DCF Involved Family Support

The Family Support program at Family & Children's Agency provides guidance and support for families involved with the Department of Children & Families as well as those facing custody, visitation, or divorce issues. This program works to promote the safety and emotional stability for all family members involved. Our social workers are trained to promote the safety and well-being of families by building and strengthening familial relationships and connecting families to community resources. 

By closely working with the Department of Children & Families, FCA's Family Support programs offer services through assessment, strength- and home-based visitation and support, parenting education, parenting skills, budgeting, job skills, case coordination, and access to community resources. 

The Intensive Family Preservation Program (IFP) is an in-home program designed to guide eligible families to adopt safe and effective coping skills and parenting methods so children who have been exposed to some level of child abuse or neglect can safely remain in their homes and avoid placement into foster care. The program provides home-based case management, crisis intervention, parenting education, advocacy, coordination with community service providers, and assistance with concrete needs. The program is strength-based, assists parents in improving parent-child relationships, and helps families attain stability. 

Reunification and Therapeutic Family Time provides clinical support for families whose child(ren) are removed from their homes by DCF and whose goal is reunification. By offering three methods of support, Families are placed in the RTFT component best suited to their needs. Robust assessments are offered to determine if reunification is appropriate for a particular family and to formulate the next steps. Reunification is a 4-6 month staged program to transition families from supervised visitation to reunification and post-reunification support.

RTFT also offers parent coaching to promote attachment and help parents to positively engage with their children during visits offered in-home and in the community. RTFT social workers utilize a strength-based approach and help identify and address family needs by providing case management and connecting families to community resources.

Kinship caregivers provide comfort, familiarity and stability when a child needs it most. It’s a vital role, but it can be challenging. Kinship Navigation from CKIN helps ensure caregivers can access the many resources and services they need to succeed.

CKIN provides support to kinship caregivers without interfering in how you raise a child. It’s voluntary, and you choose the type and amount of support you need, including:

• Access to public and private resources that can help with essential needs, such as:
  • Diapers, clothing, food and housing
  • Physical and mental health services
  • Education and recreation
  • Legal assistance
• Assistance with navigating the child welfare system if needed
• Connection to other kinship caregivers for peer support

IFP, RTFT, and CKIN services are by DCF referral only

The Supportive Housing for Families (SHF)® program, in partnership with The Connection Inc., provides families working with the Department of Children & Families (DCF) throughout the state with support services and access to safe, quality, affordable housing. 

Supportive Housing for Families® serves all of Connecticut. FCA works with families for whom housing is a barrier to maintaining custody of or reunifying with their children. By working to secure safe and affordable housing, families can begin the path to self-sufficiency. Once housed, FCA provides intensive case management to ensure families are able to maintain their housing and provide a secure living situation for their family. 

Other partners in this work with The Connection, Inc., include Access Community Action Agency, BH Care, Wellmore Behavioral Health, and Wheeler Clinic. 

SHF® services are by DCF referral only