Families Uniting Families

To cultivate nurturing and knowledgeable families to protect and meaningfully enhance the welfare and stability of vulnerable children and their families.

Our Vision:

That our children realize their potential while experiencing a joyful reality interlaced in a social milieu of stable, meaningful, and fulfilling relationships.

Our Values:

Program Population

Targets children who are victims of child abuse and neglect that are identified by child protective services, 0-18 years old, with diverse needs and serves clients who experience: depression, developmental delays, infants exposed to drugs or alcohol, adolescents in need of emancipation services, encopresis, enuresis, gang affiliated youth, hyperactive children, learning disabled, mother/child, multiple placement failure, physically handicapped, pregnant teen, youth taking psychotropic medication, run away youth, children with school problems, seizure disorder youth, tobacco using children, youth who are suicidal, youth who engage in theft, and youth with vision impairments.

History

Families Uniting Families [FUF] is a 501 (c) 3 Federal and State tax-exempt foster family agency (FFA) that is licensed by the State of California (#197804605). We were founded and incorporated in February 2004, in response to the growing needs of children and families who found themselves involved the foster care system.

All of the children we work with are considered to have high needs, and the majority have been drug and/or violence exposed. The needs these children present with are far more complex and dangerous than one finds in the general population and because of this, we advocate and provide a high degree of quality care. We monitor the care, developmental, psychological, social and educational progress of each minor and we create treatment plans that are utilized in collaboration with foster parents, schools and other providers.

We do all that we can to educate our resource families and the birth families with whom we work. We monitor their use of the systems of support, to attempt to understand the barriers they perceive and link them with appropriate interventions. If any of our parents are unable to learn how to utilize appropriate support, we facilitate answers. We are always working towards establishing permanent homes for our children, in order to break the cycle of loss for each child.

The agency is unique in that it provides intensive case management services that include addressing a child’s needs, social emotional and academic development, concerns, and extra-curricular interests. The agency is equipped to meet with our children on a regular basis to ensure safety, stability, medical and dental needs are attended to, address academic issues, evaluate social and emotional development, and promote healthy encounters with their birth families to support family reunification. When families are unable to be reunified, we also support and can facilitate “adoption” as a permanent plan.

Families Uniting Families identifies, measures, and assesses specific outcome goals based on federal and national standards regarding safety and permanency. Families Uniting Families differentiates itself from the other agencies in that we also assist in the development of a new cadre of professional social workers though our professional intern program. Although the agency is located in Long Beach the families that Families Uniting Families works with are located in cities throughout Los Angeles County, such as Watts, Compton, Downey, and Long Beach.

Services

Recruit, educate and actively support talented, nurturing and committed foster parents to provide a safe and enriched family life

Identify the physical, emotional, social, familial, intellectual, and behavioral needs of each child (via assessment)

Intervene by directly providing or accessing services to meet the needs of each child, conduct treatment groups for children to address the unique challenges of children in foster care to facilitate the resolution of the past abuse and neglect while building social and emotional self-confidence (when resources permit)

Offer a comprehensive, empowering emancipation-readiness program for youth 13.5 to 20 years old

Support and advocate for the child to maintain a relationship with their birth family, (when it is to the emotional benefit of the child), through education, support, and visitation

When possible, identify the barriers for birth families to access needed resources (drug/alcohol programs, domestic violence programs, housing, education, and jobs) to assist in assuring an emotionally and physically safe home for the child to return to

Build a collaborative team of professionals between the county, agency, educators, physicians, and community providers working together toward consistent and meaningful programs

Partner with local universities, agencies, and community leaders to provide an outstanding and effective program that serves our families

Identify, measure, and assess specific outcome goals based on federal and national standards regarding safety and permanency. We will also evaluate for the child’s perception of care, educational achievement, and involvement in the juvenile justice system

Achievements

In our 6th year (February 20, 2004)

Worked with over 230 children

Passed 9 program audits (LA & Orange Counties)

2 independent financial audits with positive findings regarding managing of funding

Have prepared 12 student interns at the bachelors and masters levels from California State University, Long Beach & California State University, Los Angeles

Have had two research studies from MSW students to support finding that indicate foster parent satisfaction with FUF support

Tutoring program (LACOE-Title I)

Independent Living Skills workshops

Continuing Education

LCSW hours

Monies to support activity involvement for children (aside from monthly stipend)

Adoption component