Family preservation is a child welfare approach built on the idea that most children are best served by staying in their own home when it can be made safe, rather than being removed into foster care. Agencies that emphasize family preservation offer intensive, time-limited services aimed at resolving the specific conditions that triggered a safety
A child welfare approach that provides intensive support services to keep children safely in their own homes rather than removing them.
Family reunification is the process of safely returning a child in foster care to the parent or caregiver from whom they were removed, and it remains the most common permanency outcome nationally for children who enter foster care. Reunification becomes possible once a parent has addressed the specific safety concerns documented at the time of
The process of safely returning a child in foster care to the parent or caregiver from whom they were removed.
Food insecurity describes the condition of lacking reliable access to enough affordable, nutritious food to meet a households needs. In the United States, the Department of Agriculture measures food insecurity annually through a household survey, tracking both the share of households affected and the severity of food access problems they report. How Food Banks Operate
The condition of lacking reliable access to enough affordable, nutritious food, and the charitable network of organizations that distribute food to address it.
Foster care is a system of temporary substitute care for children removed from their own homes because a court or agency has determined the home is unsafe. Children in foster care may live with relatives, with unrelated foster families, or in a group or residential setting, depending on their needs and what is available in
A system of temporary substitute care for children who cannot safely remain in their own home.
Geriatric care management is a professional service that helps older adults and their families navigate the often complex array of healthcare, housing, and social service decisions that arise as a person ages. Geriatric care managers are typically licensed social workers or nurses with specialized training in aging-related needs and the local service landscape. Common Services
A professional service that helps older adults and their families navigate healthcare, housing, and social service decisions related to aging.
Homelessness services encompass the network of shelters, housing programs, and support services designed to help people experiencing homelessness find and maintain stable housing. Communities typically organize these services across a continuum ranging from emergency shelter for immediate crisis needs to permanent supportive housing for people with more complex, long-term needs. The Housing First Approach Housing
The network of shelters, housing programs, and support services designed to help people experiencing homelessness find and maintain stable housing.
Hospice and palliative care are related but distinct approaches to medical care focused on comfort and quality of life for people with serious illness, rather than treatment aimed at curing the underlying condition. Both emphasize managing pain and other symptoms, but they differ in eligibility and how they fit alongside other medical treatment. Distinguishing the
Specialized medical care focused on comfort and quality of life for people with serious or terminal illness, rather than curative treatment.
Housing assistance programs are government and nonprofit initiatives designed to help people afford or access stable housing, ranging from rental subsidies to programs that help first-time buyers purchase a home. The largest such program in the United States is the Housing Choice Voucher program, commonly known as Section 8, which subsidizes rent for eligible low-income
Government and nonprofit programs that help people afford or access stable housing.
Kinship care is the placement of a child with a relative or a close family friend when the child cannot safely remain with a parent. Federal law and most state statutes require agencies to consider relatives first before placing a child with an unrelated foster family, reflecting a policy preference for keeping children connected to
The placement of a child with a relative or close family friend rather than an unrelated foster family when a child cannot stay with their parents.
Long-term care refers to ongoing support services for people who need help with daily activities over an extended period, due to aging, chronic illness, or disability. Unlike acute medical care aimed at curing a specific condition, long-term care focuses on helping someone manage daily functioning, which may continue indefinitely. Settings for Care Long-term care spans
Ongoing support services for people who need help with daily activities over an extended period due to aging, illness, or disability.