Family Stabilization

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FAMILY STABILIZATION INITIATIVE

New paths to empowering families to stay together.

Launched in January 2021, our Family Stabilization Initiative is a three-year project where we are awarding $2.9 million in grants to organizations in our network located in four target states: Alaska, Montana, South Dakota and Washington.

The work under this initiative expands services in underserved communities in the target states and activates community networks to address the disproportionate number of children of color separated from their families. In the first year of the initiative, our teams across the four states have already successfully engaged nearly 40 local partners to support the transformative goals under this project.

Realizing the promise of the Family First Prevention Services Act.

The landmark bipartisan Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA), which became law in February 2018, represents the most significant reform to federal child welfare policy in decades. Through our Family Stabilization Initiative, we are working with local and state partners to leverage this legislation and create new pathways that increase the number of children who can remain safely at home with their families.

The Family Stabilization Initiative is part of our Results Innovation Lab, which is working to achieve equitable outcomes for 20,000 children and their families by 2024.

The Family Stabilization Initiative has a goal to reach 580 families in crisis in underserved communities in Alaska, Montana, South Dakota and Washington.

Together We Can

Explore our video series that highlights the work of the Family Stabilization Initiative (FSI). The initiative is proactively working to address disparities in child welfare systems with the aim of keeping families together.

“Our partnership with Lutheran Services in America is a unique and powerful opportunity to integrate a race equity focus with the C.A.R.E.S. (Caregiver Accessible Resource Education Services) model. Together, we have an opportunity to make a direct impact on the lives of children and families in four communities as well as carry forward this innovative model into other communities across the country.”

Phil Scarpelli

President and Chief Executive Officer,
National Center for Innovation & Excellence

PARTICIPATING MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS

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PARTICIPATING PARTNERS

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NEWS & RESOURCES

Advancing Equitable Outcomes in Child Welfare: A Toolkit for Sustainability (created in partnership with Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago)

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Renada Johnson
Senior Director of Children, Youth and Family Initiatives
rjohnson@lutheranservices.org

Elizabeth Vetter
Senior Program Associate
evetter@lutheranservices.org

Family Stabilization