Before the family preservation program, CPS operated on the basis that concerns for the physical and emotional safety of children took precedence over all other issues. The new family preservation program follows a behavior modification model, and the idea is to change destructive behavior within the family and not necessarily remove the child from the family. Family preservation workers establish a close working relationship with the family for a relatively short period (3 months in most cases), teach families life skills, and encourage drug abuse treatment. The family preservation programs looks for strengths in people instead of focusing on their weaknesses.