Resource Library

The Center for States designs products, services, and learning experiences to increase understanding and awareness, and build knowledge and skills. The Center focuses its attention on developing products and resources on several core organizational and practice topics.

If you are interested in our series and learning experiences, please use our search bar or explore our topics.

Explore our resources below and filter them as you need.

Library and Information Services

Woman in front of a computer

The Center for States provides research assistance and responds to information requests on building capacity in child welfare.

Connect With Us

Learn how we can help your agency build the capacity to thrive.

Email: capacityinfo@icfi.com 
Phone: 1.844.222.0272

Visit the Center for States' Contact Us webpage for more information.

Showing 16 - 30 of 105 resources
Webinar

Learn about normalcy for LGBTQ children and youth in foster care in the context of the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act (P.L. 113–183).

Video

Highlights the advocacy work of state and regional youth leadership councils. Two paid regional and state youth specialists and the Texas Director for Transitional Living Services describe how including youth voice by providing them a “seat at the table” at the state capital enhances the child welfare system. All three discuss the rewards and personal impact of their work.

Video

This video is a part of the Empowering Caregivers, Strengthening Families Video Series. It demonstrates key aspects of agency support to caregivers, including the importance of quality personal contact, training, and resources to empower caregivers through the process of moving from foster parenting to adoption.

Video

Presents strategies for building a systemwide organizational culture that promotes working collaboratively to improve service array.

Video

Tells the story of the relationship, initially forged over a shared meal, between a youth and her CASA worker. The CASA worker’s advocacy for concrete supports to meet the youth’s needs helped grow the trust in their relationship.

Video

Highlights the beneficial role of agency support and encouragement to caregivers in ensuring effective foster parenting and successful reunification measures. In this video, a foster parent discusses the importance of communication and trust between caregivers and biological family members, along with agency training and resources, for successful reunification.

Webinar

Available on CapLEARN; registration required.

Provides an overview of the Family Empowerment and Leadership Academy (FELA), a learning experience designed to assist States in building their system capacity to involve family leaders at all levels of agency child welfare administration and practice.

Webinar

Provides an overview of resources and strategies to enhance approaches for providing financial capability training for youth who are transitioning out of foster care. 

Video

Watch this recorded webcast to learn what it means to build a complete system of foster care as a support to families, not a substitute for parents.

Video

Emphasizes the importance of community and caseworker support in having the resources needed to promote family well-being, particularly when caring for children with special needs. This video highlights the perspective of a kinship caregiver who is an Athabaskan native teaching her grandchildren the Navajo culture and community traditions and passing down her grandparents' stories.

Video

This video highlights the story of a program manager and lead navigator for the Montana Kinship Navigator Program and how her own experience caring for a nephew helps her better support and connect with kinship caregivers and families.

Webinar

Learn about the challenges faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) families involved with the child welfare system and ways to help them.

Webinar

Discover how parent partner programs support family reunification by guiding and motivating parents into constructive interactions with the child welfare system and courts.

Webinar

Explore innovative programs and strategies that child welfare professionals can use to support reunification and emphasize caregiver and parent voice.

Video

Watch this recorded webinar to learn how other jurisdictions encourage kinship care placements and then discuss kinship support with your team.