Read about the services available under two federal programs and how to use them to improve outcomes for pregnant or parenting youth in out-of-home care.

Explore tips and strategies to effectively engage and sustain the involvement of families and youth at the agency level. 

Read recent research on child welfare workforce management, including recruitment and retention, professional development, and organizational culture.

Discusses new software and technologies used in child welfare.

Examine current research and how best to build organizational capacity in five areas, and learn about possible challenges and solutions.

Desiree is an alumna of the foster care system. She lived with the same foster care family for 14 years. She entered foster care with three of her siblings, and wants to use her experiences growing up in foster care to make a difference for those still in the system.

Explore the four thematic pillars necessary for organizational capacity that supports engagement with young people currently and formerly in foster care.

Get practical guidance for building organizational capacity and for implementing flexible and innovate programs for youth engagement.

Learn how supervisors and program managers can assist child welfare caseworkers in conducting quality visits with parents.

Learn the characteristics and results that describe the right people to engage youth and get guidance for recruiting, hiring, and retaining these employees.

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

Learn about adolescent brain development, trauma-responsive care, and the importance of normalcy.

Learn to facilitate a normalcy conversation and to promote normal and developmentally appropriate experiences for youth in foster care.

Learn how to build capacity in each of four component areas to promote a culture and climate that encourages youth engagement at all levels of an organization.

Examine a five-step framework that helps organizations promote youth engagement in normalcy conversations about the youth’s own care.