In 1996, Kansas became the first State in the Union to privatize reintegration/foster care, adoption, and family preservation services. TFI Family Services is one of the State’s contracting child welfare agencies, providing experience, compassion and quality services and care to children and families.

Family Preservation Contract

TFI Family Services currently administers the SRS State Contract for Family Preservation for SRS’ Region Three encompassing 24 counties in Northeast Kansas. Families who are at risk of having their children removed from their homes are referred to TFI for intensive in-home family services. During 2007, TFI served 1,027 families through Family Preservation and 227 children in out of home placement through this contract. The Family Preservation Contract’s focus is to help families who are at a breaking point.

Reintegration and Foster Care Contract

TFI currently administers the SRS State Contract for Reintegration and Foster Care services in SRS’ Region One encompassing 21 counties in Southeast and South central Kansas. TFI served over 1,657 children in 2007 through this contract. The priority for this service is timeliness to permanency and safety for the children.

Contract Services

Both contracts include a team of licensed case managers and family support workers to engage families to assure that they are active participants in developing their own case plan through a Family Centered Practice and Systems of Care model. This allows for thorough family assessments to occur, that adequate community supports/services are identified and that families can access these community support/services. When out of home placement is necessary, TFI works so that siblings are kept together, children are kept close to their home community or school district, that concurrent case planning is implemented when appropriate, and that relative and kinship placements are explored and utilized. A vast array of services provided by TFI or by the community to the families and children include Child Care, Adoption, Transportation, Behavioral Health, Family Foster Care, Residential Treatment, Emergency Shelter Care, Substance Abuse counseling, Respite Care, Life and Parenting Skill training.