Participants in All Children – All Families may do so on behalf of an entire agency or a specific division within the agency. Under certain circumstances (see below), it may be best for an agency to participate on behalf of a specific agency division.

When to Participate On Behalf of an Agency Division

Some of the agency’s service areas are outside ACAF’s scope (mandatory)

All Children – All Families assists agencies in their efforts to achieve safety, permanency and well-being for youth in foster care by increasing agencies’ capacity to serve both LGBTQ foster/adoptive parents and LGBTQ youth in care. While many of ACAF’s benchmarks are applicable regardless of service area (for example client non-discrimination and employment non-discrimination) ACAF’s expertise as a program is specific to services for youth and families related to foster care/adoption/child welfare services.

For this reason, an agency with multiple divisions that provide a mix of child welfare services and services outside of that realm, will be approved to participate on behalf of the child welfare division(s). For example, “Lighthouse Youth Services (Foster Care & Adoption Services).”

The agency (usually public or a large private provider) chooses to focus efforts on one division (optional)

All Children – All Families takes a comprehensive approach to assessing an agency’s policies and practices related to serving LGBTQ youth and families. We strongly encourage agencies within ACAF’s scope to assess their full array of services. However, for some agencies (mostly larger public and private agencies), it may be preferable to participate on behalf of a specific division.

What It Means to Be Listed as a Specific Agency Division

• The agency’s name in all public listings of participants will make it clear that only the specific division is participating in All Children – All Families (e.g., New Jersey Department of Children and Families, Division of Child Protection and Permanency, Trenton, NJ)
• All use of a Seal of Recognition and references to your agency’s status as achieving the “Solid” or “Innovative” Tier of recognition must be specific to this Division