Program Statement Agency Description:

Program purpose, methods, goals, and philosophies

El Shaddai Family Ranch is a nonprofit California Corporation, exempt from taxation under the Internal Revenue Code 501(c)  (3), dedicated to providing comprehensive care and treatment/non-treatment services to children.

It is our hope that this resource family program described will provide much-needed services to the community. Our resource family program is organized to help meet the overwhelming placement needs of our county social service agencies. We intend to offer our certified resource family homes to children or nonminor dependent's who manifest a wide range of specialized problems including physical, developmental, and psychological and behavioral disabilities or disorders and for those children that require basic care services.

Philosophically, the staff and El Shaddai Foster Family Agency, acknowledge that a child's recovery from the catastrophic effects of abuse, neglect, and extremely poor parenting is not an easy process. We do, however, hold the belief that each individual is ultimately responsible for his or her own life and that healing can gradually occur with placement in a stable, emotionally healthy family in conjuncture with supportive social, educative and psychological services.

When making a placement of a child into a certified foster/resource family, it is our intent that such placement be time-limited and focused upon the goals set forth in the child's needs and services plan. When these goals are met, we gratefully set new goals or transition the child as most beneficial.

The children/nonminor dependent's placed in our certified foster/resource family homes will have the opportunity to receive nurturing parental guidance in a healthy, safe and supportive family setting. The specific goals of our Foster family agency program are the following:

1. Recruit, train and certify a large number of culturally diverse foster/resource family homes;
2. Place children in need of treatment for non-treatment foster care and carefully selected, trained, compatible family homes.
3. Provide services to clients in order to meed specific needs. These services include but are not limited to medical, dental, educational, mental health and counseling, substance abuse and counseling, vocational training, and preparation for reunification or emancipation;
4. Support the foster families in meeting the goals set for clients placed in their homes through whatever means necessary including ongoing training and guidance with agency social work staff;
5. Meet the needs of placing county and regional center agencies through the provision of quality written progress reports, case management, an outside agency consultation;
6. El Shaddai family ranch does not discriminate as to race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender, age, national origin.

El Shaddai Foster Family Agency will provide services or access to services to children and non-minor dependents that are trauma based and culturally relevant. Upon accepting a child or a non-minor dependent (NMD), El Shaddai will evaluate the individual needs of the child or non-minor dependent by discussing the history, cultural, and gender associated with that individual with the county placing agency. In addition, El Shaddai FFA will thoroughly review the child/NMD's County case plan, any psychological reports, educational reports and doctor and dental reports. El Shaddai will utilize a team approach that encourages all persons relevant to the child/NMD's to provide a collaborative approach and necessary supports to ensure that all needs are met that's including but not limited to: counselors, therapists, family members, friends, and human services agencies. In addition, El Shaddai FFA will create a Need and Services Plan that targets any and all current emotional, behavioral, developmental, and psychological needs of the child/NMD. This Needs and Services Plan will be updated every six months or sooner should the need arise.

After review of all documentation and the team meetings, El Shaddai will discuss the necessary steps to ensure the child/NMD dependent is provided with a culturally relevant, trauma informed and developmentally appropriate case plan. In this plan, counseling and mental health services will be addressed. Culturally relevant and community based extra-curricular activities and interventions will be incorporated such as education, religious services, cultural community events, as well as incorporating education for the foster/resource parents and/or attempting to match foster/resource parents with children/non-minor dependent is from the same cultural background.

Trauma-based practices will be incorporated that address the child/NMD's individual experience with trauma. Counseling and inventions will focus on the child/NMD's interrelationship between past and current trauma and presenting behaviors, emotions, thoughts, etc. The team approach will allow the child/NMD to incorporate all of the components of the child or non-minor dependent rather than only targeting parts. This will provide a fluid experience that encompasses the child or NMD's current and past needs and experiences based upon where that individual is emotionally, developmentally, and psychologically.

Goals and objectives will be measured through the use of the needs and services plan, progress reports, educational reports, and incidences or lack there of incident reports. In addition, the FFA social worker will make direct contact with the child or NMD and the foster/resource parent at least twice a month. At that time, the FFA social worker will encourage a dialogue with the child or NMD to evaluate and document current behaviors, successes, therapeutic processes, and the overall satisfaction of the placement. The FFA social worker will utilize an evaluation tool to determine if the current case plan is working and it's effectiveness. In addition, all mental health services will be documented on an agency form to evaluate the satisfaction and frequency of service. Monthly, contact with the county placing agency social worker will be documented by the FFA social worker and changes to the case plan will be based upon successes and or failures. This practice will assist in ensuring all aspects of the child or non-minor dependent's needs are being addressed and it will highlight areas that need additional support or change.