Principles and Values

Vision

For any organization, and certainly for any collaborative effort to succeed, there must be a consensus on the foundation on which that collaboration rests. The Family & Children First Council of Erie County’s vision is that we are “Improving the Quality of Family Life in Erie County”. We do this with a commitment to the following beliefs:

  • Families are our most important human resource, and their children our most vulnerable class of citizens. Children with multiple needs are at an even higher risk of failure in becoming self-reliant adults. We believe that our forum can create ideas and influence policy.
  • We will positively influence an array of systems, which already exist to support families, and with these systems form a safety net of support.
  • The child serving systems will one day coalesce at all levels, so that children and families will be offered complete services which will support them and form an unbreakable chain.
  • Children and families will be nurtured and protected by an all-encompassing system, which will wrap around them according to their unique needs.
  • That one day, in Erie County, every family will be afforded the opportunity to secure supportive and educational services to fully enhance the lives of our families and children.

 

Mission

In tandem with that vision is the following:

The Family & Children First Council shall assure that services to families and children are delivered in a timely, effective, and coordinated manner and in the least restrictive environment. It is our intent to achieve local collaborative decision making to create partnerships within the community to ensure that families and children of Erie County will have the nutrition and health care needed to have healthy minds and bodies; families will understand and address the developmental needs of their children; and family members will be literate and possess the knowledge and skills necessary to be productive and responsible citizens.

 

Guiding Principles:

Our Family & Children First Council is geared to improve services to multi-need children and families. With that in mind our Family & Children First Council supports the following:

  • The system of care shall include a comprehensive array of effective services.
  • Services shall be individualized to meet the unique needs of the child and family and will address the eight life domain areas.
  • The array of services shall be the least restrictive and most appropriate.
  • Families and surrogate families shall be full participants in the planning and delivery of services.
  • Children shall receive services that are integrated and coordinated across agencies.
  • Early intervention and prevention programs shall be promoted in order to enhance the opportunities for success.
  • The rights of children and families shall be protected.
  • Services shall reflect the cultural and ethnic diversity of the community and its residents.

 

Erie County Family & Children First is a collaboration of the:

  • Parents of Erie County Children
  • Mental Health & Recovery Board of Erie/Ottawa Counties
  • Erie County Health Department
  • Erie County Commissioners
  • Erie County Department of Job & Family Services
  • Erie County Family Court
  • Erie County Board of Developmental Disabilities
  • Sandusky City Schools
  • Erie/Ottawa/Huron Educational Service Center
  • City of Sandusky
  • Ohio Department of Youth Services
  • Erie/Huron CAC
  • The United Way of Erie County
  • The Help Me Grow Early Intervention Collaborative