Prevention planning is more than a technical exercise and agencies will face adaptive challenges along the way. The following resources, both part of the Prevention Planning Into Action series, may give planning and implementation teams an opportunity to learn about, prepare for, and tackle common adaptive challenges:

• Building Capacity to Address Common Challenges (Center for States)
• Prevention Planning Roundtable videos (Center for States)

Investment in prevention is a key opportunity for states seeking to address disparities and advance equity. An intentional focus on equity during the planning process can result in a more effective plan. The following resources can support teams working to embed equity in their plans:

• Strategies for Reducing Inequity: Addressing Bias (Child Welfare Information Gateway)
• Racial Equity Resources for Child Welfare Systems (Child Welfare Information Gateway) 
• Racial Equity and Inclusion Action Guide (Annie E. Casey Foundation)
• Advancing Healthy Outcomes: Eight Ways to Promote the Health and Well-Being of LGBTQ+ Youth Involved With Child Welfare Through FFPSA (Center for the Study of Social Policy)
• Prevent, Protect, & Provide: How Child Welfare Can Better Support Low-Income Families (Center for the Study of Social Policy)

The development of effective prevention plans requires authentic engagement of youth and families throughout the planning and implementation process. The following resources can help agencies working to center youth and families in their process: 

• Becoming a Family-Focused System (Center for States)
• Youth Engagement Blueprint Series (Center for States)
• National Child Abuse Prevention Month 2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide: Chapter Five/Embracing Community and the Wisdom of Lived Experience (Children’s Bureau) 
• Parent Leadership (FRIENDS National Resource Center)

Prevention services require a skilled and knowledgeable workforce who are able to practice high-quality, culturally responsive casework. The following resources can help agencies identify and address workforce needs with equity at the forefront: 

• Quality Matters: Improving Caseworker Contacts With Children, Youth, and Families (Center for States)
• Racial Equity Resources for Child Welfare Professionals (Child Welfare Information Gateway)
• Racial Equity Resources (National Child Welfare Workforce Institute)
• Workforce Development Planning and Assessment Toolkit (National Child Welfare Workforce Institute)

As child welfare agencies plan for the delivery of community-based prevention services, they will need to consider new types of data infrastructure and share data across a range of partner agencies. The following resources illuminate strategies for sharing and integrating data across systems and stakeholders:

• Data Sharing in Child Welfare (QIC-AG)
• A Toolkit for Centering Racial Equity Within Data Integration (Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy)

Identifying prevention services that meet the targeted needs of children, youth, and families will require a data-driven, innovative approach. The following resources can help agencies think through potential strategies to strengthen families and communities through prevention programs:

• A Data-Driven Approach to Service Array Guide (Center for States)
• Assessing Population, Service Needs, and Service Coverage (Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation)
• Community Conditions that Strengthen Families: Protective Factors Work at the Community Level webinar and report (Center for the Study of Social Policy)
• Two-Generation Approaches (Annie E. Casey Foundation)
• Family First Evidence-Based Practices Exploration and Cost Tool (Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago)