This manual is a guide for those who are planning preventive/restorative family service programs to provide alternatives to placing children in state foster care systems. Chapter I briefly discusses the rationale for family-centered social services. Objectives, characteristics, and advantages of these services are listed. Planning and implementation of family-centered services in the public sector are detailed in two major steps: identifying and involving key decision makers, and reviewing state funding policies and budgets. Chapter II describes family-based service delivery systems, highlighting three models: the Generalist-Specialist, the Intensive Family Services Unit, and the Purchase of Services; complete definitions and diagrams are included for each model. Chapter III outlines a system for classifying family needs, while Chapter IV provides an administrator's guide to client needs assessment. Chapter V deals with personnel concerns in family-centered services focusing on worker time allocation, job classification, and collective bargaining. Chapter VI is a comparative analysis of the costs of family-centered services and substitute care, and includes tables with supporting data. A glossary of terms and a bibliography are included, followed by an appendix outlining Oregon's family service contract requirements. (BH)