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Shared Family Care
In Shared Family Care (SFC), parent(s) and children are placed together in the home of a host family who is trained to mentor and support the parents as they develop skills and supports necessary to care for their children independently. SFC can be used to prevent out-of-home placement, to provide a safe environment for the reunification of a family that has been separated, or to help parents consider other permanency options, including relinquishment of parental rights.
Shared Family Care
Abandoned Infants Assistance Resource Center (1997)
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A family lives with a parenting mentor to prevent child placement or support reunification efforts by improving parenting skills and parent-child relationships.
Shared Family Care Evaluation Plan (PDF - 175 KB)
National Abandoned Infants Assistance Resource Center (2003)
Evaluation of the effectiveness of Shared Family Care.
Shared Family Care: Fostering the Whole Family to Promote Safety and Stability
Price & Wichterman
Journal of Family Social Work, 7(2), 2003
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An overview of the model that identifies existing programs in the United States, discusses key elements, summarizes outcomes and comparative cost information, identifies implementation challenges, and provides tips for starting a Shared Family Care program in any community.
Shared Family Care: Providing Services to Parents and Children Placed Together in Out-of-Home Care
Barth & Price
Child Welfare, 78(1), 1999
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Describes several innovative types of shared family care, emphasizing the shared family foster care model and programs designed to serve adolescent mothers, adult parents, and their children.
Shared Family Care: Restoring Families Through Community Partnerships
National Abandoned Infants Assistance Resource Center (2003)
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A 7.5-minute videotape provides a brief overview of the key elements of shared family care.
State and local examples
Annual Report on Shared Family Care: Progress and Lessons Learned (June 2001 to May 2002) (PDF - 175 KB)
National Abandoned Infants Assistance Resource Center (2002)
Activities and outcomes of programs designed to help families achieve permanency for their children and move toward self-sufficiency.
Whole Family Mentoring: Bridging Communities
National Abandoned Infants Assistance Resource Center (2000)
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In this 22-minute videotape, professionals, families accessing services, and mentor families discuss their experiences with SFC. Also discussed are the approaches, establishment, and effectiveness of the programs.