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Capacity Building

CENTER FOR STATES

Family Preservation and In-Home Services

The Center for States provides help to agencies who are providing services and programs families to enable children to safely remain in their own homes. Strategies within this topic include the development and distribution of skills-building tools and guides; collaboration with key partners; peer-to-peer network development and support; and learning experiences to increase knowledge related to best practices and skills development. Peer networks for in-home services managers and Promoting Safe and Stable Families grantees will also be used to build capacity.

County-Administered State Partnership

County-Administered State Partnership Peer Group promotes collaboration among peers from county-administered state child welfare programs to brainstorm peer-driven solutions that support effective management and to discuss best practices and issues related to urban and rural counties, differing budgets and local resources, and how to respond to federal requirements. This group is open to members who meet the criteria of programmatic leadership at the state level in California, Colorado, Minnesota, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin and is subject to approval by the Children’s Bureau.

In-Home Services and Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF) Managers

The In-Home Services and Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF) Managers Peer Group promotes collaboration among in-home services managers (or managers from program equivalents) and PSSF managers to achieve positive outcomes for children and families that receive in-home services or other PSSF grant funded services. 

In-home services managers oversee programs that provide services to children and families who have been reported to child protective services for possible child abuse or neglect and who are assessed as being able to benefit from services delivered in the home. While the focus of PSSF managers may more directly involve the oversight of the PSSF grant, In-Home and PSSF managers both oversee programs aimed at preventing unnecessary separation, improving the quality of care and services, and ensuring permanency for children. 

Membership is open to individuals who meet the criteria and must be approved by the Children’s Bureau.

Podcast

Prevention: Reorganizing Community Collaboratives

By effectively partnering with organizations that support families, child welfare agencies can empower a system of services that improve prevention outcomes. But effective community collaboration requires that the type and level of services are available to meet the specific needs of the families within the community.

Publication Year 2021
Podcast

The Power of the Parents’ Voice

Parents with a history of lived child welfare, adoption and foster care experience can be valuable resources for agencies and practitioners when developing or reviewing systems and programs. Listen to this podcast and learn how the parent experience also can help communicate the importance and impact of services when approaching legislators and policy makers.

Publication Year 2021
CBX Article

Seeking Equity Calls Us to Cultural Humility

Find strategies to embed cultural humility into child welfare practice and support dialogue and reflection to better understand the multifaceted identities of families receiving child welfare services.

Publication Year 2021
Spotlight On

Spotlight On Strategies for Effective Parent Engagement

Learn about tools, resources, and peer supports to help agencies build capacity to engage parents, young people, and caregivers in their work. 

Publication Year 2024