Strengthening Connections September 10-12, 2012
This conference is designed to increase your knowledge of parent-child attachment in families affected by HIV, substance abuse, and trauma. More...
2012 Webinar Series
The Resource Center will host four webinar trainings in 2012 on stable housing, community partnerships, HIV medication adherence, and peer workers. More...
Addressing the Needs of Parentified Children of HIV Positive Parents
The first in a series of Research-to-Practice briefs, this document addresses best practices for working with HIV negative children who have taken on a more parental role in the family due to a parent's positive HIV status. [PDF]
Engaging and Retaining Pregnant and Parenting Substance Users in Programs
This Research-to-Practice Brief details recommendations designed to increase retention and engagement when working with pregnant and
parenting substance users. [PDF]
Online Tutorial: Women and Children with HIV/AIDS This tutorial is designed as an introduction to the complex issues associated with HIV/AIDS among women and children in the United States. The tutorial can be taken for 2 CE units. More...
Online Tutorial: Substance Use During Pregnancy This tutorial provides an overview of the prevalence and nature of substance use among pregnant women in the United States. The tutorial can be taken for 1 CE unit. More...
Webcast: School Readiness in Infants and Toddlers Affected by Substance Abuse and/or HIV In this webcast, representatives from three agencies share what they are doing to address school readiness for young children affected by perinatal substance abuse and/or HIV. More...
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
Shared Family Care An Alternative to Conventional Services
for Children and Families At Risk
Shared Family Care (SFC) refers to a situation in which an
entire family is temporarily placed in the home of a host
family. The host family is trained to mentor and support the
parents as they develop skills and supports necessary to care
for their child(ren) and move toward independent living. SFC
can be used for prevention--making it unnecessary to separate
a parent from her or his child, for reunification--providing
a safe environment in which to reunite a family that has been
separated, or to help parents make the decision to relinquish
their parental rights.
Currently, several shared family care programs exist in the
United States. The SFC program operated by FamiliesFirst,
Inc. in Contra Costa County, CA, serves families in the child
welfare system who are at risk of having their children removed
or in the process of reunifying with them. Growing Home in
St. Paul, MN has a Whole Family Placement Program, recently
restructured to serve adolescent mothers with severe emotional
disturbances and their children. Crime Prevention Association
operates A New Life program for drug-addicted mothers and
their children in Philadelphia, PA. CHINS UP, Inc. in Colorado
Springs, CO has a small SFC program for families who are involved
or at risk of involvement in the child welfare system.
The following video, Shared Family Care: Creating Families through Community Partners (2003), is a 7.5 minute video produced by Athletes United for Peace Media in conjunction with the AIA Resource Center.
The video, designed for child welfare and private agency
directors, provides a brief overview of the key elements of
shared family care (SFC). Highlighting the FamiliesFirst Shared
Family Care program in Contra Costa County, California, the
video includes VIP testimonials about the benefits and cost-effectiveness
of SFC. It also illustrates how SFC fits into California's
overall child welfare redesign plan, sharing common elements
such as: community partnerships, engaging families, and use
of teams in decision making.
For more information, download
our powerpoint presentation, which highlights key elements,
outcome findings, and start-up information about shared family
care.
Humankind
Public Radio:
This is the fascinating story of two people from sharply
different backgrounds who came together for a powerful purpose.
In a living arrangement known as "shared family care,"
a woman with a troubled past moved in for six months with
her young child to the Antioch, California home of a mentor
and her children, for what amounted to a round-the-clock
course in parenting.
