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Transitioning to Family Care for Children: a GUIDANCE MANUAL

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Transitioning to Family Care for Children: a GUIDANCE MANUAL Transitioning to Family Care for Children: A GUIDANCE MANUAL THE FAITH TO ACTION INITIATIVE, 2016 This Guidance Manual provides helpful information and tools for churches, faith-based organizations, donors, and others who are transitioning children’s care away from residential care to care within families. Based on evidence-based research, the experiences and lessons learned from practitioners around the world, and international principles of best practice in the care of orphans and vulnerable children, this resource provides an introduction to and overview of the key steps in transitioning to family care. It has been developed along with a companion Transitioning to Family Care for Children Tool Kit to support efforts to ensure that children grow up in the love and care of families. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ................................................................................................................. pages 1 – 2 Chapter 1: A Framework for Family Care ............................................................ pages 3 – 7 Why Transition to Family Care? page 3 What Is a Family Care Model? page 5 Chapter 2: Planning for the Transition ............................................................... pages 9 – 17 Understanding the Elements of a Transition page 8 Assessing the Context page 9 Raising Awareness page 13 Envisioning a Model of Family Care page 15 Chapter 3: Engaging People and Partnerships ..............................................pages 18 – 28 to Strengthen Families Understanding Family Strengthening page 18 Partnering with Children and Families page 20 Partnering with Residential Care Staff and Volunteers page 22 Developing Strategic External Partnerships page 24 Chapter 4: Resourcing and Sustaining the Transition.... ...............................pages 29 – 33 Developing a New Business Model page 29 Engaging Donors, Ministry Partners, and Volunteers page 32 Chapter 5: Preparing Children and Families for Transition .........................pages 34 – 46 The Role of Case Management page 34 Conducting Child and Family Assessments page 35 Gatekeeping and Child-Focused Decision Making page 39 Developing Individual Care Plans page 41 Preparing Children and Families for Transition page 43 Chapter 6: The Continuum of Care ...................................................................pages 47 – 59 Family Care Options page 47 Other Models of Community-Based Care page 57 Chapter 7: Monitoring and Evaluation..............................................................pages 60 – 64 Monitoring Child Placements page 60 Program Monitoring page 63 Closing Statement ......................................................................................................... page 65 Glossary ....................................................................................................................pages 66 – 67 References ....................................................................................................................... page 68 Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................... page 69 Introduction The purpose of the Transitioning to Family Care for Children: A Guidance Manual is to provide helpful information and tools for churches, faith-based organizations, donors, and others who are transitioning children’s* care away from residential care to care within families. This resource aims to come alongside you so that your work is aligned with biblical principles, a strong evidence base, and a growing movement within the Church that affirms the importance of family in every child’s life. While an all-inclusive “how-to” is beyond the scope of this manual, this guide strives to provide an introduction to and overview of the key concepts and steps that are important to a successful transition process. The manual aims to complement—and not to substitute for—the professional practices, national policies, and international standards necessary for the healthy and safe support of children transitioning from residential to family care. The identified resources and global guidance highlighted throughout this manual will support you as you implement your transition. The guidance offered is not a “one size fits all” solution, as any transition requires careful planning, assessment, and adaptation based on its unique circumstances and context. The information and resources in this manual are presented in seven chapters: Chapter 1 provides a framework for understanding the transition to family care. Why transition to family care? What are some of the core principles to keep in mind throughout the process? Chapter 2 offers key considerations as you plan your transition. What are the steps in transitioning to family care? How will your unique context shape your approach? How will you raise awareness to bring others along? Chapter 3 explores how working in partnership with others supports family strengthening. How are staff members and various partners engaged in the transition process? What are some of the child and family services needed and how will these be provided? Chapter 4 focuses on some of the ways that transitioning care can mean a shift in your business model. How will you cultivate resources that fund the cost of your transition? How will you reallocate your current assets in support of your goals? Chapter 5 provides an introduction to child-centered case management. What gatekeeping mechanisms will you use to ensure appropriate family placements? What are the underlying principles and key steps in determining placements, developing individual care plans, and preparing children and families for transition? * The term children is used throughout this document to refer to all young people from birth through adolescence. THE FAITH TO ACTION INITIATIVE, 2016 TRANSITIONING TO FAMILY CARE FOR CHILDREN: A GUIDANCE MANUAL | 1 Chapter 6 explores the “continuum of care” as a range of family-based options for child placement, including family reintegration, kinship care, adoption, and foster care. What are the main considerations when you are selecting the most appropriate type of care for a child? When is community-based care needed? Chapter 7 covers tools and concepts for monitoring and evaluation. How will you know if children are safe and cared for in their family placements? What is the impact of your transition process? To help you get the most out of the manual, the following symbols are used throughout to direct you to further reading, resources, illustrative case studies, practical tools, and suggested action items: Links reader to highly useful information, resources, and tools within the online Tool Kit Illustrates a story of practice (additional stories are available on the Faith to Action website) Refers reader to another helpful section of this Guidance Manual Presents an opportunity for application or further reflection All the suggested resources listed in this manual are available online at the following website: http://www.faithtoaction.org/resources/transitioning-to-care-for-children/. In addition, the Faith to Action Initiative Transitioning to Family Care for Children Tool Kit offers an in-depth web-based resource that serves as an important companion to this manual. It allows users to search by specific topics within the transitioning care process to access a range of useful tools, sample case studies, country-specific information, and other resources. This tool kit will be updated regularly as new materials become available. 2 | THE FAITH TO ACTION INITIATIVE, 2016 TRANSITIONING TO FAMILY CARE FOR CHILDREN: A GUIDANCE MANUAL Chapter 1: A Framework for Family Care This chapter will help you to: Identify key concepts that form a framework for transitioning to family care; Articulate the biblical and evidence-based rationale for family care; Understand the centrality of gatekeeping, family strengthening, and the continuum of care to the transition. Why Transition to Family Care? If you are reading this manual, chances are you are already very aware of the importance of family care and the negative impacts associated with residential care. You likely know that transition to a new way of providing care for children—in families who are supported by services that help prevent further separation—is a tremendous change for everyone involved. This chapter affirms some of the compelling reasons for transitioning care, from both evidence-based and faith perspectives. It highlights some of the key findings and concepts that can help inform others who have invested their hearts, resources, and work in the current model of care and who will be participants in the transition process going forward. Biblical and Evidence-Based Rationale Within the global Church, a growing movement recognizes the importance of family in the life of every child and strives to ensure that children are cared for within families, rather than in institutions. This movement is rooted in Scripture: God calls us to have compassion, understanding, commitment, and care for the fatherless and the widowed (Deuteronomy 10:18; Psalm 10:14; Psalm 68:5–6)1, and puts forth a special call to care for vulnerable children in both word and deed (Isaiah 1:17; James 1:27; Matthew 25:40)2. However, in almost all instances, the Bible talks about protecting widows and fatherless children not as two separate categories but as one unit, as a family. The family mirrors our relationship with God and can nurture spiritual learning and formation. This biblical
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