The County of Ventura Human Services Agency, Children and Family Services (CFS) vision is to offer support, hope and opportunity to families and children in need. It is through this vision we have developed Strengthening VC Families approach.
The goal of helping children and youth in Ventura County is to support the whole child, whole family, and whole community through integration and alignment of services. This goal is achieved by increasing preventative work to keep families together, aligning practices throughout the continuum of health and human services, and active engagement with diverse community partners to strengthen families together.
We Believe
We believe families can keep their children safe with support.
And if they can’t…
We believe children and youth should be cared for in a familiar, nurturing, and safe environment. And while they are in care…
We believe every child and youth is entitled to thrive through stability, family connections, quality treatment and a voice in planning.
We believe, through partnership and support, parents can grow and change in order to safely parent their children. And if the children cannot return home…
We believe all children and youth deserve a sense of belonging and an unconditional commitment in a lifelong family, supported by their communities.
We believe in the power of human relationships to heal and grow. The people who serve and support children, youth and families are our greatest resource.
Our Pillars
SVCF has three pillars we focus on in support of a wellness system.
1. The number one goal area is keeping families together whenever possible and diversion away from entering the child welfare system.
2. The second goal area is swift reunification, should out-of-home care become necessary.
3. The third goal area is timely permanency with family or kin should reunification not be an option. All three priorities encourage lifelong familial connections and support.
At Ventura County Children and Family Services (CFS) we believe in families!
Our agency vision is to offer support, hope and opportunity to those in need. It is through this vision we have developed Strengthening VC Families Umbrella of support programs including:
- • Neighbors Together | Strengthening VC Families
- • Permanency | Strengthening VC Families
- • Resource Families | Strengthening VC Families
- • Businesses With Heart | Strengthening VC Families
- • Faith in Motion (strengtheningvcfamilies.org)
- • Support Youth VC | Strengthening VC Families
- • Ready to Stop VC | Strengthening VC Families
Child Welfare in our country is changing. There is growing recognition around the need to move our efforts upstream in order to preserve families whenever safe and possible. Moving from family separation to a family preservation mindset takes strategic and intentional efforts.
We believe in a culture of compassion where our dedicated staff work with families and lead with innovation to help keep children and youth out of foster care and keep them in their communities of origin. By empowering families, we strengthen communities!
Contact Us
- strengtheningvcfamilies@ventura.org
- www.strengtheningvcfamilies.org
