An Alternative to
Foster Care
MINNESOTA CURRENTLY HAS APPROXIMATELY 7,000 CHILDREN
IN FOSTER CARE AT A COST OF MORE THAN $35
MILLION PER YEAR.
THE NUMBER OF MINNESOTA CHILDREN ENTERING
"PLACEMENT" INTO SHELTER CARE (LESS
THAN 30 DAYS) OR SUBSTITUTE CARE (GREATER THAN 30
DAYS) FOR THE FIRST TIME INCREASED 48% FROM 1986 TO 1989
IN RAMSEY COUNTY, ALL OUT-OF-HOME PLACEMENT FACILITIES
ARE FULL.
Family Preservation Services Strive to Keep Families Together
And Avoid the Need for Foster Care Family preservation programs
work with families in which children are at imminent risk of
removal from the home. They provide help (counseling, skill
building, and case management) to families with problems in child
rearing and family functioning that pose immediate, critical
risks to child safety. The services are intensive, short-term
interventions aimed first at alleviating crises and, second, at
altering the patterns of dysfunctional behavior that caused the
crisis.
"Families First" -
Minnesota's Family Preservation Program
Typically services in this crisis intervention program begin
within 24 hours of referral and are provided in the family home
for five-to-fifteen hours per week for a total of four weeks.
Services are available 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
Goals are to:
- strengthen family functioning in times of crisis
- diminish barriers to effective parenting
- protect children at risk of
inappropriate placement outside the home
- reduce the time spent in shelter care for children who must be
taken from their homes during times of crisis
Program components include:
- - individual and marital counseling
- child development and parent education - home maintenance
skills
- household budget information
- job readiness activities
There are six "Families First" projects currently
serving eleven Minnesota counties: Becker, Beltrami, Benton,
Clay, Crow Wing, Hennepin, Otter Tail, Ramsey, St. Louis,
Sherburne, and Stearns.
A Record of Success
Cost Savings
Family preservation services cost approximately $2,500 per
family for an entire course of treatment compared to an annual
cost of over $5,000 per child for foster care.
Positive Family Change
Studies show that family preservation services: - reduce
out-of-home placement by 70%-90% -help minimize the length of
time spent in substitute care -increase chances of successful
reunification for children placed in temporary foster care
Families involved in family preservation programs experience
positive changes in parenting behavior, family relationships,
communication skills, and emotional well-being.
There are Several Other Programs That Provide Support
for Families
Community-based family support and education programs:
These
predominantly voluntary programs take a proactive, preventive
approach to addressing family support needs. They focus on:
- promoting development rather than diagnosing and
treating dysfunction
- sustained support to young families by
interacting with them regularly over a period of months or years. The goals
and types of services are shaped by local social conditions and concerns.
Prenatal care outreach programs: These
programs strive to help clients gain early enrollment and active
participation in prenatal care by linking families to other
services.
Parent training programs: These programs
focus on specific sets of parenting skills, such as behavior
management and communication.
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1992 issue (1st of 5
issues)