VENTURA — Ventura County Children and Family Services is working to transform child welfare to better serve our communities in one of the most forward-thinking family strengthening efforts in the State.
For nearly a decade, Ventura County Children and Family Services have sought to shift child welfare practice from traditional methods of removal and compliance to a wellness system approach to strengthening families. This innovative approach better supports families and gives children of all ages in out-of-home (foster) care the chance to be reunified with their birth parents—or never to need to leave home at all.
“Strengthening VC Families was founded on the belief that every child deserves permanency, and every family deserves to stay together whenever it is safe. We also believe that it takes an entire community to help keep a family together,” said Judy Webber, Director, Children & Family Services. “The main goal is to keep children safe while strengthening their families and providing services for their families so they can reunify permanently.”
?Neighbors Together, a pilot program with a focus on South Oxnard and Port Hueneme, found that children whose families experience poverty, food insecurity, and housing insecurity are more likely to be removed from their birth families. To prevent unnecessary entry into child welfare, Ventura County CFS began working in these areas of deepest need to strengthen and build culturally relevant and meaningful support for family well–being.
As part of this once-in-a-generation paradigm shift of addressing areas of deepest need, Ventura County CFS understands that families can keep their children safe with support. Over the past five years, nearly 800 Family Preservation cases have been opened. Family Preservation is a program that allows children and youth to continue living with their parents while staff works closely with the parents, extended family, and family support network to strengthen the family.
Strengthening VC Families Presents – Preserving our Families (Short Version)
?When families are not able to stay together due to safety concerns, Resource Parents (formerly known as foster parents) whether family members or community members, provide a key support to care for children and youth while birth parents work toward reunification. The community helps in other important ways, such as through Businesses with Heart. Currently, 56 Ventura County businesses provide discounted services, restaurant coupons, donations, internships, and more for both birth and resource families, children, and youth who are in out-of-home care.
?“We ask our local communities to open their homes and hearts to a child in need, to provide a safe home while family connections and rebuilding continue to strengthen families,” said Webber. “We hope the community will continue to embrace our healthier model on behalf of all families, children, and youth. Our wonderful Ventura County community, the Board of Supervisors, our amazing social workers and so many others have helped us bring about this historic launch of Strengthening VC Families.”
For more information about Ventura County Children and Family Services and the Strengthening VC Families, visit strengtheningvcfamilies.org
The County of Ventura Human Services Agency, Children and Family Services (CFS) vision is to offer support, hope and opportunity to families and children in need. It is through this vision we have developed Strengthening VC Families approach.
The goal of helping children and youth in Ventura County is to support the whole child, whole family, and whole community through integration and alignment of services. This goal is achieved by increasing preventative work to keep families together, aligning practices throughout the continuum of health and human services, and active engagement with diverse community partners to strengthen families together.