ABSTRACT
The Family Unity Meeting (FUM) model of family group decision-making was developed in Oregon in 1990 and is the version of family meetings used most frequently by state child welfare workers. FUM are similar to family group conferences, with family members and their supports as well as service providers and other community members invited to come together and plan for their children. FUMs became the main way caseworkers implemented the System of Care agreement, with meetings used to join with families to identify the child's needs and plan services. The agenda of FUMs evolved with this policy initiative. The meeting focus on presenting child welfare concerns was seen as counterproductive. A second policy initiative with important implications for the use of FUMs is the Oregon Family Group Decision Meeting law of 1997. The law requires consideration of a family group decision meeting whenever a child has been placed in state custody for longer than sixty days.
