NC FAMILY FORWARD

Who We Are:

NC Family Foward Project was created by a  groups of parents, grandparents, relatives, and individual professionals, who have experienced working with Child Protective Services (CPS) and the family court system in North Carolina first hand, and who had a desire to use their experience and knowledge to make genuine improvements in the NC child welfare system and in the lives of families at risk. 

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Our Beliefs:

We believe that every family deserves the chance to be empowered with the knowledge and tools they need to advocate for their family.  We believe that birth and kinship families have rights and should have the ability to advocate and exercise their rights. We believe by taking a non-adversarial role towards working in partnership with child welfare agencies, governmental and non-governmental organizations. we will assist in the timely permanency outcomes for children and their families as well as assist in the restoration of the family unit.

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Our Mission:  

To promote restoration of families through Support, Education, Advocacy and Training.

To shift the focus and utilization of funding from incentivizing adoption toward strengthening families and creating a community of healthy in-tact

   family units.

Our Vision:

To be a statewide network of family advocates who partner and engage with families across state systems.

 

Our Purpose:

To initiate positive change in the lives of families, community partners, and stakeholders through efforts based upon understanding, compassion and love. We are a non-adversarial, non-profit organization with a heart for the family.  We believe in the restoration of families and not just reintegration, "Because There Is No Perfect Family"!  Each family is unique in their own right and should be treated with the love and respect they deserve. Our role is not to judge families but to guide and/or equip families with the tools and services to advocate for their family needs, strengthen their family bonds and to assist other families along they way. NC Family Forward is aware that it takes a village to successfully support birth and kinship families, foster and adoptive families as well as youth who have aged out of the child welfare system. That is why NC Family Forward partners with groups and agencies who have joined together in collaboration to promote and advance safety, permanency, and well-being for children and their families involved with, or at risk of becoming involved with the child welfare system by providing Support, Education, Advocacy and Trainings for children, families, child welfare agencies, policy makers and the society at large.

 

Goals:

• To provide Support, Education, Advocacy and Training opportunities to at risk families interacting with the child welfare system.

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• To provide Support, Education, Advocacy and Training opportunities to and all families involved in or not involved in the child welfare.  .

 

• To establish, engage, support, sustain and include the family voice and family involvement in child welfare.

 

• To provide families who are seeking assistance and/or desire to improve their family well-being through prevention services.

 

• To seek out opportunities to collaborate and partner with child welfare practitioners and community partners who aspire to positively improve the lives of the families in their communities. 

 

• To incorporate the six guiding principles from the Family Centered System of Care which are; Youth and Family Involvement, Individualized Strengths Based Care, Cultural Competece, Community Based Services, and Accountability into every service offered.

 

• To promote opportunities of engagement, support, collaboration and partnerships among birth parents and other caregivers and resources, including, but not limited to foster parents, adoptive parents, relatives/kin, child welfare services, social service practitioners, law enforcement, court services, policy makers, and society at large.

 

• To provide resources to families that encompasses the whole person - Mentally, Emotionally and Spiritually.

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What We Do:

• Offer local support for families involved with CPS

• Work with families to help prevent child removals 

• Help parents reunify with their children quicker and more often

• Provide support for parents and children, before, during, and after their case is closed. 

• Advocate for parents involved with family court

• Bridge communication and ensure families have a voice

• Educate parents on their rights and the family court process 

• Provide an environment for parents to meet like-minded, simularly situated individuals, and those who have successfully navigated the process 

• Provide counseling, and parenting insights for "after removal" traumas

• Provide advocacy and leadership training for individuals who need to be a part of the "solution."

• Policy Reform

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The NC Family Forward Project has teamed up with several organizations, advocates, attornies, counselors, childcare professionals, and family court veteran parents to devolop three programs designed to obtain the project's goals. 

 

• Peer Support Groups

• NC PALs Parent Advocate Leadership Program 

• NC Coalition for Parent Advocacy

 

For more information about indivdual programs, and the goals accomplished by each, click the "projects" tab in the menu bar!