FAMILY PRESERVATION SERVICES
We understand that families sometimes need a helping hand. Kids Central has a number of programs in place to link Central Florida families with services that help them thrive. These include initiatives like Healthy Start for expectant mothers, neighborhood resource centers, the Family Resource Center, and more. We work with local families to help them stay happy, healthy, and together.
Family Preservation Services are similar to prevention programs in that they are designed to prevent or reduce child abuse or neglect. Family Preservation Services are intended to assist families in avoiding removal of children from their homes by providing services in the home. As a key component of Family Preservation, Kids Central utilizes internal diversion programs to divert families from the formal child welfare system.
SERVICES AVAILABLE
Nurturing Parenting Program (NPP)
The Nurturing Parenting Program assists families facing a variety of parenting challenges and focuses on positive changes in parenting and raising children. Participating families learn about developmental milestones, discipline techniques, the importance of bonding and attachment, and many other valuable parenting skills. This program helps parents develop concrete parenting skills as well as the importance of nurturing parent-child relationships.
Family Team Conference (FTC)
Family Team Conferences establishes a team to work together with the family, such as friends and neighbors, community members and professionals, who join to develop plans and build natural supports that will sustain the family over time ensuring safety, stability, and permanency. Family Team Conferencing evolved from the way that families form their own natural helping system to meet needs and solve problems.
FTC empowers the family to come up with a plan to address their needs while ensuring the safety of the children.
Family Connections Collaborative (FCC)
Family Connections Collaborative works with vulnerable families by providing in-home services to help with parent education, emergency needs, family support, counseling, and community resources. The goal is to provide services to help strengthen families during stressful circumstances and to help rebuild a safe and nurturing home for children.
FCC program provides intensive in-home services to help with parent education, emergency concrete needs, and family support, counseling, and community resources.
Safety Management Services (SMS)
Safety Management Services provides intensive, family-centered, strength-based, and solution-focused services in the homes of families in crisis, to prevent placement of abused and neglected children into foster care. Families are connected to community resources and supports that increase the strength and likelihood of ongoing success and improving risks to children.
Family Advocate monitors and ensures that families in crisis are stabilized as indicated by the family’s safety plan.
Parent Needs Assistance (PNA)
When a call to the Hotline does not rise to the level of an investigation, or a parent just needs assistance or information, a facilitator contacts the family and provides information and linkage to community resources to enable the family to help themselves and obtain needed services.
Baby Sleep Basics
The Baby Sleep Basics Program is offered to families who reside in Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Marion and Sumter Counties. Families receive SIDS and safe sleep education applicable to children under one year of age. If income and eligibility requirements are met, the family may qualify for a free pack-n-play.
To qualify:
