This guide is designed to support administrative leaders in states and other jurisdictions in using data to assess and identify ways to improve their service array.

Frankie is 14 years old and lives with his sister, brothers, and moms. He and his sister were adopted when they were 2 years old and 4 years old, respectively. He loves spending time with his aunts, uncles, and cousins and loves being part of a big family.

Learn about negotiating boundaries, communication, support, and normalcy from a young person formally in foster care and her adoptive parents.

See statistics on increased risks for LGBTQ youth and learn how child welfare systems can use healthy approaches when working with LGBTQ children and youth.

Learn about a framework for applying safety science to promote a culture of safety in child welfare agencies.

Learn about various instruments used to measure well-being for program, case planning, and evaluation purposes.

Explore how data reported in AFCARS about youth who run away from state custody can be used to inform interventions.

Understand the role of coaching in supporting workers, including coaching functions, effectiveness, models, and strategies.

Shares Stephen’s story about being a community-based provider and policymaker in Florida, the need for laws that empower caregiver decision-making, creating Florida’s reasonable and prudent parent standard (RPPS), and the effect RPPS and normalcy laws can have on foster care.

Get informed about creating normalcy for LGBTQ children and youth in foster care and browse relevant examples.

The Center for States’ virtual Exhibit Hall booth features several products that focus on workforce development, including a variety of publications, videos, and learning experiences to help agencies foster healthy and supportive environments for child welfare professionals.

CWVE 2019 Closing Session Presentation Maximizing Our Collective Impact

Becoming a Workforce of Everyday Scientists: Frontline Staff in Agencies and Tribes

Becoming a Workforce of Everyday Scientists: Frontline Staff in the Legal Community Legal Presentation

This session is designed to explore strategies for creating an organizational culture that values feedback and incentivizes learning from data and evidence. The session highlights the importance of including the perspectives of the workforce and children, youth, and families, all of whom have an important stake in evaluation and continuous quality improvement.