Focused on Keeping Families Together

CFI’s Family-Centered Services (FCS) team builds and maintains safe, healthy families. CFI provides FCS through a contract with the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Families are typically referred for FCS services through a child abuse assessment, juvenile court order, or as caregivers voluntarily contact HHS for assistance. The program provides intensive assessment, intervention and skill-building for families to address issues that put children at risk of being abused.

FCS services include:

Motivational Interviewing

Core evidenced based case work is the foundation of the FCS program.

Family Interactions

Visitation for biological parents and their children to see one another safely and with staff supervision.

Family Preservation

10-day crisis service to prevent child removal and can be renewed for up to 30 days total.

Non Agency cases

Staff are case managers in cases with no court involvement.

SafeCare

18 week evidenced based parenting curriculum for caregivers with children ages 0-5. Focuses on child health, home safety and parent/child and parent/infant interactions.

Kinship

Supportive services to relative/non-relative placements to help preserve the placement. Assists with the RRTS referral, provides resources and advocates for the caregivers.

Family Focused Meetings

Meetings facilitated by our FFM facilitators and held with parents, HHS workers, staff, and legal parties to work through case details, discuss strengths and needs and allow for courageous conversations about case direction and planning.

Youth Transition Decision-Making(YTDM) Facilitation

YTDM are youth centered meetings that use a team approach to promote self-sufficiency and assist the youth in having a plan to help them achieve their goals and dreams as they approach adulthood.

Family Time Program

Service via referral from Polk County Safe Babies Court which implements a “Visit Host” approach to provide Family Time (parent child visitation) as a strategy for increasing quality and quantity of parent/child interactions building upon families’ natural supports. Mental health and substance use disorder therapy services provided as needed. Contracted by the University of Iowa through funds provided by the Iowa Department of Public Health through the US Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration.

CFI’s FCS program serves families referred by HHS in the Des Moines Service Area – Polk, Madison, Marion, and Warren Counties, and a portion of the Western Service Area – Adair, Adams, Clarke, Decatur, Lucas, Ringgold, Union, and Wayne Counties.