National Abandoned Infants Assistance Resource Center : Direct Service Programs : Directory : Family Options

Save the Date
Substance Exposed Newborns: Collaborative Approaches to a Complex Issue
June 23-24, 2010
This national summit will bring together colleagues from the fields of health, child welfare, drug treatment, and early intervention to consider effective policies and collaborative approaches to prevent, identify, refer, and address the needs of substance exposed newborns. More...

Webcast Now Available
Collaborative Approaches to Identifying and Serving Substance Exposed Newborns
In this video, representatives from four federally funded demonstration projects shared their experiences developing policies and procedures to meet the federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act mandates. More...

The Source, Fall 2009 [PDF]
Challenges for Mothers with HIV

National Abandoned Infants
Assistance Resource Center
University of California, Berkeley
1950 Addison Street, Suite 104 # 7402
Berkeley, CA 94720-7402
Phone: (510) 643-8390
Fax: (510) 643-7019
E-mail: aia@berkeley.edu

Family Options III
53 West Jackson Boulevard, Suite 304
Chicago, IL 60604
312-786-9255
inquiries@familiesandchildrensnetwork.org
http://www.familiesandchildrensnetwork.org

Project Director
Linda S. Coon, JD

Project Evaluators
Kimberly Harris, PhD
Nancy Soro, PhD

Sponsoring Organization
Families’ and Children’s AIDS Network (FCAN)

The Families’ and Children’s AIDS Network (FCAN) provides comprehensive permanency planning and family support services for HIV-affected families in the Chicago metropolitan area. Using a multidisciplinary approach, Family Options provides direct legal and social work services to families who wish to make a future care and custody plan for their children. Project enhancements include peer outreach services, formalized consumer involvement, technical assistance, and capacity building in downstate Illinois, and education and advocacy on HIV family policy and systemic reforms.

The project goals are to: (1) provide a coordinated program of comprehensive, accessible permanency planning services to HIV-affected families by promoting family stability for HIV-affected families through supportive social work and legal services and by providing legal permanency planning services to HIV-affected families to ensure future legal permanency through court-ordered and other legal plans for children; (2) establish a consumer focus on program design and service delivery through establishing outreach activities that overcome barriers to recruitment and engage consumers in reaching their peers, and formalizing and supporting consumer involvement in identifying needs and shaping services; (3) develop and provide education on statutory, policy, and systemic reforms that support permanency for HIV-affected families and others affected by terminal illness; (4) provide technical assistance and capacity building to HIV-affected families In downstate Illinois on permanency planning and family support; and (5) provide training for professionals on permanency planning and other HIV family issues. Results will include improved permanency outcomes for HIV-affected children; deflection of cases from the child welfare system; increased family stability; increased awareness about permanency planning among consumers and professionals; legal, policy, and practice enhancements; a model for consumer outreach and participation; training materials on permanency planning and family support; and publications.