MISSION: Build and promote:
• Family & community resilience
• Effective partnerships between
parents and family-service systems
• Strength-based, family centered
approach in child care, school, agencies, and
organizations serving children & their families
STRENGTHENING FAMILIES ILLINOIS
4 COMPONENTS:
1. Early childhood
2. Collaboration on systems change with child
and family serving agencies and
organizations statewide
3. Assistance with embedding the protective
factors approach in the child welfare system
4. Parent engagement
STRENGTHENING FAMILIES ILLINOIS
• Children in the child welfare
system and children of wards
start school ready to learn
• Child welfare system is
increasingly focused on
keeping families strong
rather than raising children
IL DCFS CHILD WELFARE / EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES
• Procedure Rule 314
• School Readiness Team
• SFI Learning Networks
• Caseworker Training
• Head Start Collaboration
• Strengthening Families Illinois
KEY IMPLEMENTATIONS
• Revision of rule 314 / Wards 3 to 5 enrolled in early care and education programs
• School Readiness Team– 7 positions statewide
– Monitor implementation of Rule 314
– Increase number of wards and intact families enrolled
– Liaisons with early childhood professionals in communities
SCHOOL READINESS
• Embed practice throughout program among staff and parents
• Raise awareness of Strengthening Families
• Collaborate / communicate effectively with child welfare staff– Collaboration on service planning
– Developing Collaborative Relationships training
– Early Childhood / Child Welfare Forums
– Monthly Learning Network meetings inviting child welfare staff
LEARNING NETWORK SCOPE OF WORK
1. Carole Robertson Center for Learning / Chicago – Internal & external network
2. IL Action for Children / Preschool for All / South Suburban School Districts / South Cook
3. Childcare Network of Evanston / Evanston / Cook North
4. Tom Thumb Community Childcare Center (Children’s Home & Aid) / N. Kane County
5. Two Rivers Head Start (5 counties northern region) – Internal network
6. Crittenton Centers / Peoria / Central Region
SFI LEARNING NETWORKS
Hubs: (continued on next slide)
7. John A. Logan CCR&R / Southern Region
8. Children’s Home & Aid CCR&R / St. Clair County (AOK0
9. YWCA Child Care Solutions (CCR&R) / Rockford / Northern Region
10. Centers for New Horizons / Chicago – Internal network
11. One Hope United / Cook County – Internal network & Child welfare collaboration network
12. One Hope United / Huddleston – Differential Response Collaboration / Southern Region
13. Ounce of Prevention Fund / Chicago Public Schools
EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING NETWORK HUBS (cont.)
• Learning Collaboratives across state– Strength based trauma informed practice
– Protective Factors training
– Role of early childhood programs in keeping families strong / partnership opportunities
CASEWORKER TRAINING
• Agreements with all Head Start grantee agencies
• Cross-training for child welfare and Head Start staff
• Head Start slots for wards
HEAD START COLLABORATION
TALKING ABOUT THE PROTECTIVE FACTORS
•Parental Resilience
•Social Connections
•Knowledge of Parenting
& Child Development
•Concrete Support in
Times of Need
•Social & Emotional
Competence of Children
•Parent-Child
Relationships
•Be strong and flexible
•Parents need friends
•Being a great parent is
part natural & part learned
•We all need help
sometimes
•Parents need to help their
children communicate
•Give your children the love
and respect they need
RESOURCES FOR PARENTS / PROVIDERS
• Love Is Not Enough Parent Cafés
• Café Talk
• Awaken To Your Potential
Leadership Training
• Café Training
• Living the Protective Factors Book (E-Book / Print)
• The Get Real Guide to Getting Your Kids Back (E-Book / Print)
• You’re Welcome: Parents Leaders Speak Out On What It Takes to Promote Parent Engagement
• Café Talk and Café Talk Booster Packs
NEW RESOURCESPublications:
AVAILABLE AT www.bestrongfamilies.com
orwww.strengtheningfamiliesillinois.org
• www.bestrongfamilies.com
• www.bestrongfosterparents.com
• Keep Your Family Strong Community on Facebook
• Updated strengtheningfamiliesillinois.org
NEW RESOURCES
Online:
• Facebook: Keep Your Family Strong Online
Community
• Twitter: @StrongFamsIL
• www.bestrongfamilies.com
• www.bestrongfosterparents.com
• www.strengtheningfamiliesillinois.org
• www.keepyourfamilystrong.org
MORE TO COME!
SFI ON THE WEB / Social Media
Kathy Goetz Wolf, Executive [email protected]
Guy Schingoethe, Assistant [email protected]
312/421-5200, x125
CONTACT: 312/421-5200