Family-Based Solutions

Moving Toward Family Solutions

Preparing for Program Transition

What You Can Expect

We'll provide engaging content, connect you with experienced and trusted facilitators, and you'll walk away with a strategic plan to support your journey.

Engaging Content

Interact with content that includes proven principles, case studies and examples. Reflect on your own program and identify ways to apply promising practices. Connect with other leaders who are on the same journey of moving towards family care.

Experienced facilitators

Our trusted experts will help you navigate this complex transition, ensuring your efforts are impactful and effective.

Personalized Transition Plan

At the conclusion of the course, you will walk away with a personalized strategic plan that will help you prepare for transition, take steps towards transition, and maintain support during and after transition.

About This Course

This course is for you if...

You want to move your residential care program towards family-based solutions for children

You are not yet sure about transitioning your model but are interested in learning more

You are connected with a children’s home as a board member, donor or have other involvement with care reform

Course Content

This hybrid course consists of 8 lessons focused on moving toward family-based solutions for children. Each lesson includes self-paced coursework and a live 2-hour discussion session.

Lesson 1

Orientation

Lesson 1

How can I be a part of the global movement of moving toward family solutions for vulnerable children?

Lesson 5

Child Placement

Lesson 5

How can we ensure the care being provided is in the best interest of children?

Lesson 2

Engagement

Lesson 2

Who should be invited into the transition process, and how?

Lesson 6

Family Assessment & Support

Lesson 6

How do we assess and support families to ensure safe placement?

Lesson 3

Foundations

Lesson 3

What are my program’s strengths and areas needing refinement as we move towards family-based solutions?

Lesson 7

Asset Transition

Lesson 7

What will happen to our caregivers, staff, and physical property if we transition to family care?

Lesson 4

Community Mapping & Partnership

Lesson 4

How can we work together to support children in families?

Lesson 8

Monitoring & Evaluation

Lesson 8

How will we ensure we meet our goal of seeing children in families?

Final Course Project

Develop a Personalized Transition Plan for Your Current Context

This course will prepare you to begin the journey toward family-based solutions for the children you care about.

If we want to move toward family-based solutions for children, we must embrace the process. It is a journey that will not happen overnight and is best accomplished bit by bit. To do the best for children and families, we must develop a good strategy, find support, and take our time. Thankfully, you have come to the right place.

As you progress through the course, you will apply your learning to your current context by completing thought activities related to transition topics each week. These activities will equip you with tools and strategies for your context and culminate in a completed strategic plan for transition that you can implement as you begin the transition process.

Are you ready to take the next step in transitioning toward family solutions?

Frequently asked questions

We typically offer this course once per year. Course dates are shared through our newsletter.

Additionally, you can request to be notified when dates for our next course are available.  

Registration is open to anyone who would like to take this course.

Not necessarily. Those working for a children’s home or other residential care program will be especially prepared to complete this course. However, if you are on the board of a children’s home, are in leadership over a group of children’s homes, are currently working to change the child welfare system in your region to support family care for children, or have another particular interest in the care for vulnerable children and families, this course may be a good fit.

Yes, participants who successfully complete the course requirements will receive a certificate.

Register for this course on the course platform and complete the orientation course content (approx. 45-60 mins).

Yes, this course will have 2-3 hours of homework per week in addition to the 2-hour live class session each week.

The Transition Course is offered in a hybrid format annually for $99, with discounts available for CAFO Member Organizations and teams taking the course together. Once registered, you will have lifetime access to course content. Learning Grants are available for all courses. Don’t let cost stand in the way of your learning!

A Micro-Grant Cohort Program is available for the upcoming 2024 MTFS course. You can apply for the MTFS Micro-Grant Program through January 24, 2024. 

This course will have weekly 2-hour live discussions with all participants online via Zoom.

Participants should plan to attend all live sessions. If you know you will need to miss a session, please wait to take the course until you are able to participate fully each week.

This course is entirely internet-based. You will need an internet connection that is consistent enough to sustain audio via the internet. Sustained video capability is strongly recommended. If you live or work in a place with limited internet access, we encourage you to work to identify a nearby location such as a church, NGO, business, home, or internet cafe with a better connection that would allow you to participate more fully.

Although phones may be sufficient for participation in parts of the course, computers or tablets are strongly recommended. Coursework and live sessions will include a variety of interactive exercises, including typing and screen sharing. If you don’t own a computer or laptop, explore the option of borrowing one for the course duration.

Join us on the journey of moving toward family-based solutions for vulnerable children…together.

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