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.

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

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

Access strategies to better understand and implement the family engagement requirements of the FFPSA.

Learn solid strategies for understanding and implementing the trauma-informed care provisions of the FFPSA.

Develop a better understanding of customized congregate care and learn about implementing the FFPSA provisions in congregate care QRTP assessment.

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

Explore tools, resources, and strategies to build a continuum of behavioral health care for children and youth involved with child welfare. 

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

Review the steps for running the CFSR Round 4 SPSS syntax to calculate observed performance on statewide data indicators.