Our vision for the Bridging Families Institute™ is to be a leader in changing how families experience foster care by:
Created by and in partnership with Crossnore Communities for Children- nationally renowned for its trauma-informed work in the service of children and families. The Bridging Families Institute™ partners with foster care providers to bring professional foster parenting into their service array through implementation of the Bridging Families program.
The Bridging Families program reflects Crossnore’s vast experience with Child Welfare. The program’s core elements were developed and piloted based on what we know about what works and what doesn’t work for families in foster care.
The Bridging Families Institute is committed to the scientific process required to demonstrate that the Bridging Families program is an evidence-based intervention. We are engaged in multiple research projects to support this goal and will share all findings with the community.
The Bridging Families Institute’s primary focus is the expansion of the Bridging Families program in North Carolina and beyond. The Bridging Families Institute will provide training and consultation to foster care provider agencies interested in adding professional foster parenting to their service array.
The Bridging Families Institute will collaborate with partner agencies throughout the stages of program implementation including readiness assessment, strategic planning, staff hiring and training, clinical program implementation and maintaining fidelity.
The Bridging Families Institute has been awarded financial support from generous donors to cover the costs of consultation.
The Bridging Families Institute is also committed to championing system changes that will improve the way that families experience foster care. The years of work that went into creating the Bridging Families program led to its recognition as the only professional foster parenting model endorsed by the state of North Carolina. We continue to work toward legislative and program initiatives that support family reunification and resilience.
