Children's Alliance Family Resource Project

SRS funds the Children’s Alliance Family Resource Project (CAFRP) in hopes that children and families can get the services they need thus avoiding SRS custody and out-of-home placements. This project is coordinated by the Children’s Alliance of Kansas who monitors 14 agencies that participate in the project throughout the state. These agencies provide emergency care through shelters or family resource homes, financial assistance through flex funds, and/or preventative services through case management.

The central goal of this project is to strengthen families and divert children from state custody and out-of-home placements by offering services earlier.

Customers for this project will include families exhibiting risk factors that increase the likelihood of negative outcomes occurring which may lead to the children being placed in state custody. Agency services within this project will help families develop better solutions when faced with a crisis to avoid out-of-home placement and law enforcement or state custody of their children. Additionally, strengthening the family may involve connecting the family to existing community services.

Four Core Values of the Project

Family Centered: family driven plan of care, giving the family a voice and access to information and decisions about their children.

Strength-Based Approach to planning and intervention: Promote solutions for problems by utilizing family’s strengths.

Culturally Respective: respect the uniqueness of the family – the family’s cultural background, values, and individual style of approaching things.

Community-Based collaboration and cooperation: recognizing the people and programs within the family’s community that can be resources for the family.

Seven Functions of the Project

Agencies participating in the project may do some or all of the functions with the families they serve.

Emergency Out-of-Home Care: Safe placement in resource family home or
temporary shelter during law enforcement custody or voluntary care.

Financial Assistance through Flex Funds: Assist families to achieve the maximum self-sufficiency.

Budgeting Assistance: Families will be provided with budgeting assistance or other services to help them in obtaining financial stability or overcome the immediate crisis.

Strengths-Based Assessment and Plan of Care: The process of determining strengths, weaknesses and needs of the family. The identification of specific goals and the selection of activities and services to achieve them. This includes various strengths/needs assessments utilized by agencies and adolescent/parent crisis mediation services.

Connection of Community Services: The connection of children and families to
appropriate services within the agency and/or the community.

Monitoring Progress: The continuous evaluation of the families’ progress. Supportive, problem-solving, and crisis intervention assistance for families coping with problems or crises of life and the normal processes of growth and development.

Delivery of Services: Delivery of one or more services within the plan of care. This could be prevention through education and other developmental services. It may be working with children and families through Ansell-Casey Life Skills, Choices groups, education during out-of-school suspensions, drug/alcohol intervention, or therapy.