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Child and Family Teams (CFTs) bring together loved ones and experts to support the child in reaching their potential and are dedicated to helping the family thrive.

Using a proven tool known as the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) tool, the team works together to address any challenges the young person faces and to develop a plan for the child’s success.

CFT Guides

• Tribal Engagement Guide
• Child and Family Team (CFT) Engagement Guide
• Child and Family Team (CFT) Model Curriculum
• The Integrated Core Practice Model

CFT Brochures

• CFT Parent Brochure
  • Parent Brochures Available in: English | Arabic | Armenian | Cambodian | Chinese | Farsi | Hmong | Korean |
     Russian | Spanish | Vietnamese

• CFT Professional Brochure
  • Parent Brochures Available in: English | Arabic | Armenian | Cambodian | Chinese | Farsi | Hmong | Korean |
     Russian | Spanish |
     Vietnamese

• CFT Youth Brochure
  • Parent Brochures Available in: English | Arabic | Armenian | Cambodian | Chinese | Farsi |  Hmong | Korean |
     Russian |  Spanish | Vietnamese

CFT Trainings and Certification
View the California Regional Training Academies Map.

Academy for Professional Excellence
(Southern CA, excluding LA, AKA: Public Child Welfare
Training-PCWTA) (619) 594-3917

Bay Area Training Academy
(Run by the Central Academy in Fresno)
(510) 271-0951

California Social Work Education Center
(CALSWEC)
(510) 643-9067

Central California Training Academy
(559) 228-0455

University Consortium for Children and Families (email)
(UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, UCCF)

Northern Regional Training Academy
(530) 754-5846

Resource Center for Family-Focused Practice
Facilitation Training, Advanced Facilitation Training
(530) 752-9726

The Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) is a multi-purpose tool developed for children’s services to support decision making, including level of care and service planning, to facilitate quality improvement initiatives, and to allow for the monitoring of outcomes of services. Versions of the CANS are currently used in 50 states in child welfare, mental health, juvenile justice, and early intervention applications.

A comprehensive, multi-system version exists as well. The CANS was developed from a communication perspective so as to facilitate the linkage between the assessment process and the design of individualized service plans including the application of evidence-based practices. The CANS is easy to learn and is well liked by parents, providers and other partners in the services system because it is easy to understand and does not necessarily require scoring in order to be meaningful to an individual child and family. The way the CANS works is that each item suggests different pathways for service planning.

CFT Guides

• The CANS Rating Sheet
  Available in: English | Spanish
• CANS Curriculum
• CANS Flier (pdf)
• Alameda TCOM Website

CANS Videos & Webinars

• CANS for Administrators
• CANS Technical Assistance Webinar 9-5-2018
• Dr. Lyon on CANS
• CANS within the CFT Process
• How and When is the CANS Completed?
• How is the CANS Presented in a CFT?
• How is the CANS Updated?
• What is the Supervisors Role in the CANS?
• A Quality CANS Assessment, TCOM Style

Learning From the Counties:

• How San Diego County Implemented the CANS into the Case Planning Process
• How San Diego County found Success in using the CANS Tool
• How Have Child Welfare Workers Adapted to the CANS Tool in San Diego County

See what is available in your area.

• CFT Brochures and CFT Privacy Brochures
• Child and Family Team (CFT) Engagement Guide
• CANS Flyer
• CFT Confidentiality Agreement and Sign In
• CFT Meeting Summary and Action Plan
• 2018 Court Process Time

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) describes Wraparound as a strengths-based planning process that occurs in a team setting to engage with children, youth, and their families. Wraparound shifts focus away from a traditional service-driven, problem-based approach to care and instead follows a strengths-based, needs-driven approach. Child Trafficking Response Unit