Family Preservation and Stabilization Services provide crisis intervention, therapy, counselling, education, support, and advocacy to families who are coping with circumstances that put children at risk of being separated from their families and placed in out-of-home care, or families with children transitioning to reunification following a separation. Services should only be provided when children can remain in or return to the home without compromising the safety of any family or community member. Family preservation is sometimes considered an alternative response to a Children’s Aid Societies intervention. 

This section is designed to accommodate programs that provide two levels of service: (1) family preservation and stabilisation services, and (2) intensive family preservation and stabilisation services. Intensive programs typically serve families with children at greater risk of being separated from their families, respond to referrals or requests for service within a shorter period of time, provide more frequent and intensive services, and place stricter limits on caseload size. 

While the focus of this section is on keeping children with their biological families, family preservation services can also be used to stabilize foster and adoptive placements to prevent re-entry to service systems and facilities.