Founded in 1982 the Institute's mission is to develop, deliver and disseminate evidence based child welfare programs to keep children safe, strengthen families, and reduce the need for placing children into state-funded care. The Institute for Family Development (IFD) provides a range of innovative and cost-effective in-home services to children and families, including HOMEBUILDERS® Intensive Fami
ly Preservation and Intensive Family Reunification Services (IFPS), Parent Child Interaction Training (PCIT), and Functional Family Therapy (FFT). The Institute's Intensive Family Preservation Services and Intensive Family Reunification Services, Parent Child Interaction Training, and Functional Family Therapy, are all demonstrated to effectively address the growing problems of family dissolution, child abuse and neglect, juvenile delinquency and family conflict. In 2006, the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) conducted a meta-analysis of the research about family preservation programs across the country, and concluded that programs with high fidelity to the HOMEBUILDERS® model significantly reduced out of home placement and produced $2.54 of benefits for each dollar spent. Programs with low fidelity to the model produced no significant effect on placement and no cost benefit. The California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare includes the Institute's HOMEBUILDERS® model as one of only five programs identified as being effective in reunifying families. Surgeon General has recognized HOMEBUILDERS® as a model family strengthening program, the Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) has designated HOMEBUILDERS® as a model program for preventing juvenile delinquency, and the program has been accepted into the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Registry of Evidenced Based Programs and Practices to prevent or treat mental health or substance abuse disorders. Research consistently shows that 70% to 90% of referred families remain safely together six months to a year following services . For over 20 years the Institute has provided training and technical assistance nationally and internationally to public and private human service agency professionals. In addition to training and site development for those who wish to implement programs like HOMEBUILDERS® Intensive Family Preservation Services, the Institute offers a wide variety of other training topics. IFD is fully committed to creating an anti-racist, equitable and inclusive agency culture. This aligns with our mission to keep children safe and families together. We recognize that Black, Indigenous and other children of color are disproportionately represented in foster care and the juvenile justice system, LGBTQ+ youth are over-represented in our mental health system and at higher risk of self-harm and suicide, and families living in poverty are more likely to become involved in the child welfare system and stay involved longer than middle income families. Using a trauma-informed approach, we work to mitigate the impact of oppression on the populations we serve. We strive to provide programs and services that are inclusive, respectful and that honor the cultural beliefs, language, abilities, interpersonal styles and values of all individuals. We treat everyone with respect and dignity, and work to ensure that our organizational culture reflects our values of safety, inclusion, accountability, accessibility, and optimism. To move our agency forward with this work, we formed a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Team. This team is comprised of staff volunteers who represent diverse cultures and backgrounds. Our vision and mission for the DEI Team is to lead the agency in our efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion; fight systemic oppression; further develop our anti-racist culture; and enhance our service delivery to ensure Black, Indigenous and people of color are successful in services and not disproportionally represented in out-of-home placement. We enter this equity journey with humility and openness to learning. We know we will make mistakes and those mistakes will help us grow.
