Family & Children Services

For 118 years, Family & Children Services has been the voice of concern and compassion for our most vulnerable citizens. The Agency’s mission is embraced by our Board of Directors and staff, who commit every day to being A Source of Hope for those we serve. Family & Children Services responds to the community and its changing needs, inviting community members to join us through donation and volunteer service.

The Agency offers a continuum of Child Welfare, Behavioral Health and Crisis Services that are strength-based and client-centered, supporting individuals and families as they create healthy changes in their lives.

Family & Children Services is dedicated to – and known for – best practices in human-service delivery in the community.

Family & Children Services is a private, nonprofit, nonsectarian, human service organization that began in 1903. Its mission has remained constant: To support, strengthen and preserve the safety, well-being and dignity of children, individuals and families.

This mission is accomplished through an integrated continuum of Child Welfare, Behavioral Health and Crisis Services that include:

Child Welfare Services:

• Foster Care – Child placement, Foster Parent Recruitment and Licensing, Supervision and Support
• Supervised Parenting Time, Supportive Foster Care Visitation and In-Home Parent Education – Parent Coaching, Child Development and Trauma Training for Parents, Trauma Support Groups
• Foster Care to Adoption Services – Placement and follow-up parenting support

Family Preservation and Parenting Support

• Families First – Intensive, in-home family preservation when removal of children is next step
• Families Together Building Solutions – Moderate intensity prevention of removal through early referral from School Success Coaches or Child Protective Services (CPS); in-home resource navigation
• Parent Aide – In-home parent support that includes education, life skills development, connections to community resources such as housing and transportation

Behavioral Health Services:

• The Counseling Center – individual, relationship, parent-child-family counseling; outpatient in Kalamazoo
• Case Management/Supports Coordination Services – support to individuals with mental health challenges living in community
• Family and Community Treatment (FACT) – intensive in-home mental health intervention and support
• FACT-ICT (Integrated Co-occurring Treatment) – intensive in home mental health and substance use intervention and support
• Parent Infant Program (PIP) – early childhood (0-3) support to at-risk mothers

Crisis Services:

• Mobile Crisis Response (MCR) – 24/7 response team for youth facing a mental health crisis and/or substance use crisis in Kalamazoo County
  
• Glen’s House Youth Crisis Residential and Crisis Respite – 24/7 available residential/respite services for youth experiencing an acute psychiatric crisis to avert or shorten the length of an inpatient psychiatric admission. On-site services include psychiatry, nursing, medication management, crisis/safety planning and individual, family and group counseling.
• Gail’s House – Intensive Crisis Stabilization Services for children in foster care.

Geographic area of operations and/or services:               

Family & Children Services serves clients primarily in Kalamazoo and Calhoun Counties with Child Welfare services supporting Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Cass, St. Joseph and Van Buren counties.  Crisis Residential and Respite Services are provided to youth from 15 counties in the region including Kalamazoo and Calhoun, Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Cass, Kent, Lake, Mason, Muskegon, Oceana, Ottawa, St. Joseph and Van Buren counties.  Agency services are delivered in client’s homes, in schools, crisis residential/respite homes, off-site locations and Agency service sites in Kalamazoo and Battle Creek. The quality of services offered is assured through state and local regulatory bodies, the Council on Accreditation (since 1987) and internal Quality Management functions directed at best practices in delivery of human services. In partnership with Stryker Corporation, Lean Management practices have been incorporated into agency programs to maximize efficiencies and leverage Agency resources.  Major funders include Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), Kalamazoo Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Summit Pointe, United Ways, Contributions and third-party reimbursements. The Agency is licensed by the State of Michigan as a Child Placing Agency, Child Caring Institution (Children’s Therapeutic Group Home), and Substance Abuse Program. In 2019, Family & Children Services served 7,414 individuals across our regional service area; 4,356 were children.