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.

Learn about the range of practices comprising the continuum of youth engagement to youth empowerment.

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

Get practical information about supporting coordinated strategic and long-term planning.

See how staff can boost their knowledge and skills for engaging families, community providers, and others.

Learn strategies to address the mental health needs of children, young people, and families.

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

Find out where evidence-based programs and services are being implemented to prevent children from entering foster care.

Use this discussion guide with the “Reflecting on Racial Equity and the Family First Prevention Services Act” video to facilitate team discussions about your agency’s current practice and opportunities to take action.

Explore strategies for redesigning the child welfare service array to meet the needs of youth and young adults currently and formerly in foster care.

Use this brief to help your agency coordinate strategic and long-term planning, monitoring, and reporting processes—such as the Child and Family Services Plan (CFSP) and Child and Family Services Review (CFSR)—with agency continuous quality improvement (CQI).

Explore tips and strategies to effectively engage and sustain the involvement of families and youth at the agency level. 

Explore tips to help promote youth mental health and wellness services, jurisdictional highlights, and links to relevant resources and tools.