The year 2007 marks the beginning of La
Familia’s twentieth year of operation. In 1987, two social workers, Jerry Ortiz y Pino
and Kenneth C. Kenney did the paperwork
and the politicking to get the agency licensed as a Child Placement Agency to
do Adoptions in the State of New Mexico.
Our first name was La Familia Placement
Services and our first office was at 4320 Montgomery, NE. As the only paid staff, I
began working 10 hours per week doing
newborn adoptions. In that first year we placed four babies and completed home studies on at least 12 families. Little did we
know in 1987 where La Familia would be in 20 years.
We stayed small through the rest of the 80’s
and in 1993 began to look at joining with
other agencies to bring up a new service
for New Mexico, Treatment Foster Care. We
became licensed as a Foster Care Agency
in 1993 and placed our first child in TFC in
1993. We were approved by NM Medicaid
as a Provider that same year. We joined the
Foster Family Treatment Association as well
as the Child Welfare League of America. As
part of our commitment to quality and professionalism,
in 1998 we achieved accreditation
from the Council on Accreditation for
Programs for Children and Families. During
this twentieth year of operation we will
reaffirm that commitment by seeking and
achieving reaccreditation for the third time.
Preparation for COA accreditation has been
intense this year as staff work to review all
policy and procedures and to make sure
that our service delivery meets those standards.
Our reaccreditation site visit will take
place in November of 2007 and everyone remains committed to the standards of
excellence set by COA. |
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Through the years we have grown programs
as needs in the community have been identified
and the need for services to support each
other has grown. Thus we now have an array
of services for children and families that support
families to achieve safety, permanency
and well being.
We continue to work with community providers,
CYFD, NM Medicaid, Value Options of
New Mexico, HSD and Local Collaboratives
to build a System of Care in New Mexico
which will support the ability of families to
care for their children in the Community.
Safety, Permanency and Well Being continues
to guide our work with all the children
and families that come to us.
We remain grateful to our many donors who
support us and our programs. United Way
of Central New Mexico continues to help
fund our Equine Assisted Therapy program
and Albuquerque Community Foundation
provides support for our Transitional Living
Services component of TFC. In 2007 we held
a Friendraiser to introduce La Familia to people
in the community who might become
donors. The funds we raise through our
donors goes to provide the essentials of
a normal childhood to the children in our
care. In some cases is a soccer or football
uniform, or the funds to be a cheerleader,
or summer camp experience. Sometimes,
it’s food, child car seats and clothing. The
things that strengthen the safety net and
help children become functional adults.
I am privileged to present La Familia’s
2007 Annual Report. We want to share
with you where we have come to in the
last twenty years. |
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