Casey Family Services provides essential services to fragile children and families based on our belief that children grow best within a stable, nurturing family setting. At the same time, we have redoubled our commitment to improving practice and policy by expanding our capacity to develop, evaluate and replicate innovative program models and to offer technical assistance to others. With this strong base, we enter the new century prepared to play a key role in reshaping the nation's response to the needs of America's most vulnerable families and children.

Casey Family Services provides a wide range of services and supports for vulnerable children and families. These include foster care, transition from foster care into adulthood, post-adoption services, family preservation and reunification, family resource centers and outreach to teen parents, young families, and families affected by HIV/AIDS. Casey Family Services is also an active participant in "Making Connections: Neighborhood Transformation/ Family Development." This national initiative of The Annie E. Casey Foundation to revitalize troubled neighborhoods includes three cities where Casey Family Services operates: Baltimore, Maryland, Hartford, Connecticut and Providence, Rhode Island.

With the close of the year 2000, we entered our 25th year of operation and open a new era of collaboration and innovation. During our first national conference on Post-Adoption Services in December, 2000--an area of work where Casey Family Services has achieved a strong track record and a position of leadership in the field--we announced our newest initiative, The Casey Center for Effective Child Welfare Practice. Through the Center, we will respond to requests for technical assistance from agencies across the country by mobilizing the best possible teams of experts from within and outside Casey.

Casey Family Services is building on a proud heritage. Our founder, Jim Casey, imbued our agency with a sense of courage, creativity, and determination. His vision of a better world for foster children has guided us for 25 years. It will continue to light the way as we carry forward the timeless principles and values of our work into new communities and new programs to help greater numbers of children in need.

- Raymond L. Torres