The YMCA Families United Family Group Conferencing Program is a three-year federally funded project designed to build evidence around the effectiveness of the Family Group Conferencing model in improving child welfare outcomes for children and families.
This program provides Family Group Conference (including preparation and follow-up) for families to allow development of their own plan to address concerns of Child Welfare. Services are provided by Families United Coordinators who hold Master’s Degrees and trained in the American Human Society Family Group Decision Making Model.
Our Goal:
- To strengthen kinship caregiver and family capacity to care for children in a way that helps promote placement stability, safety, and well-being and that prevents children from entering or reentering the foster care system.
Specific Services:
- We place families as key participants in a process of decision making when their children come to the attention of child welfare (and youth justice) systems.
- We allow families to come up with solutions and plans to protect the children in their family, rather than systems and institutions.
- We serve Kinship caregivers and foster care youth through the Family Group Conferencing process, with the goal of the family creating a network of support that provides safety, connection and both legal & relational permanency.
- We assist families with expanding their support network (family, friends, neighbors, providers, etc.)
- We provide ongoing support to assist the family in achieving their identified goals
- We offer accessibility to education and resource materials within the community
We serve kinship caregivers, foster care youth and families involved in the Child Welfare System.
Contact Us
For more information about this program, please contact:
Alisha Eftekhari
(619) 543-9850 ext. 12421