Widening the Circle

The Practice and Evaluation of Family Group Conferencing with Children, Youths, and Their Families

Family group conferencing has become increasingly popular in the field of social work since its introduction nearly two decades ago as a practice model with families and their children. The FGC model emphasizes the strengths and potential of families, community organizations and public agencies to resolve issues confronting family members. In this well-written and clearly organized volume, the authors present family group conferencing as a family-centered, family strengths-oriented, culturally relevant and community-based model. They delineate in depth its major principles and methods and illustrate its application in diverse child welfare and family settings. Widening the Circle is a valuable text that will enrich the work of practitioners, researchers, and students faced with challenges of helping families in contemporary society.

Anthony N. Maluccio, DSW

Professor, Graduate School of Social Work, Boston College

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With great skill, Pennell and Anderson demonstrate the centrality of combining family leadership, community involvement, and public agency cooperation in achieving success in the child welfare system’s effort to safeguard children. The use of examples from “real” families allows the reader to experience the effectiveness of the Family Group Conference model as it creates opportunities for families to take the lead in developing solutions for challenges related to child maltreatment, domestic violence, and child safety. This carefully researched and well-written book provides one of the most comprehensive guides for initiating and sustaining Conferencing. In addition, it deals with critical enablers of success such as the concept of “cultural safety” and the integration of a well-defined role for fathers in child welfare practice. This book is truly a vehicle for widening the circle of those who strengthen the role of families in child welfare decision-making.

William C. Bell

Executive Vice President, Child and Family Services, Casey Family Programs, and Commissioner, New York City Administration for Children’s Services, 2002-2004

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Widening the Circle is the definitive work on Family Group Conferencing. Building from its roots with the Maori in New Zealand, this book documents the growth of the FGC model and its applications with multiple cultures and populations. Significantly, the book provides several chapters on evaluating different aspects of FGC: assessing fidelity to the model, outcome evaluation, and cost analysis. It illustrates the strengths of coupling family accountability with empowerment in action. It redefines the roles of practitioners in mutual work with families in ways that strengthen their abilities to make good decisions, to use community resources, to decrease isolation and to build community and community partnerships FGC in its full implications in this book offers positive strategies for family-centered systems change and research and for new policy directions that promote family and community responsibility for the safety and welfare of children.

Marie Well, PHD

Berg-Beach Distinguished Professor of Community Practice, School of Social Work, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill