Child & Family Services of Northeast Michigan

Families First is an in-home counseling program designed to help families in crisis remain together when their children are at risk of out-of-home placement. The services are short-term, but intensive, providing what would be a years worth of traditional counseling in a four to six week period. Child & Family Services currently has two teams providing services in 12 Northeast Michigan counties. Families First seeks to give families choices, to help families change. Families First accommodates the needs and goals of each family. Every family has strengths and Families First uses those strengths to conquer weaknesses. Recognizing that every child has a right to their family, we strive to keep families together and prevent unnecessary out-of-home placement. Our caseworkers are advocates, not judges. The objective is to intervene, not interrupt or interfere.

Program Goals

• To keep families together by diminishing or removing the risk as family strengths are identified and enhanced.
• To change public perceptions about the potential and benefits of safely serving high risk families in their homes and communities.
• To significantly reduce Michigans out of home placements for high risk children.
• To be, when possible, a more humane and cost efficient alternative to foster care placement recognizing that in the past not enough attention was given to the risk of separating children from their families.

Please Note: All referrals are made by F.I.A. (Family Independent Agency), Protective Services, or foster care and court workers within our twelve county region. For more information call in Alpena (989) 354-8711 or 1-800-322-0867