Systems of care for families and children must have a positive attitude toward the presence and participation of persons from various racial and ethnic groups, cultures, and heritages. Further, individual professionals and agencies must engage in personal and/or system assessment to identify current cultural perceptions. There must also be an understanding and consciousness of the influence of cross-cultural interaction in the delivery of services. Service agencies must support the expansion of cultural knowledge, thereby accurately interpreting cultural-specific behavior, norms, and values. Institutional materials, presentations, and protocols must be culturally adapted to targeted audiences and be continually assessed for cultural appropriateness. This chapter presents 11 steps that should be performed by an agency in moving toward and improving its cultural competency. The steps involve organizational leadership committed to cultural competence, an overall organizational plan to move the agency toward greater cultural competence, regular assessments of the cultural competence and performance of the organization, and engagement with cultural consultants and community ethnic/cultural organizations for the purpose of expanding the agency's cultural knowledge. Finally, there should be a plan to evaluate cultural-competency efforts and monitor changes. A relevant case vignette with follow-up questions is presented. 1 table and 5 selected readings