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.

Examine current research and how best to build organizational capacity in five areas, and learn about possible challenges and solutions.

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

Learn effective strategies to collect, analyze, and use data related to caseworker visits.

Learn about quality contacts, why they are important, and how an agency can successfully implement them.

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.

Explore the various aspects of the importance of normalcy for children and youth in care.

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

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

Learn about applications that can make information gathering more efficient, increase useful data, and help you better understand those you serve. 

Discusses new software and technologies used in child welfare.

Read recent research on child welfare workforce management, including recruitment and retention, professional development, and organizational culture.

Browse casework activities to use before, during, and after a caseworker visit with children, youth, and families.

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