Policy & Strategic Initiatives                                            

Through strategic initiatives, Extraordinary Families addresses the need for collective policy and practice reform to improve the child welfare system. Our initiatives frequently evolve to reflect the unpredictable nature of the environment in which we operate. Drawing from our experience and expertise providing effective foster care, adoption, and youth services, we identify and pursue opportunities to improve the lives of children, youth, and families involved in the child welfare system.

We utilize multi-stage analysis to determine the most pressing needs of children and families involved in child welfare as well as effective strategies to address those needs. Our direct services and policy staff collaborate to:

• Identify a community problem or need through research and staff expertise

• Define the scope of the problem or need, shaped by our own field experience and evaluation of existing programs and policies on local and statewide levels

• Determine our capacity to address the problem or need; establish partnerships with key public and private entities by identifying common interests

• Develop and implement the appropriate program, initiative, or partnership required to accomplish desired outcomes

• Evaluate the impact of our work, refine our methods, and share lessons learned with partners and the community