The goal of the Family Advocacy Center to keep families together through providing layered support and improving the overall functioning and wellbeing of the family.
Although referrals from DCFS for families with open cases or investigations are priority, the Family Advocacy Center can serve individuals with closed cases, post-adoption families, and self-referred families, and those referred from other community agencies as they are able. The program will primarily serve those living in or near St. Clair and Madison Counties.
Our Family Advocacy Centers services are tailored to the individual needs of the communities they serve. In addition to traditional counseling, referral and training services, a typical center may also offer the following services:
24-hour crisis response and systematic support services;
Intensive mediation services;
Counseling for women and children who are victims of domestic violence;
After-school, summer and out-of-school programs;
Parent coaching, mentoring and classes in English and Spanish;
Execution of intervention strategies to support the family reunification process; and
Court ordered supervised child visitation for non-custodial parents.
Community Life Line will be working closing with the local DCFS and POS agencies, when appropriate, in the provision of service to referred families.
Our primary focus is to provide supplemental support to parents involved with child welfare interventions:
1. To help children and youth in care reunite with their natural parents as soon as possible or maintain stability in alternate living arrangements that could possibly lead to or continue permanency.
2. To prevent children from coming into care.
Family advocates play a critical role in connecting clients with resources in the community to address needs including parenting, life skills, domestic violence, housing, clothing, food, financial assistance, legal assistance, medical needs.
