Spotlight on: System Change »
Safety
The Importance of Team Decision Making
The crucial decision to determine whether a child can safely remain in
a troubled home should be made in conjunction with the child’s family
and all of the service providers who know and care about the child and
family.
Child welfare agencies were created to intervene when the safety of a child in their own home could not be ensured. For some children, this intervention can be literally life saving. Children and youth also depend on extended family, neighbors, and communities to provide crucial, ongoing protection and safety.
We believe that decisions about a child’s safety should not be made in isolation. Child abuse investigations are greatly enhanced and child trauma is greatly reduced when a multidisciplinary team coordinates their expertise. Whenever possible, a safety plan should be devised so that families receive the supports they need to ensure the safety of their child.
Our Investments
In order to enhance safety for children and youth, we invest in programs that:
- Increase the use of multidisciplinary teams in the investigation of child abuse allegations.
- Enhance the quality of the initial assessment of safety.
- Provide intensive services to either keep families together or shorten the time until successful reunification.
Over the past decade we have supported more than a dozen counties, resulting in better placement and outcomes for thousands of children and youth.
Read more about our focus on safety for foster youth in the
Family to Family Initiative.