Our Clients                     Our first responsibility is to our clients. Family conferencing will help families avoid court filing; increase possibility of placement within family; receive clarity of information on agency concerns; improve information delivery on how family and extended kin can mitigate child safety risks and address family welfare concerns; improve ability to tap into indigenous family resources; provide a sense of empowerment which ultimately benefits the children; and improve the relationship between families and DCFS.

Our Colleagues               We recognize the tremendously difficult tasks of making crucial decisions about families lives with limited and fragmented information. As a result of family conferences, CSWs experience a reduced number of phone calls from adversarial factions within the family. Families collectively share responsibility for difficult decisions; share advocacy for improved services to families; share monitoring of case plan; and share responsibility for children’s safety and family welfare.

Our Communities          We are committed to enhancing and building collaborative relationships between the family, their local community and service agencies, and DCFS - to enhance the delivery of service and share responsibility for the protection of our children.