The Grid

Overview

This article discusses The Grid used by CarePortal to describe the full spectrum of child welfare engagement based on stages and tiers. A printable handout tool is available as well for uses in training and clarity.

Intended Audience

CarePortal Church Leaders, CarePortal Field Team, Agency Leaders

Included in This Article

• Overview of The Grid
• Tier 1 - Physical
• Tier 2 - Relational
• Tier 3 - Familial
• Interactive Handout (Download)

Overview of The Grid

To understand the types of requests you might see come through CarePortal, we have a tool called “The Grid.” The Grid illustrates the full spectrum of child welfare with four general ways we can get involved, which often include avenues of ministry that many might not think of being connected to child welfare at all, like sex trafficking and homelessness. The Grid also identifies three on-ramps for engagement. Each tier requires deeper relationships than the one before it.

From the agency’s perspective, each tier represents a few more hoops to jump through for a responder to be approved for access to the family or child.

Tier 1 - Physical Needs

Examples: Beds, Diapers, Clothes, Home or Car Repairs, Utility Assistance

This is the level where every single one of us can do something to love the least of these and to stand up for the most vulnerable and is often the best starting place for the majority of people to get involved. Families and children with these needs are most likely in crisis, poverty, or facing situational financial hardship. Tier 1 - Physical requests through CarePortal are based on clearance and approval procedures decided by the church, which can be customized in the church's account settings.

From an agency perspective, Tier 1 - Physical requests represent opportunities to serve families and usually do not require anything outside of a signed release of information by the client or caregiver, allowing for direct contact with a community or church responder. 

Tier 2 - Relational Needs

Examples: Mentoring, Babysitting

These requests can be only be met by churches through the CarePortal platform. To be notified of these needs, a church's Point Person must enable the setting for their response teams, which will notify their local network leader so they can offer some additional training. Once approved by the local network leader, each response team's Team Leaders can enable Tier 2 requests for their own team.

Responding to these requests will require each responder to complete some sort of basic process as defined by the agency making the request. This may include a background check (to be kept on file with the requesting agency), sexual abuse prevention training, a volunteer orientation training, etc. 

Agencies can identify Tier 2 - Relational requests based on whether they need to require their own approval process for vetting volunteers who would be able to respond. 

Tier 3 - Familial Needs

Examples: Safe Home Placements, Foster Placements, Adoption Placements

This is the deepest level of engagement, and so it has more requirements built in by the requesting agency. Like Tier 2 - Relational, only church response teams that have been approved by their network leader and church leaders will receive these requests. Clearances for individual responders at this level would likely include in-depth training, a home study, and a foster license.

Interactive Handout

Click here to download the printable Interactive Grid Handout.