Diversity, equity, and inclusion at firefly

 We are committed to our vision of inclusive and healthy communities of thriving people.

History of commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion

Prior to the merger of Children’s Bureau and Families First in 2022, both organizations had been deeply committed to preserving families. Children’s Bureau was long recognized as a leader in creating solutions to ensure communities of color were better served. In 1967, Children’s Bureau initiated adoption policy changes and facilitated the first adoption by a single, black woman in Indiana. The woman that was adopted as a child remains a supporter of our organization to this day. In the 1970s, Children’s Bureau initiated a program called Homes for Black Children to help remove the institutional barriers that resulted in many black children living in institutions, foster care, and group homes for much of their childhoods. The program sought to further alter discriminatory adoption standards that prevented black families from adopting and paired children with families.

Founded in 1835, Families First was the oldest human services organization in Central Indiana. Since its early beginnings as a refuge for those first settling to the region and in need of basic life necessities, Families First sought to serve some of the most fragile and vulnerable individuals and families in our community. During its long tenure, Families First was a pioneer in advocating for the most vulnerable populations and proudly became one of the first non-profit participants in the Pride Festival and Parade.

Today, our organization remains deeply committed to partnering with historically marginalized communities to help produce more equitable outcomes. We work closely with organizations serving immigrant families; contract with many providers of color, LGBTQ+ providers and the faith-based community to ensure that families have the needed education and resources to care for themselves and their children. We seek to do our part to provide equitable access to information, opportunities and resources for the individuals, children and families we serve.

Living Out Our Values

Firefly Children and Family Alliance pledges to provide services and programs to individuals and their families in a manner that is sensitive and respectful of diverse cultures.

Our vision: Inclusive and healthy communities of thriving people.

Our mission: Empowering individuals to build stronger families and communities

Our values:

    • Inclusion: Strive to honor people’s unique potential through empathy and access.
    • Innovation: Explore creative ways to deliver an exceptional experience.
    • Impact: Achieve positive and lasting change for individuals, families, and communities

At Firefly, we are committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion. Therefore, we encourage persons who represent the diverse identities and lived experiences of the clients and communities we serve to join our team.

Older Youth Services
Domestic violence survivor counseling

Our Practices & Culture

Wellness and growth are pillars of Firefly’s workplace culture. Employees receive tuition reimbursement, student loan repayment, diversity training, an annual heritage dinner, floating holidays to recognize various days of importance, and more to ensure we are fostering an inclusive space for all employees.

As part of our commitment to building stronger communities, Firefly also partners with other nonprofits to holistically serve our clients, including Indiana Youth Group, Indiana Black Expo, COIN (Coalition for our Immigrant Neighbors), Inner Beauty, and Indiana Latino Expo. We believe that by lifting up other organizations, we will strengthen the work we each do in our community.

Firefly also has a commitment to supplier diversity. If you are a woman-owned business, minority-owned business, LGBTQIA-owned business, veteran-owned business, disability-owned business, or other type of diverse small business and are interested in doing business with Firefly, we would love to work with you as the need arises.

Resources

Learn more about Firefly’s Diversity and Inclusion Plan.

Download Firefly’s 13 Inclusive Habits to Live By poster.

To report discrimination or harassment with Firefly, please fill out this form.

Visit the Central Indiana Community Foundation to learn more about how CICF is supporting non-profits around Indianapolis to build a more inclusive city.

I often hear people say, “We’re not very diverse (referring to their town or organization)” and I ask them, “How are you defining diversity?”

In almost every community in America, there are people of different ages, genders, sexual orientation, and racial/ethnic groups. There are also individuals with disabilities, people who speak different languages, members of the gender expansive community, people of different religions/faith traditions, people with neurodiversity, and people with different lived experiences – differences abound EVERYWHERE – therefore diversity abounds everywhere.

Michelle Williams, Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

How to get started

To learn more about our domestic violence treatment programs or request services, submit the form or call 317-634-6341.