About Us
Our Mission
Care in Action Minnesota’s (CIAM) mission is to protect children and strengthen families by mobilizing a community system of care that provides timely crucial support that meets the basic needs of local families served by Child Protection or Welfare Services.
Our Vision
A world with no family violence, where all children, youth, and families in our community can operate at their full potential and have the resources and skills they need to live with hope and dignity.
How we Meet Our Mission
We mobilize the generosity of caring individuals and leverage the resources of social service agencies to provide direct crucial support to families. Our solution-focused, family-led model enables us to provide culturally appropriate, trauma-responsive, relationship based services that help children thrive. This model is a collaborative, unintrusive response for families involved in CPS/CWS, that does not require an investigation, and rather focuses on creating a community system of care that can address and minimize harm. Parents love their children and want them to be safe. Sometimes parents need help to make that happen. Care in Action Minnesota can provide this help.
Our History
Guiding Values
We strive to keep our values at the center of everything we do: Who we work with, how, our cultural practices, voice, presence, and business model.
SAFETY & STABILITY
We help create a world where children live free of all forms of abuse and violence because all children deserve to have safe, stable, nurturing homes and communities that foster their healthy development and offer ample opportunity to thrive.
RESPECT, RESPONSIVENESS & EMPOWERMENT
We honor the intrinsic dignity, autonomy, and worth of each person. We have an uncompromised commitment to supporting families according to their unique needs, priorities and values. We do not impose our preferences, or judgments, on the beneficiaries; instead we respect and trust that individual families are best equipped to determine what they most need to bring stability and healing into their lives.
RACIAL JUSTICE
We acknowledge and examine the ways racism is central across social issues. We are committed to addressing the racial disparities present in the child welfare system. We actively build a present (and strive for a future) where Indigenous people, Black people, and communities of color thrive physically, emotionally, spiritually, and psychologically.
COMMUNITY
Preventing child abuse and neglect is a shared community responsibility, affecting both the current and future quality of life of a community. A diverse and stable social support network promotes healing from trauma, mitigates risk factors for maltreatment, and promotes safe, stable, nurturing relationships. Additionally, communities that provide parents with the social support, knowledge of parenting and child development, and concrete resources they need to cope with stress, ensure all children grow to their full potential.
PARTNERSHIP & COLLABORATION
Prevention happens in partnership. We know no single agency is responsible for prevention and that everyone has a role to play. At Care in Action MN, we partner with families, County Social Workers, organizations, faith communities and compassionate individuals to provide crucial support that strengthens families.
CHILDHOOD WELL-BEING & ENRICHMENT
A focus on well-being should be integrated into all aspects of child welfare services. Particularly in the field of child abuse prevention, addressing child and family needs related to well-being is a critical part of reducing risks and increasing safety and protective factors.