Lifeline Youth and Family launches program to keep families together

The new program under Indiana's Department of Child Services is now offered in all 92 counties across the state.

A new program puts the state in line with the family first prevention services act.

Fox 55's mallory beard met with organizers to discuss the program's plans to keeps families together to create better lives for children in the foster care system.

Family preservation is the stat department of child services newest program.

And lifeline youth and family services is at the helm to keep parents and children togethero be a y parent for your children is impo tant, and that something that we deal with on life mark terrell says the family preservation model was timely.

Families need to be on the same page when figuring out problems that could lead to a child being sent into the foster care system.markn the past, a family might be served by two or three different providers.

And now family preservation has said we have one provider provide all those serviceserrell says by having one provider, the family is given a more focused and consistent plan to stay together.but terrell also says minimizing the providers relieves the financial burdens on d s.mark e think it gonna give better outcomes.

We thin eventually gonna reduce costs and we feel like it a much better thing for familieshough the program is in its early stages, family coun elor liz day says she optimistic.

But providers must tackle one of the main problems in at risk homes:liz ubstance abuse.

Substance abuse is definitely an issue an something that affects the whole family and not just one person.ay says substance abuse do discriminate.liz t a thing that we face in every family.

We do a ton of a assessments when we start seeing families to see where they are.ifeline staff say more parents abused substances throughout the pandemic.

But at the same time, they want to protect the children from contracting the virus itself.

Utting together safety plans for children as far as if a caregiver or a family member does get the coronavirus...what do you need to do with your children to makee safe?nd ultimately keep families together.liz ur goal is to make sure that children and families are safe and that theye able to stay in their homes.n fort wayne.

I mallory beard, fox 55 news.

The family preservation model was preservation the family preservation model was 3 officially established in june of this year .

The d-c-s program is now offered in all ninety two counties throughout the state.

For more information, check out this story on our website at w-f-