In this introduction to the podcast series How We Partner With the Community to Improve Service Options, agency leaders talk about the changing culture of their organizations. Leaders from Kentucky discuss their Child Welfare Transformation initiative, three transformational goals, and culture of safety.

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

Find the eligibility requirements of the Children’s Justice Act Grant and the roles and responsibilities of Grantees.

Learn about State Liaison Officers, who they are, their roles, responsibilities, and the Center for States resources available to them.

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

Explore and reflect on the impact of, and opportunities to improve, assessment and decision-making processes. 

This publication looks at buzzwords in the context of words or phrases commonly used in child welfare reporting and documentation that can be subjective or carry negative connotations, and offers strategies to minimize their negative impact.

Buzzwords: Moving to Behavioral Descriptors doodle video is a short, animated video that follows a child involved in a child welfare investigation. The video describes what buzzwords are and illustrates the impact they can have on children and families. It also demonstrates how to recognize buzzwords and offers strategies for transforming buzzwords into objective, behavior-based descriptors.

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.

Learn the importance of effective, ongoing collaboration between child welfare agencies and community-based partners.

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

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

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

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

Explains the importance of sustained involvement of young people currently and formerly in foster care in meaningful organizational activity.