Our Approach
Family Network Building:
Realizing a Just Permanency for All Families:
Our dignity and justice driven approach centers on family* engagement and involvement in order to build family networks of support that can guide the youth long after they exit the system. The foundations of this approach include:
Forging system alignment with all court and system partners with a shared commitment to ensuring every youth served will have a “family” network in place who can love and support the youth wherever they will live. That “family” are prioritized as potential homes for the youth to reside in, and the family network are invited and welcomed to all planning and decision-making opportunities that affect the youth’s life while in care.
Utilizing long established discovery methods, including a search service that is the most well established and comprehensive tool in the United States, while seamlessly integrating effective engaging collaborative strategies that are curious about and respect the families’ values, culture, and history.
Supporting the network to meet the needs of youth, using professional services when necessary, so that youth have the asset base necessary to thrive and therefore no longer require the oversight and protection of the juvenile court.
We have built out training with experiential activities to help those learning the approach to appreciate the experience of the people they are engaging with the learned tools/activities, and to provide feedback and coaching to them as they test out these tools/activities with the families they serve.
We emphasize the importance of supervision of the work that breaks from historical child welfare practice and instead centers on family engagement and network development as a primary focus. We provide coaching and consultation, along with tools to supervisors so that they can effectively supervise the practice.
If you are interested in learning more, please contact us at: nipfc@senecacenter.org
*It is important to understand what the family deems as their “family,” which can include relatives, non-related extended family, and anyone else within the family and youth’s network.
Our Services
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NIPFC is the first non-profit to offer customized internet search services, and was presented before the United States Senate during the legislative hearing process for the Fostering Connections to Success Act. Using internet Search engines, an experienced search agent accesses multiple premium search databases to provide a customized search report with the most comprehensive information available.
We strive to deliver the highest quality of customized search services available and offer them at a non-profit price.
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NIPFC provides training, coaching, and implementation support to the staff of child welfare, juvenile justice, mental health, and disability services organizations. Court systems and community partners are included in our training, which is focused on permanency and lifelong connections.
TRAINING MENU
A list of pre-designed trainings, ranging from an introductory to expert level.
CONSULTATION
One on one, or group, consultations to discuss and hone practice.
CUSTOMIZATION
Not quite what you’re looking for? NIPFC will listen and create a customized training scope for your agency.
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Did you know that NIPFC has a Blast? What about a podcast? Well we do, and you should take a look, and a listen, to find out more about how the field of permanency is evolving.
What is NIPFC?
The mission of the National Institute for Permanent Family Connectedness is to advance permanency for all children and youth, with Family Network Building as a core strategy and a method that adds value to service systems. Every child has a family, and family members can be found when we try. Loneliness can be devastating, even dangerous, and is experienced by most children in out of home care. The single factor most closely associated with positive outcomes for children is meaningful, lifelong connections to family. Training may be designed to target specific areas of concern or to sustain learning in established practices. Consultation services offer specific approaches to meet the critical challenge of achieving timely permanency for all who are served.
Resources and Publications
Find articles and research publications written by experts, including our team, to help supplement your practice. Don’t forget to look at our online trainings and webinars.