Op-Ed: Every child matters — every day, in every home

By TIM WOOD | CEO, Family Centered Treatment Foundation

Every child deserves to feel safe, supported, and seen—not just on National Kids Day which is June 8, but every day. While this annual observance may pass quietly for many, its core message must resonate loudly: our children need us, and they need stable, loving families to thrive.

At the Family Centered Treatment Foundation, we believe the most profound healing happens not in isolation, but within the embrace of a family. That’s why we work tirelessly to keep families together, providing therapeutic interventions in the home—rather than removing children from the very environment that, when supported, can foster lasting change.

We know that trauma, mental health struggles, and systemic challenges can threaten to pull families apart. But we also know that with the right tools, support, and therapeutic engagement, families can be preserved and strengthened. Family Centered Treatment® (FCT) is more than a model—it’s a commitment to meeting families where they are and walking alongside them on a path toward resilience, repair, and reconnection.

In Arkansas, there has been a significant decline in the number of children in foster care. At the end of State Fiscal Year 2024, the number stood at 3,553, down from 4,023 the previous year—a 12% decrease. This progress reflects the state’s intensified preventative services aimed at supporting troubled families and reducing the need for foster placements.

However, challenges remain. As of the end of February 2025, 3,353 children were still in foster care in Arkansas, with 62% placed outside their home counties. Such placements can disrupt children’s education and social connections, underscoring the need for solutions that keep families intact whenever safely possible.

Family Centered Treatment offers a better way. Independent evaluations have shown that FCT:

• Achieves a 90% success rate in keeping families intact during treatment.
• Results in a 70% reduction in out-of-home placements.
• Saves taxpayers thousands of dollars per case by reducing reliance on costly residential treatment and juvenile justice involvement.

In a world where too many interventions separate rather than unify, our approach centers on healing within the home—where trust can be rebuilt, routines restored, and long-term wellbeing achieved.

National Kids Day is more than a feel-good calendar event. It’s a call to action. It asks each of us: What are we doing to protect and uplift the most vulnerable among us?

At FCT Foundation, we answer that call every day—by investing in in-home therapy, training professionals in trauma-informed care, and advocating for systems that prioritize family unity over separation.

Still, we cannot do this work alone.

We invite you to join us. Spend meaningful time with the children in your life—listen, engage, and remind them how deeply they matter. And consider supporting the organizations working behind the scenes to make sure that same message reaches children who may not hear it nearly enough—especially those whose families are in crisis.

To learn more about our work or to contribute to the mission of keeping families together, visit www.familycenteredtreatment.org.

Because every child matters—and every family deserves a chance to heal, together.