How Do We Know What Works? Challenges and Opportunities for Building Evidence for Leaders and Decision Makers examines evidence-based practice from the point of view of leaders and managers, who must process information about what works or not, decide if it is credible and is having the intended effect, and assess the implications of their decision at every level of the organization. 

How Do We Know What Works? Challenges and Opportunities for Building Evidence for Practitioners focuses on the role of frontline staff as important (and discerning) consumers of evidence, critical data, and information from children, youth, and families to inform their practice. This session also addresses the role of frontline staff in continuous quality improvement (CQI) processes and as contributors to building evidence in child welfare.

This session explores how research, evaluation, and continuous quality improvement (CQI) efforts can help you strengthen practice to achieve a common goal of all child welfare professionals: becoming more effective in your work and being better able to ensure that children are safe, in healthy and intact families, and thriving.

The Power of Feedback: Being a Vocal Participant in the Process, Elevating the Voices of the Workforce, Children, Youth, Families, and Communities Presentation

Listen to child welfare agency leaders in the District of Columbia talk about how they work with partners to use their different data lenses to understand the needs of families and to structure a set of services to best meet the full spectrum of needs. In Kentucky, child welfare agency leaders describe the process of finding the story behind the numbers to transform their system.

Learn about quality contacts, why they are important, and how an agency can successfully implement them.

Hear about the youth-led projects of the Division X Technical Assistance project in fiscal year 2022.

Find family engagement strategies for survivors, children, and perpetrators of domestic violence.

Examine foundational information and suggestions for effective casework and supporting examples for families experiencing domestic violence.

Get the basics on general practice for agency interventions, including screening, documenting descriptions of abuse and protective efforts, and evaluating risk.

Learn how domestic violence and child maltreatment affect families and read about the risks, impacts, protective efforts, and other related topics.

Learn how domestic violence documentation can help hold perpetrators accountable and promote survivor safety and well-being.

Discover a comprehensive range of information about domestic violence decision-making.

Learn about research and practice insights for implementing evidence-based practices in child welfare systems.

Get tips, guidance, and information about the CQI system assessment and implementation process, and learn how the Center helps agencies build capacity.