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Capacity Building

CENTER FOR STATES

Prevention

The Center for States helps child welfare agencies strengthen the ability of communities to support children and families so that children can remain at home. With a prevention focus, agencies can increase child safety and family well-being by strengthening families in their communities before problems occur or escalate.

To assist agencies with these goals, the Center for States offers publications and digital products that provide information about the prevention continuum (primary, secondary, and tertiary) and tips for strengthening it; learning experiences to increase knowledge related to best practices and skill development for providing prevention services; access to networking and peer-to-peer collaboration to share experiences and expertise about what works; and support in developing and implementing prevention plans that meet the requirements of the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA).

Congregate Care in the Age of Family First

Use these resources to better understand the congregate care provisions of the FFPSA and what they might mean for your agency.

Becoming a Family-Focused System

Use this collection of resources to help enhance agency culture and climate, identify areas that need attention, and implement improvements.

Prevention Planning Into Action

Use this collection of resources to support your agency’s prevention planning efforts.

Quality Matters: Improving Caseworker Contacts With Children, Youth, and Families

Browse this suite of publications and learning tools to help build capacity for conducting quality contacts.

Visioning for Prevention: Protecting Children Through Strengthening Families

Browse a collection of publications and digital resources for the information and tools you need to move toward a more prevention-focused system.

Strengthening Families Through Prevention and Collaboration: Child Welfare Virtual Expo (CWVE) 2020

Explore collaborative approaches to advance prevention presented by people with lived and professional child welfare expertise. Pair videos with the related discussion guide to prompt learning and reflection.

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April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month banner

By providing all families with equal opportunity and access to the supports they need, we can help improve the safety and well-being of children and youth across the country. Visit the National Child Abuse Prevention Month website for more information.

Learn more about NCAPM

Library and Information Services

The Center for States provides research assistance and responds to information requests on building capacity in child welfare.

Request Library Services

Connect With Us

Learn how we can help your agency build the capacity to thrive.

Email: capacityinfo@icfi.com 
Phone: 1.844.222.0272

Visit the Center for States' Contact Us webpage for more information.

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Protective Factors and Protective Capacities: Common Ground for Protecting Children and Strengthening Families [Infographic]

Review the protective capacities and protective factors frameworks used to assess, intervene, and serve families.

CBX Article

Narrow the Front Door: Community Partnerships and Primary Prevention

Proactively trying to prevent harm to children from occurring is the focus of primary prevention, a set of strategies or programs to stop maltreatment before it happens that can be accessed by and benefit all members of the community

CBX Article

Partnering for Prevention: Centering Lived Expertise

Focuses on the importance of centering lived expertise in prevention. It offers discussion prompts and resources for teams to use as they brainstorm about how to amplify lived expertise in their prevention efforts.

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In-Home Services in Child Welfare

Most children involved with the child welfare system are not separated from their families but instead receive services while living at home. This issue brief by Child Welfare Information Gateway explores effective in-home services that are being used to promote safety and help keep children and families together, as well as practical considerations for their implementation. 

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Family Preservation Programs: State and Local Examples

The resources from Child Welfare Information Gateway present examples of State and local efforts to develop and implement family preservation services.

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National Child Abuse Prevention Month

National Child Abuse Prevention Month recognizes the importance of families and communities working together to strengthen families to prevent child abuse and neglect. Learn about this initiative month and spread the word about child abuse prevention.