Information about the two kinds of family cases that Family Preservation (FPS) works with are detailed below.

1. Ongoing Child Protective Services

Families are referred to an Ongoing Child Protective Services case with FPS when Child Protective Services family assessment or investigation has identified that there is a high risk of future child abuse or neglect that can lead to out of home placement, and services are needed to strengthen the family to prevent further abuse/neglect and decrease the risk of foster care. There may be a Court order mandating that the family participate in services, or the family may voluntarily choose to participate in services.

2. Foster Care Prevention Services

Families are referred to a Foster Care Prevention Services case with FPS for the following reasons:

• The Court has determined their children are at risk of entering foster care and the situation does not meet criteria for a CPS response to child abuse or neglect.
• Or a caretaker’s needs place their children at high risk of experiencing child abuse/neglect or being placed in foster care and meet the following criteria:
  
  • There is not a current valid CPS complaint
  • The family voluntarily agrees to participate in services including therapeutic treatment
  • The family may be eligible for support services through the Children’s Services Act and does not have access to case management through another community partner

Family Partnership Meetings (FPM) are strengths-based, structured, and facilitated meetings held at key decision-points during a family’s involvement with the child welfare system.

The Family Preservation Services team is responsible for providing the agency’s Family Partnership Meeting Program.

Family Partnership Meetings bring together parents, guardians, and children with their natural support systems, service providers, and agency staff to work together and make plans that address the children’s safety, stability, and well-being.

Family Partnership Meetings are based on the values listed below.

• Families are the experts on themselves
• All families have strengths and can make well-informed decisions about their children when supported
• Teams often can make better and more creative decisions than individuals
• When families are involved in decision-making and share responsibility with DSS for achieving goals then outcomes improve for their children

Key Decision Points

• Emergency Removal FPM (PDF)
• High Risk/Very High Risk FPM (PDF)
• Placement Change FPM (PDF)
• Initial Foster Care FPM (PDF)
• Permanency Planning FPM (PDF)
• Requested FPM (PDF)

Since May 2019, Albemarle County Department of Social Services (ACDSS), through the Family Preservation Services team, has offered a support group to fathers and adult male figures in the community. This group aims to educate individuals on how the Department of Social Services works with families through different types of cases, while also exploring different needs of individuals in the group.

Discussion topics include the following:

• Understanding the child welfare system
• Substance use support
• Family violence and domestic violence
• Mental health support
• Identifying community resources to address these and other challenges participating fathers may face

The fatherhood support group meets Mondays at the Albemarle County Office Building on Fifth St. in Room A from 6:00pm until 7:30pm, is free of charge and open to the public regardless of whether you live in Albemarle County.

For more information or to enroll, please contact Family Preservation at ACDSS.

Since July 2019, ACDSS, through the Family Preservation Services team, has offered support groups to both men and women who are currently incarcerated at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail. Service workers from both City and County DSS facilitate both support groups as a collaborative effort between the two agencies to reduce recidivism in our local jail population through education, self-esteem building and road mapping with inmates prior to their release.

Topics include the following:

• Understanding the child welfare system
• Discussions on substance use, domestic violence, and mental health as well as options for treatment and support to help participants continue to address these challenges upon their release.
• Education about public assistance benefits, community resources, and housing options that may be available upon their release.

Both support groups meet weekly and interested participants can speak with their case managers at the Albemarle Charlottesville Regional Jail about enrolling.

For more information, please contact Family Preservation at ACDSS.