July 11, 2006

The Road to Success

Casey Family Services' divisions operate in the six New England states and in Baltimore, Maryland. In addition to foster care, Casey offers a broad range of services designed to help children and youth to achieve the highest level of legal permanence possible. These services include: family resource centers, family preservation, family reunification, foster care, post adoption, support for families affected by HIV/AIDS, and services for teen parents and young families. In 1999, the agency completed a study of Casey alumni who had transitioned out of the foster care program. The youth transitioning from Casey foster care had better outcomes in several key areas, compared with youth transitioning from more traditional foster care. The hallmark of Casey's work to help foster youth, address problems, and achieve goals has been individualized planning, based on a youth's strengths and needs, and teamwork with the youth. The agency has adopted the Ansell Casey Life-Skills Assessment (ACLSA) as its standardized assessment tool. Results from the assessment guide the individualized planning and service delivery for each foster child and youth.