Decreasing the time children spend in foster care while strengthening opportunities for children and families to thrive is the goal of Families Together, an evidence-based program that Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI) is piloting in its Chicago office with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).
On average in Illinois, children spend 35 months in foster care. Families Together aims to shorten this time and return children to their family within 12 months. When they cannot safely return to their parents, the goal is adoption or guardianship within 24 months.
Extenuating issues contribute to this timeframe, including lack of referral services and resources for children and families, the local juvenile court, staff turnover, and a shortage of foster families and the supports they need. When a family becomes involved in the child welfare system, a child can experience multiple moves, disrupting attachments, and increasing trauma.
Families Together differs from the current process in which one caseworker oversees the combined needs of the foster parent, the child, and the biological parent.
“This can stress not only those involved parties—children and families—but also the caseworkers,” said LSSI Executive Director of Children’s Community Services Jere Murry. “This can lead to foster parents who don’t feel supported, children whose behaviors worsen, and biological parents feeling unheard and defensive.”
The Families Together program seeks to avoid this issue by blending expert case coordination, behavioral health interventions, and evidence-based interventions. The program guides the parents, both biological and foster, to gain the skills, resources, and support needed to provide positive, effective parenting that allows the child to heal and grow with their permanent families.
The ultimate goals of Families Together include fewer families and youth advancing in the child welfare system or needing a higher level of care than traditional foster care; a quicker response to concerns to avoid cases escalating in the system; and reinforcing success among staff serving the children and families.
Families Together will move into full implementation in 2024.
For more information, visit LSSI.org/families.
