Vol. 5, No. 1
April 2000

Principles Underlying Family Support

The philosophy of family support is based on nine principles of practice. These principles describe good family support practice (Best Practices Project, 1996).

• Staff and families work together in relationships based on equality and strength.

• Staff enhance families' capacity to support the growth and development of all family members--adults, youth, and children.

• Families are resources to their own members, to other families, to programs, and to communities.

• Programs affirm and strengthen families' cultural, racial, and linguistic identities and enhance their ability to function in a multicultural society.

• Programs are embedded in their communities and contribute to the community-building process.

• With families, programs advocate for services and systems that are fair, responsive, and accountable to the families served.

• Practitioners work with families to mobile formal and informal resources to support family development.

• Programs are flexible and continually responsive to emerging family and community issues.

• Principles of family support are modeled in all program activities, including planning, governance, and administration.

Reference

Best Practices Project--Family Resource Coalition (1996). Guidelines for family support practice. Chicago: Family Resource Coalition.