Child safety is not negotiable.

We will not confuse family-centered practice with unsafe practice.

Efforts to ensure child safety should engage both sides of the family.

Families should feel that it is alright to ask for help if they need it.

Vigilance and active communication can prevent us from being surprised.

We ALWAYS are honest with families, we meet them where THEY are, and we BELIEVE the parents’ recovery is possible

WE make sure the family understands what behaviors brought us into their lives, what needs to be different when we depart, and that they perceive us as a resource and not as adversaries.

We identify STRENGTHS the family can build upon with our help.

We develop plans WITH the family that show: we listened to them, we understand how THEY perceive their needs, and we respect their culture.

We initiate services timely based on family needs and our agreed-upon plan.

We will BE THE BRIDGE for families in meeting the System’s expectations.

No child will leave us without safe, nurturing relationships intended to last a lifetime.

We strive for every child in our care to be developmentally on-target.

Long-term foster care is not a good enough outcome for any child.

We strive for the emotional, financial, residential, and legal stability of every adult caregiver with whom we work.

No family will leave us without being strengthened by connections to family members, friends, and supportive networks such as faith and community-based organizations.

Parents will leave us believing in themselves and their ability to be good parents.

Parents will leave us with the tools, insight, and ability to manage the behaviors that made their children unsafe.

Families will leave us with the ability and confidence to manage their own crises .

Children will leave us empowered to make good choices.

We will BE THE BRIDGE in helping children overcome trauma.

Children will leave us understanding that it was not their fault.

Never give up on a child.

Nobody works well unsupervised.

To be an effective system, all parties working with the family must communicate and collaborate honestly and respectfully throughout the life of the case.

Evidence-based practice or promising practices (services of proven effectiveness provided on the basis of thorough and accurate assessments) produce better results.

If it doesn’t work it doesn’t help; the right metrics tell us what works and what doesn’t.

We never forget that for each of the children we serve, their child welfare experience is likely to be their most profound childhood memory.

*    ”WE” includes DCF, CLS, OurKids, and provider agency staff; Judges, Guardians ad Litem, and Officers of the Court; foster and adoptive parents and other care-givers.