From: KVC West Virginia
Article for the KVC WV web site.
Family preservation services are designed to help families going through crisis and prevent children from having to enter foster care. Separating children from their family due to safety concerns is a traumatic experience that can have physical and mental health repercussions for years. Oftentimes, children don’t need to be removed from the home when parents are provided with empowering services and support from healthcare professionals.
Types of Preservation Services
Services may include drug treatment, parent training, counseling, or behavior management.
- Education and enabling services – This area focuses on improving and empowering parents, often through one-on-one assistance with a therapist or through informal support groups. Focus areas can include financial planning, communication skills, problem-solving skills or conflict management skills.
- Therapeutic services – This can focus on short-term, family-centered services, such as crisis intervention. Long-term services are also available, which can include family counseling, marriage counseling, substance use counseling or mediation.
- Concrete services – Sometimes families struggle maintaining basic needs. To help, family preservation workers can help with housekeeping, transport family members, provide food and financial assistance or connect families with local resources.
Click here for more information on the types of preservation services.
About KVC West Virginia’s Family Preservation Services
Our Family Preservation Services help strengthen families and keep children safely at home rather than exiting into foster care. Our services are designed to:
- Help families remain safely together.
- Divert children from being placed in foster care or a residential treatment center.
- Assist in the reunification of children from out-of-home placement.
- Improve family relationships.
Click here to learn more about our services.
