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.

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.

Get the basics on general practice for agency interventions, including screening, documenting descriptions of abuse and protective efforts, and evaluating risk.

Learn how domestic violence and child maltreatment affect families and read about the risks, impacts, protective efforts, and other related topics.

Learn how domestic violence documentation can help hold perpetrators accountable and promote survivor safety and well-being.

Discover a comprehensive range of information about domestic violence decision-making.

Find family engagement strategies for survivors, children, and perpetrators of domestic violence.

Examine foundational information and suggestions for effective casework and supporting examples for families experiencing domestic violence.

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

Listen to a youth support partner tell her story of living in kinship care with her grandmother and being reunified with her mother. She discusses the difficulties during her time in care and the system support that might have helped to promote a better relationship with her mother. As a mentor, she helps youth heal from trauma and use their voice in positive ways.

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

Explore how child welfare agencies, legal and judicial stakeholders, prevention partners, and communities can work together to build prevention-focused systems, starting with jurisdictions' 2020–24 Child and Family Services Plans (CFSPs). 

Recorded webinar of youth with lived expertise and child and family serving agency leaders discussing strategies to support meaningful youth engagement and integrating family and youth voices at individual, practice, and system levels.

Find meaningful and actionable connections among your agency’s strategic planning, review, and CQI efforts using this toolkit.