The Faith to Action Initiative is excited to announce the launch of the much-anticipated Transitioning to Family Care for Children: A Guidance Manual. Just in time for Orphan Sunday on November 13, this manual provides practical guidance and tools for churches, faith-based organizations, donors, and others who are transitioning care for children away from residential care to care within families. This resource is aligned with biblical principles, a strong evidence base, and a growing movement within the Church that affirms the importance of family in every child’s life.

The Guidance Manual provides an overview of the key concepts and steps that are important to a successful transition process, and complements the professional practices, national policies, and international standards necessary for the healthy and safe support of children transitioning from residential to family care. Of note, the Guidance Manual:

  • Provides a framework for understanding the transition to family care, including core principles to keep in mind throughout the process;
  • Offers key considerations for transition planning, including the steps in transitioning to family care and how an organization can raise awareness to bring others along;
  • Explores how to work in partnership with staff, partners, donors, and others to support the transition;
  • Focuses on some of the ways that transitioning care can mean a shift in a business model, such as cultivating resources that fund the cost of the transition and reallocating current assets;
  • Provides an introduction to child-centered case management, including gatekeeping mechanisms to ensure appropriate family placements, key steps in determining placements, developing individual care plans, and preparing children and families for the transition.
  • Explores the “continuum of care” as a range of family-based options for child placement, including family reintegration, kinship care, adoption, and foster care; and
  • Covers tools and concepts for monitoring and evaluation to ensure children are safe and cared for in their family placements.

More than 50 global serving organizations, who have pioneered the way in transitioning care, partnered with Faith to Action to share their expertise and insights to inspire others ready to transition. The Guidance Manual has been made possible through the support of the Lumos Foundation, the Oak Foundation, and the Firelight Foundation.

Within the next few months, Faith to Action will launch the Transitioning to Family Care for Children Tool Kit, which offers an in-depth, web-based resource (over 200 resources) that serves as a companion to this manual. It will allow users to search by specific topics within the transitioning care process to access a range of useful tools, sample case studies, country-specific information, and other resources.

We are grateful for your partnership in the release of this resource. Please share with your networks by:

  • Promoting the Guidance Manual on your listserv or Facebook page;
  • Adding a link to the resource list on your website; or
  • Reviewing the Guidance Manual on your blog or for a Christian periodical.