Our Priorities
Each year, our Council members craft our Shared Plan, also called a Child Well Being Plan, for the state. In the plan, we highlight our priorities for meeting needs, and making life better for children and families.
By law, FCFCs focus on specific priorities:
- expectant parents and newborns thriving
- infants and toddlers thriving
- children being ready for school
- children and youth succeeding in school
- youth choosing health behaviors
- youth successfully transitioning into adulthood, and
- a detailed procedure for how to coordinate services.
At a Glance
Our priorities, and the programs that help us reach our goals:
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Mission | Vision | Values
Local leaders on the Family & Children First Council support the well-being of children from prenatal care until the transition to adulthood, with programs, partnerships, and proven approaches.
Mission
As the policy and planning entity for Cuyahoga County, the Family & Children First Council convenes partners to prepare children and youth for healthy, stable adulthood, by supporting programming and planning that increases the self-sufficiency and decision-making abilities of families, prevents children from becoming deeply involved in public systems, and better connects the services a child really needs.Vision
Cuyahoga County will be a community comprised of strong, stable families, with each being able to provide for the basic needs, health, and education of its members.Values
Our public systems partners developed principles and values that we follow every day.
Three Guiding Principles
- No Wrong Door
- Lead System
- Cross-System Planning
Service Values
The Council also drafted a comprehensive set of service values: FCFC member agencies shall incorporate these values within their own system. The values serve as a foundation for FCFC.
- Services are family centered; driven by the needs of children, youth and families; and built on strengths.
- Services empower both parents to take personal responsibility for the needs of their families.
- Policies and practices of organizations always support and include both parents to enhance the parent-child relationship rather than undercut or isolate either parent from his/her child.
- Services are comprehensive, and a continuum of services are available.
- Services focus on primary prevention, early intervention, and strengthening the ability of children, youth, and families to help themselves.
- Services are accessible immediately to meet a child/family’s needs.
- Services are of high quality and developmentally appropriate, with timely evaluations.
- Services are provided by culturally competent providers.
- Services are community based and community delivered, allowing referrals to be made to contiguous communities. Services must be delivered in the least restrictive environment to meet the child and family's needs (e.g., placement of children out-of-home).
- Prevention, rather than intervention, is the underlying principle.
- Families with needs are identified as early as possible, and linked to the necessary services and supports.
- Education and awareness are the key components in all systems of care.
- All services must be monitored and assessed in a quantifiable, measurable, way. Service providers are held accountable for outcomes.
- Relevant data are collected to facilitate on-going comprehensive policy and program evaluation.
Areas of Accountability
Service Coordination
Each community needs a way for families and caring professionals to work together to keep children and teens healthy. Service Coordination is a process for child-serving systems and community providers to link families to necessary services or resources—as a team, with families in decision-making roles. It is a youth- and family-driven collaborative planning process that supports children and preserves families through the development of a coordinated cross-system plan inclusive of community services, supports, and resources. Family & Children First Council convenes the Service Coordination Team of professionals who, with the families, develop solutions for children who are involved or at risk for involvement in multiple public systems, like child welfare, mental health, developmental disabilities, or juvenile justice.
Child Well Being
By state law, the Family & Children First Council develops and implements a Child Well Being Plan with the goal of increasing the well-being of young people in our area. Historically, our annual plan excels in inventing new approaches to achieve better results for families and children.