Learn the definition and find information about normalcy and the reasonable and prudent parent standard in the PL 113-183.

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.

Use this tool with your prevention planning team to prepare for and tackle the adaptive challenges that many states face as they develop and implement prevention plans. 

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.

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.

Use this crosswalk to start thinking concretely about prevention planning as a change and implementation process. 

Understand the CFSR statewide data indicators, their use in program improvement efforts, and performance calculation tools.

Better understand your state’s performance on statewide data indicators related to the safety and permanency of children served by the child welfare system. 

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.

This tool is a role-playing activity, designed to help child welfare workers and supervisors become more familiar with the process of recognizing and translating buzzwords into descriptive language.

Learn to use the CFSR Round 4 SPSS syntax to calculate observed performance for a state on all or selected statewide data indicators.

Learn about the definition and calculation of the CFSR statewide data indicator maltreatment in foster care.

Tells the story of a family from the perspectives of the father of five children; his mother, who takes on the parenting role for her five grandchildren; and their social worker.

Portrays one family's story from the perspectives of the child’s mother, the grandmother, and the resource parent.

Demonstrates the importance of collaboration and trusting relationships between a grandmother, a resource parent, and a social worker.