Children and Residential Experiences
CARE
Creating Conditions for Change
Here at Spero, we embrace the Children and Residential Experiences (CARE) model as a framework for best practices that drive results when it comes to working with children, caregivers, and families. The CARE model is an evidence-based, trauma-informed model listed on the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse. By embracing this model, we foster the development of a shared approach that provides our employees with the perspectives and skills to achieve positive outcomes and an increased sense of hope to every person we serve.
Spero Family Services is proud to be one of only 15 CARE-certified agencies in the United States. This prestigious certification is awarded by Cornell University to social service agencies that meet the highest standards set by the Residential Child Care Project for implementing the Child and Residential Experiences (CARE) Program Model. Being CARE-certified reflects Spero’s deep commitment to evidence-based, relationship-centered care and our dedication to creating environments where youth feel safe, supported, and empowered to grow.
CARE was developed by Cornell University’s Residential Child Care Project as a comprehensive framework for providing care based on six guiding principles:
- Developmentally focused
- Family-involved
- Relationship-based
- Competence-centered
- Trauma-informed
- Ecologically oriented
By working through this framework together, practice is infused at all levels of the agency and guides interactions, planning, decision-making, and crisis prevention which can incrementally and cumulatively reshape children and family experiences in ways that prepare them to be better equipped for life’s daily challenges.
Since adopting the CARE model, Spero Family Services has undergone meaningful, organization-wide transformation. CARE has reshaped how we engage with the youth and families we serve, while also guiding the revision of our Core Values, executive-level policies, and hiring practices. With CARE at the heart of everything we do, we’ve built a stronger, more intentional foundation for impactful, relationship-based care.
Spero Care Trainers
Tunezia Badger
Development Officer
“CARE is not only beneficial for individuals working with youth in out-of-home environments, but it can also benefit parents, teachers, law enforcement officials, and others who interact with children and adolescents.”
MJ Bean
Wraparound Service Coordinator
“I highly value the principles of CARE, as they are applicable to all areas of life, not just in residential settings. CARE teaches us that trauma can be healed and that strong bonds and healthy relationships can be fostered, even in situations where others may believe this is not possible.”
Elizabeth Carson
Adoption and Permanency Specialist
“There are many reasons why I think the CARE model is important. It brings all of these huge components in a person’s life together, like understanding trauma and building relationships, involving family, creating warm and inviting spaces and having the knowledge and attitude to be successful in life.”
Kari Docherty
Training Coordinator
Lynne Hampton
TLP/ILO Case Manager
“CARE takes and builds on what we already know, giving us a fresh new perspective filled with more understanding, more compassion, more knowledge, and most importantly, more hope than ever before.”
Eryn Larsen
Wraparound Quality Assurance Coordinator
“Embracing the CARE model’s principles fosters a framework beyond child care, reshaping our engagement with individuals and communities. By prioritizing holistic, compassionate practices, we transform lives and reframe our connections, building hope for a stronger, more inclusive future.”
Calvin McMillan
Residential Treatment Evening Coordinator
Shelby Rodgers
Clinical Director of Residential Treatment
“CARE has effectively empowered youth in residential treatment to gain a deeper understanding of their personal lives and healing journeys. Additionally, it has offered our staff a structured framework for making thoughtful, informed decisions, ultimately fostering the best possible outcomes in treatment.”
Steven Winchell
QA Coordinator
“I think it’s important that all our decisions are made based on what current research says is in the best interests of our clients and families. CARE provides the framework that we need to be intentional in our decision-making. It’s not a cookie-cutter approach, but that’s what’s so great about it. We’re creating conditions for change—conditions that allow the client to be a part of their journey and to be the driver of their journey.”
What Our Spero Staff Say
Competence is built one success at a time. By celebrating small victories, we help children see the strength they already carry within.
Every interaction is an opportunity to build developmental growth. Through CARE, we meet children where they are and guide them toward where they can go.
When we act through the principles of CARE, we plant seeds of hope, resilience, and possibility in the lives of children and their families.
