Resource Library
The Better Together Vision Starter Guide
The Better Together Vision Starter Guide
The Better Together vision strives to see every child in a loving family, embraced within a collaborative community. Moving towards a vision of Better Together will reflect the specific challenges and opportunities facing your community. But rallying people around a shared vision of Better Together for vulnerable children and families is a crucial first step. The vision can serve … Read more
See all resource detailsThe Better Together Vision Overview
The Better Together Vision Overview
The Better Together vision is intended to unify a global movement of churches, organizations, agencies and advocates who are serving vulnerable children and families in their communities. As you gather local leaders of churches, NGOs and agencies in your communities, we encourage you to affirm this vision as part of your own – not to replace … Read more
See all resource detailsBetter Together: Network Assessment
Better Together: Network Assessment
Our goals in this survey is to capture the progress made toward supporting family and community based care, engaging Christians to action in serving vulnerable children and families, and promoting evidence-based approaches and practices when serving children and families. In addition, we hope to understand the network’s effectiveness to achieve these things, as well as … Read more
See all resource detailsA Journey Together
A Journey Together
CAFO would like to invite you and your staff into an experience that has been very meaningful for our team this year. Through 2022, we engaged in what we called the CAFO “Spiritual Formation Calendar.” Every month, we explored together a different spiritual formation practice — from solitude and Sabbath to gratitude, pruning, and generosity. Each … Read more
See all resource detailsJanuary 2023 Virtual Collaborate: Feeding and Forming the Soul on a Journey Together
January 2023 Virtual Collaborate: Feeding and Forming the Soul on a Journey Together
The essence of ministry is pouring out from ourselves. To continue in effective ministry, leaders need rhythms of receiving so our wells do not run dry. While we offer many things to others in this field (best practices, resources, training, services, etc), the most important is the presence of Jesus. It is this presence that … Read more
See all resource detailsApril 2023 Virtual Collaborate: Family Strengthening
April 2023 Virtual Collaborate: Family Strengthening
During this key topic presentations on Family Strengthening, invited speakers cover best practices or key points through lecture/presentation, panel discussions, or live interviews. Audience interaction occurs through polls, chat, and Q&A. In this recorded presentation, we explore best practices for family strengthening across cultures. We consider what it looks like to implement family strengthening principles … Read more
See all resource detailsCollaborate+ Host Guide
Collaborate+ Host Guide
This guide is intended to provide targeted coaching, resources, and information you will need as you plan your Collaborate+ event. This is your event, and our hope is that any content we provide will be contextualized as needed for your local culture. We are so glad you are here and we look forward to walking … Read more
See all resource detailsEngaging Local Cultures
Engaging Local Cultures
Every country has indigenous cultures with varying degrees of influence. Whether it be First Nations peoples in North America or tribal culture in Africa, indigenous leaders and culture hold influence and significance within large portions of the population. Indigenous communities have historically not been heavily engaged in collaboration regarding child welfare. Cultural leaders have great … Read more
Hosting Wise Short-term Missions
Hosting Wise Short-term Missions
In a previously published resource, Wise Short-Term Missions: Principles and Practices to Benefit Vulnerable Children and Families, CAFO highlights both the risks and the benefits of short-term missions. Too often, short-term missions may not be led with a long-term mindset or do not include quality consideration of the best interests of the children, or needs … Read more
Child Protection Principles & policies
Child Protection Principles & policies
This Thought Leadership from Collaborate resource is a summarization of the Virtual Collaborate discussions from the Child Protection Principles & Policies DISCUSS session in July 2020. As leaders of programs caring for vulnerable children and families, protecting children and vulnerable adults needs to be at the center of all we do. The goal is to … Read more
Soul Health for Leaders in Anxious Times
Soul Health for Leaders in Anxious Times
In a March 2021 Virtual Collaborate DISCUSS session, over 50 global leaders from 30 nations brainstormed about strategies for nourishing the soul health of champions in their networks. This publication is the summary of those discussions.
Local Fundraising
Local Fundraising
In an August 2021 Virtual Collaborate DISCUSS Session, over 40 global leaders from 20 nations brainstormed about local fundraising in their cultural contexts. This booklet is a summary of that discussion.
Keys to Home
Keys to Home
During Collaborate 2018, over 120 global leaders from 33 nations brainstormed about shifting cultural mindsets within their nations towards Family Care. This publication is a summary of those discussions. The number of children currently in the care of orphanages and other institutions worldwide is overwhelming. Weak family structures, insufficient support systems, cultural stigmas around orphans, … Read more
Shifting Awareness to Action
Shifting Awareness to Action
We are living in an age of information overload. It seems like every date on the calendar is dedicated to a different cause, and while awareness is important, we know people who are simply given more information are unlikely to change their beliefs or behaviors. Awareness without action does not lead to change. Without defining … Read more
Community Mapping (Collaborate Thought Leadership)
Community Mapping (Collaborate Thought Leadership)
Vulnerable children and families have very diverse needs, and no one program can fulfill all of them. “It takes a village to raise a child,” is an African proverb that means that children grow best when supported by an entire community of people. Supporting the development of that system is one way organizations can support … Read more
Engaging Government
Engaging Government
During Collaborate 2019, over 120 global leaders from 30+ nations brainstormed about key principles for engaging government. This publication is a summary of those discussions.