Families First

A six-to-eight-week programme

Potential missions are clearly defined. FFL intervenes when:

• One or more children are facing the possibility of placement,
• The family is in a serious crisis that it cannot manage alone or with the help of other social services,
• At least one parent is willing to cooperate.

To achieve the desired result, everything must fit together from the very first step. Where do the problems in the family come from? What are the appropriate solutions? Answers are found during the intervention, which lasts between six and eight weeks and has the following objectives:

• Ensure the safety and well-being of the child,
• Alleviate acute crisis and stabilize the family,
• Mobilize the potential and strengths of the family,
• Develop common goals and methods of action for the whole family. 

Intensive support of the family in its daily life

For this purpose, the family meets at least three times a week with its FFL counsellor, who takes care of a maximum of two families at the same time and is available 24 hours a day for them.

Following his intervention, the counsellor will ideally integrate them into appropriate support structures. The success rate proves that the concept works: since 1999, 86% of placements have been avoided.

Supported by our partners and donors

The requests come from experts with whom FFL also works closely during the intervention. In general, FFL collaborates with many actors, starting with the family, i.e. the young person and his or her family, including the professionals in the various fields – legal, educational, medical, therapeutic and pedagogical – and finally the official bodies and authorities, i.e. the Youth Court, the SCAS and the ONE.

The Families First Luxembourg service has a cost-covering agreement with the Ministry of National Education, Children and Youth. Nevertheless, donations also play an important role in the service because they are used directly in families living in precarious situations, providing them with a little happiness.