Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition Logo
Our Programs

Family Works

Family Works engages families through in-home therapeutic support to promote cohesion and healing.

In-Home Therapeutic Support

Our children have experienced high levels of trauma, and healing from trauma happens 24/7 in the home environment. However, sometimes caregivers feel overwhelmed by their children’s needs. Many of us on staff have been there, which is why we created Family Works.

Our uniquely, highly-qualified, highly-trained specialists provide up to one year of in-home services to increase caregivers’ skills. The results are remarkable!

  • We were in crisis mode when we started talking with [our Specialist]. She helped us through, supported us when we were completely run down and gave us the tools to deal with things. She saw solutions and ideas that we didn’t see, and this was crucial to getting through that chapter of challenges.”
    – Anonymous

How Does It Work?

Family Works is not weekly therapy, rather it is a therapeutic service built around the family. Working together, the family and specialist complete an assessment to determine the family’s needs. From there, a service plan to improve family relationships is developed.

  • The service plan includes goals related to measurable domains: parental capabilities, family interactions, child wellbeing, problem solving, and emotional climate.
  • The Specialist meets with their family regularly to review progress, celebrate the successes, and improve family functioning. In-home services are provided at least once per week, but can be more frequent. The Specialist is available to the family as much as needed via phone, Zoom, text and email.

What Makes It Unique?

Family Works is rooted in the only therapeutic model proven to be effective with youth–ages 3-20–impacted by foster care: Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP). Through the lens of attachment theory, DDP offers a path towards healing.

Our Specialists teach parents how to help their child: feel safe; regulate fear, shame, anger or sadness; and internalize their worth in the face of trauma and loss. It’s hard work, but we have seen hundreds of parents succeed.

Traditional parenting tools don’t always meet the needs of children who’ve experienced trauma. Family Works helps caregivers grow their skills in a way that fosters connection, builds confidence, and creates space for healing at home.

Measuring Impact

Children remain in or move to stable placements

of families have improved relationships**

* measured by the Parental Stress Scale
**as measured by the Global Assessment of Relational Functioning (GARF)

Who is Eligible?

Children ages 3–20 who:

  • Must live in St. Louis City or the counties of St. Louis, St. Charles, Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, or Warren
  • Is currently in foster care, or who has exited foster care to guardianship or adoption

Contact the Coalition CareLine

If you have an emergency, call 911.

Name

In what state do you reside?
Please select one:
Please select what you would like assistance with:
Please select the best time(s) to call:

Please expect an initial response within 48 business hours.
Responses are provided during regular business hours: M-Fri 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

If you have any trouble submitting this form, please contact the Coalition at 314-367-8373 and leave your full name and phone number and someone will return your call.