Family Group Conferencing

Family group conferencing is an innovative practice that brings families into the decision making process in a way usually reserved for professionals. Thoroughly informed and authorized to develop a plan, parents, extended families and sometimes children craft artful plans that address children's needs for safety, permanence and care.

The Northwest Institute has been a leader in the development of family group conferencing in Washington State and nationwide since 1997 when the Institute partnered with the state child welfare agency to implement a statewide family group conference pilot project. Since that time, institute staff have developed and delivered training for family group conference facilitators, evaluated FGC outcomes, produced a video of family members sharing their stories and presented at national conferences.

Currently the Institute is working on a Stuart Foundation funded project to test the efficacy of the model with youth in group care.

Available Family Group Conferencing Products:

• Family group conference coordination and facilitation
  • Family Group Conference Facilitation: A Two-Day Skill Building Training for FGC Facilitation
• Workshops, consultation, and training for policy makers or others considering the model
  • Introduction to Family Group Conferencing: A one-day training for stakeholders
• "Let us Put Our Minds Together, Family Group Conferencing in Washington State", a video featuring the members of five different Washington families.
• Evaluation reports available:
  • Report of the 1998 Washington State Pilot Project 2001 Study of Long term FGC Outcomes in Washington State
  • "Family Voices: A Report of a Phone Survey Family Participants
  • Long-term outcome executive summary and full report, 'Connected & Cared For' study: a report on the outcomes of family group conferences done for youth in group care settings.

For more information contact Karin Gunderson at kgund@u.washington.edu or 206-616-7424.