Family Group Conferencing

The Family Group Conferencing Program began in New Jersey in 1999 at The North Ward Center. Conferences have been coordinated for over 700 families since inception. These conferences are held on existing NJ Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) Child Welfare cases where children are either in placement or the degree of risk places children in jeopardy of imminent out-of-home placement. The process brings people and resources together including the family, extended family, community friends, service providers, clergy, school personnel, DYFS staff and others. It allows the family system to create their own safety plans for children. The family becomes empowered through the coordination and actual conference to establish their own plans that address the issues of permanency, safety and well-being of their children.

The model has developed as a reform effort aimed at balancing the safety of children with the integrity of the family as a means of building partnerships among the family, the court, the child welfare agency, service providers, and community resources. It establishes a process for families to develop an integrated, unified plan to resolve issues and make transitions in ways that empower the family and effectively utilize existing community resources. The process is explicit in recognizing that families have the most information about themselves and therefore in the best position to make well-informed decisions about the service needs that will effect positive change in their lives. It recognizes that individuals find security, a sense of well-being and self-identity within their families and communities. The model has become at its core a family centered, strength oriented, community based, and culturally competent approach to positive transitional change.

The benefits of the process have been documented as far reaching and are as follows:
    Benefits to the Child and Family
  • Capitalizing on family strengths
  • Creating intra-familial decision-making partnerships
  • Building intra-familial trust
  • Building family decision-making skills
  • Increasing the use of kinship care
  • Cultural practices and rituals honored
  • "Attitude switch" in the way families view child welfare agencies and providers
    Benefits to the Child Welfare Community
  • Creating partnerships with the child welfare agencies and service professionals
  • "Attitude switch" in the way caseworkers and supervisors view families
  • Reduction of workload for Protective Service Casemanagers
  • Enhanced compliance with Federal Child and Family Service Review requirements
    Benefits Shared by All
  • Finding untapped resources
  • Mutual solutions
  • Shared responsibility and enhanced safety for children
  • Inviting a "Win/Win" outcome
  • Greater likelihood of compliance of the established plan
  • Accelerated time in reaching case plan outcomes
  • Decrease in length of time under DYFS/Child Welfare supervision
In a Family Group Conference, separated families or families at risk of being separated, and people they identify as supportive are brought together to discuss family concerns. With the assistance of a facilitator and co-facilitator, the participants discuss the best options and ideas.

When making a plan of action, tasks and time frames are assigned to specific individuals by the family group. All decisions made by the family are documented and subject to DYFS approval at the time of the conference. Plans are also made to review progress.

The child welfare system does not solely hold the answers to resolving the issues surrounding child abuse and neglect. It is the untapped strengths of families and resources within the community that must be continuously engaged to improve the level of family functioning and reduce incidents of abuse/neglect. Family Group Conferencing has been viewed as a successful intervention tool to assist in meeting these objectives.

Copyright ©2007 North Ward Center, Inc.