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.

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.

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.

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

Defines prepermanancy services for prospective adoptive and guardianship families and raises awareness about the need for more prepermanency services supports alongside postpermanency supports.

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

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

Explore coaching steps and tips supervisors can use to help workers strengthen skills and meet goals.

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

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

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

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

Get an overview of the issues related to the physical and emotional safety of child welfare workers.