February 2008Vol. 9, No. 1Resources for Group Decision-Making
Family engagement is increasingly recognized as an essential ingredient for the safety, permanence, and well-being of children involved with the child welfare system. A number of strategies for engaging families involve group decision-making through team meetings or family conferences. While team approaches vary and each has its own set of techniques, all stress the importance of including family and kin as partners who can contribute to finding the best safety and permanency solutions for children.
Recent resources and articles on different types of group decision-making include:
- "Enhancing Child and Family Team Meetings," Children's Services Practice Notes, from the North Carolina Division of Social Services and the Family and Children's Resource Program, Volume 13(1), at www.practicenotes.org/v13n1/cspn-v13n1.pdf (PDF - 488 KB)
- "Using Family Group Conferencing to Achieve Permanency for Youth," by Lisa Merkel-Holguin et al., in American Humane's Protecting Children, Vol. 22(1), at www.americanhumane.org/site/DocServer/PCarticle.pdf?docID=6041
- "Seen But Not Heard? Children and Young People’s Participation in Family Group Decision Making: Concepts and Practice Issues," by Paul Nixon, in American Humane's Protecting Children, Vol. 22(1), at www.americanhumane.org/site/DocServer/PCNixonarticle.pdf?docID=5721
- National Center on Family Group Decision Making website, sponsored by American Humane, at www.americanhumane.org/children/programs/family-group-decision-making/national-center
- The Facilitator, a new national newsletter from the Annie E. Casey Foundation for team decision-making facilitators and supervisors, at www.aecf.org/upload/PublicationFiles/TDM_Newsletter_Issue2.pdf (PDF - 224 KB)
- Resources for team decision-making for supervisors and social workers, including examples of county materials and brochures, from Family to Family California, at www.f2f.ca.gov/team.htm
- Family Group Conferencing webpage on the website of the National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice and Permanency Planning at www.hunter.cuny.edu/socwork/nrcfcpp/info_services/family-group-conferencing.html
- Family Group Decision-Making Approaches webpage on the Child Welfare Information Gateway website at www.childwelfare.gov/famcentered/overview/approaches/family_group.cfm