About This Product
FAF Software is a web-based, user-friendly tool designed to meet all the core needs of family strengthening agencies and their front-line team to maximize the health and well-being of clients:
- robust reporting to support program evaluation and funder needs
- reliable, comprehensive assessment of family functioning
- tracking of demographics, contacts, client sessions and referrals
- strength-based and client-focused service planning
The core of FAF Software was developed between 1985 and 1987 by Children’s Bureau in conjunction with the University of Southern California School of Social Work in response to two pressing needs identified by its home-based family support program: 1) a way to collect standardized information on all families and 2) a more thorough family assessment that facilitates effective service planning to foster child development. A committee of direct staff service, agency administrators, and consultants determined that none of the existing assessments in the field met the needs of the program, so the committee decided to create its own assessment process. Practitioners were at the foundation of designing, defining, pilot testing, and approving all aspects of the assessment. Researchers then partnered with the practitioner team to test and refine the assessment tool to ensure its validity and reliability. In this way, the FAF is unique among assessment tools in that it was designed by practitioners to meet their needs in partnership with researchers to ensure validity and reliability.
Ultimately, integrating FAF into family support programs helps family support workers develop meaningful service plans and agencies to monitor program outcomes more effectively.
Current partners include Los Angeles County’s Department of Children and Family Services and New York City Administration for Children’s Services.
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