health case manager team who work intensively with the children and parents to address the behaviors that resulted in the referral to the BabyCAT program. Caregiver involvement is required in order for successful treatment outcomes.
FAMILY INTENSIVE TREATMENT TEAM (FITT)
The FITT program provides an intensive Wraparound™ approach to engaging and working with parents with at least one child under 10 years old who have entered the child welfare system due to parental substance misuse. The goal of services is to reunify children with their families. Services are provided in the home, school, and community by a counselor and behavioral health case manager team who will be working intensively with the parent and children to address the behaviors that resulted in the referral to the FITT program. Parent involvement is required in order for successful treatment outcomes.
