Our IFPS team will work with more than 450 families this year.
Every year, many families in North Carolina are at imminent risk of out-of-home placement for their children. Children’s Home Society’s Intensive Family Preservation Services (IFPS) can make the difference in keeping families together. “The purpose of the program is to keep families together – to empower the families we work with to parent their children in a safe and loving manner,” said Renee Wilson, IFPS Program Supervisor. “We want to be able to pull on the strengths of the family – every family has something they are good at – we want those strengths to empower the family.” The program is considered intensive because specialists spend at least 10 hours per week working one-on-one with the families for 28 days. The program model allows for a deeper view of the family as a whole. Freddie Paige, IFPS Specialist, says, “When I think of ‘intensive’ it’s about always being available. I’m there 24/7 even if it’s just to have a conversation. Sometimes it just takes a conversation when the anxiety rolls in, to have a sounding board to help maneuver through the process.” Specialists also work to help clients navigate community resources so that they can succeed after case closure at 28 days and beyond.
“A lot of our services are based on helping families meet concrete needs,” says Renee. “If you are going to be evicted next week, you’re not listening to what I’m telling you about your parenting skills. We try to knock out those concrete needs so we can then focus on parenting. But, most of the time we are doing this simultaneously, so if we are driving to look for your next house, we are also talking about how you can talk with your children better.”
An IFPS Client, Taren, who was also a youth in foster care, says when her family became at-risk, “All of the things that happened to me as a child came back. You don’t want that for your children. CHS was the best thing that happened to me in that situation.“
Impressive Stats – Families Still Intact after working with our IFPS team:
- 99% of Case Closure
- 94% at Six Months
- 94% at 12 Months
