FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY

INSTITUTE FOR QUALITY CHILDREN’S SERVICES

AT FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF SOCIAL WORK

WHO WE ARE

Image of woman and children

The IQCS is committed to excellence in children’s out-of-home services. Children’s out-of-home services encompass placement and treatment settings for children who, for various reasons, are not able to be cared for in the home. These settings include, but are not limited to, residential group homes, residential treatment centers, foster homes, statewide inpatient facilities, detention centers, and emergency shelters.

Our team works across child services systems, applying a research-based quality practice and improvement framework to provide consultation, evaluation, training, and technical assistance to elevate service quality and outcomes.

MISSION

Our mission is to promote the well-being of children in out-of-home care and their families by making scientifically supported quality practices accessible and actionable to federal, state, local government, private nonprofit, and for-profit child serving organizations and caregivers.

VISION

Our vision is for children and families at all levels of need to thrive and achieve their fullest potential.

GOALS

To achieve our mission and vision, the goals of the IQCS are to:

  • Establish a network of service providers, researchers, and consumers invested in high-quality, effective out-of-home services.
  • Become a leading resource for training and research on high-quality and effective children’s out-of-home care.
  • Conduct cutting-edge research that informs practice, training, and implementation of evidence-informed out-of-home care.
  • Promote quality improvement based on measurable, research-supported quality practice standards.
  • Become a destination for public and private industry leaders seeking to develop and test innovative practices and interventions to promote effective services for children living in out-of-home care.
  • Promote the inclusion of diverse youth and family voices to inform practice and policy related to access to high-quality, effective out-of-home care.
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VALUES

  • We respect the dignity and worth of all children and families and seek an inclusive and equitable service continuum.
  • We believe children and families deserve the highest quality of care and treatment necessary to fully meet their needs.
  • We support immediate access to high-quality out-of-home services appropriately matched to children’s needs.
  • We oppose a children’s services continuum that includes a last resort service designation.
  • We oppose one-size-fits-all policies that limit access and result in service inequities for children with complex needs.
  • We oppose approaches and philosophies toward children’s services that stigmatize higher-level, intensive out-of-home services and, thereby, the children and families receiving those services.
  • We oppose policies that require children to experience systemic trauma and repeated placement changes to “fail up” to the level of care needed to meet their needs.