The Family Preservation Program describes a short term, intensive, in-home crisis intervention resource based on the Homebuilders® model intended to prevent unnecessary placement of children, maintain children safely in their home, and facilitate the safe and timely return home for a child in placement.
Family Preservation Program service array includes: Intensive Family Preservation Services (IFPS) – for families with children at imminent and immediate risk of out of home placement; Time Limited Reunification (FRS) – to help children in out of home care return to their families, and Family Preservation Services (FPS) and Families and Children Together Safely (FACTS) – for families at risk with children who may be in the home or returning from out of home care.
Family Preservation Program Services are provided through contract with non-profit agencies in each DCBS region serving all 120 Kentucky counties. Eligible families are referred by a DCBS social services worker or through the Regional Interagency Council (RIAC) and referrals are screened and approved through a designated DCBS staff person.
Initial face-to-face contact for a family receiving IFPS is within 24 hours of receiving the referral and 72 hours for FRS, FPS and FACTS. All Family Preservation Program service providers maintain 24 hours a day, 7 days a week availability to families referred for services. This allows for immediate response to crises and the maximum capability to meet with families and children at the times when most needed and that are most convenient to families.
Family Preservation Program service workers engage the family for a holistic and interactive assessment of the family to identify their strengths and capabilities as well as their needs. Services to families are goal directed and workers partner with each family to develop goals unique to each family.
Services provided include but are not limited to:
- Parenting education
- Child development training
- Skill based teaching
- Household maintenance education
- Job readiness training
- Community resource linkage
- Emotion management skills
- Concrete services
Family Preservation Program services are designed to achieve safety and permanency for families and their children and impact the outcome of reducing reoccurrence of abuse and neglect or reducing the length of stay in out of home care.
Services to reunify families assist the cabinet in reducing recidivism by working with the child, parent and community partners to ease the child’s transition to home, and to provide services to help stabilize the placement and prevent future removals.
From Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2006, Family Preservation Programs provided services to 1,386 families with 2,917 children at risk successfully maintaining 96 percent of those children safely in the home.