Alternative Family Services

Alternative Family Services (AFS) provides thoughtful, informed foster care, adoption, and mental health services in multiple cities throughout Northern California, serving about 1,500 youth each year. AFS supports vulnerable children and families in need of stability, safety, and well-being in their communities. It is one of the largest social services providers in Northern California, with a staff of about 200 dedicated professionals and a budget of $28 million.

Issue

How can this large, multi-city social services organization with a diversified range of services create a multi-year strategic plan?

Situation

For 47 years, AFS has been primarily a foster care agency with some smaller mental health programs to serve foster children. In the last three years, it has diversified its services to add Wrap, Intensive Care Coordination, Enhanced Intensive Services Foster Care, Kinship Care, Family Finding, Enhanced Care Coordination, School-based Prevention, Telepsychiatry and Therapeutic Behavioral Services. This has added another $9 million in revenue.

Project

An ACT project team will help AFS create a multi-year strategic plan, working closely with the leadership team and key members of the board of directors. The strategic plan will address several questions, including these: What will foster care look like in the future? What prevention services can AFS add to its array of services? What types of smaller organizations might AFS acquire?