Family Seeing builds on critical truths established in consensus scientific evidence, not industry created models:

• Severely disrupted childhood development is a primary health crisis which requires an urgent, comprehensive and participatory response involving parents, relatives and their community or Tribe.

• Large numbers of adult relatives and supportive community members can be accessed to support parents and children.

• Early experiences in childhood are the foundation of learning and life-long health. People develop within the context of relationships and experiences.

• Urgent connecting of relatives and community members creates increased opportunities for safety and healing in families while protecting and promoting health.

• Caseworkers, therapists and leaders can develop new skills as catalysts, conveners, and facilitators to transform the quality of collaboration between parents, youth and relatives, within culture, utilizing a capabilities framework to create solutions to the problems that most affect people's lives.

• A capabilities design, rather than a needs and services design, is the most evidenced methodology in supporting families to live socially, relationally, environmentally, and economically secure lives that provide opportunities for improved safety and well-being.

• To be a part of just and dignity-filled experiences, people must be seen for their abilities and listened to as the architects of building a good life. Government services must be in service to families and children; people do not exist to be in service to government or government contractors.

The goals of Family Seeing are to:

• Prevent unnecessary family separation and support youth and children who are placed into care systems (foster care, justice systems, mental health systems) in developing meaningful and enduring connections with adults who will love them across their lifespan.

• Ensure safe, stable, and healing connections for all youth. For youth in out-of-home care due to protection needs, ensure a timely and permanent exit from the formal service system by developing a resilient and comprehensive network of supportive adults.

• Support youth in developing a healthy sense of identity and provide family members with the opportunity to meet the needs within a family system.

• Enable young adults emerging from care to live safely and productively within their communities.

• For individuals with lifetime care needs, increase connectedness and decrease dependence on the formal service system.

• Enhance family-driven decision-making.

• Create and honor culturally competent, family-led healing with young people, parents, relatives, and all network members.

• For all individuals, prevent recidivism within or between formal service systems, including preventing youth “graduation” into the adult correctional system or homelessness.