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.

Explore the efforts agencies, community collaborative organizations, and others are making to bring families, youth, and communities to the table as they strive to improve the child welfare system in this podcast. 

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

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.

Review the protective capacities and protective factors frameworks used to assess, intervene, and serve families.

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

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.

Explore a family-focused program that embodies many of the changes that Kentucky wants to see throughout its child welfare system in this podcast. The START, program demonstrates a shift in organizational culture to focus on family and serves as an example of a truly collaborative team that uses early intervention and a shared decision-making model to work with families.

In this episode leaders from the District of Columbia child welfare agency and a community collaborative organization discuss their longstanding partnership. The commissioner for Kentucky's child welfare agency describes the agency’s strategic communication plan and considers the role of the agency as part of the larger child welfare system.

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

Watch this short, animated video to examine how changing the language and messaging we use can support a shift to a more prevention-focused child welfare system.

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