|
Improving the Quality of Family Life in Erie County |
Principles and Values
Vision
For any organization, and certainly for any
collaborative effort to succeed, there must be a consensus on the
foundation on which that collaboration rests. The Family & Children
First Council of Erie County’s vision is that we are
“Improving the Quality of Family Life in Erie
County”. We do this with a commitment to the following
beliefs:
 |
Families are our most important human resource,
and their children our most vulnerable class of citizens. Children
with multiple needs are at an even higher risk of failure in
becoming self-reliant adults. We believe that our forum can create
ideas and influence policy. |
|
|
We will positively influence an array of systems,
which already exist to support families, and with these systems form
a safety net of support. |
|
|
The child serving systems will one day coalesce
at all levels, so that children and families will be offered
complete services which will support them and form an unbreakable
chain. |
|
|
Children and families will be nurtured and
protected by an all-encompassing system, which will wrap around them
according to their unique needs. |
|
|
That one day, in Erie County, every family will
be afforded the opportunity to secure supportive and educational
services to fully enhance the lives of our families and children.
|
Mission
In tandem with that vision is the following:
The Family & Children First Council shall assure
that services to families and children are delivered in a timely,
effective, and coordinated manner and in the least restrictive
environment. It is our intent to achieve local collaborative
decision making to create partnerships within the community to
ensure that families and children of Erie County will have the
nutrition and health care needed to have healthy minds and bodies;
families will understand and address the developmental needs of
their children; and family members will be literate and possess the
knowledge and skills necessary to be productive and responsible
citizens.
Guiding Principles:
Our Family & Children First Council is geared to
improve services to multi-need children and families. With that in mind
our Family & Children First Council supports the following:
|
|
The system of care shall include a comprehensive
array of effective services. |
|
|
Services shall be individualized to meet the
unique needs of the child and family and will address the eight life
domain areas. |
|
|
The array of services shall be the least
restrictive and most appropriate. |
|
|
Families and surrogate families shall be full
participants in the planning and delivery of services.
|
|
|
Children shall receive services that are
integrated and coordinated across agencies.
|
|
|
Early intervention and prevention programs shall
be promoted in order to enhance the opportunities for success.
|
|
|
The rights of children and families shall be
protected. |
|
|
Services shall reflect the cultural and ethnic
diversity of the community and its residents.
|
Erie County Family & Children First
is a collaboration of the:
|
|
Parents of Erie County Children
|
|
|
Mental Health & Recovery Board of Erie/Ottawa
Counties |
|
|
Erie County Health Department
|
|
|
Erie County Commissioners
|
|
|
Erie County Department of Job & Family Services
|
|
|
Erie County Family Court
|
|
|
Erie County Board of MR/DD
|
|
|
Sandusky City Schools
|
|
|
Erie/Ottawa/Huron Educational Service Center
|
|
|
City of Sandusky |
|
|
Ohio Department of Youth Services
|
|
|
Erie/Huron CAC |
|
|
The United Way of Erie County
|
|
|
The Help Me Grow Early Intervention Collaborative
|
|
