Child Welfare Virtual Expo 2023

Recruit, Retain, and Support: Strategies for Strengthening the Child Welfare Workforce

Thursday, September 21, 2023

The Child Welfare Virtual Expo (CWVE) is an annual 1-day event sponsored by the Children's Bureau and the Capacity Building Center for States.

On Thursday, September 21, 2023, the CWVE brought together thousands of child welfare leaders and professionals from federal, state, tribal, and local organizations across the country to engage in online activities, discussions, and skill-building activities that provided information, explored concrete strategies, and offered innovative ideas and action steps to address child welfare workforce challenges.

Throughout the day, attendees had opportunities to meet and network with their peers, access resources and topical tools, and join sessions where they learned from CWVE speakers and presenters who shared their individual expertise, lessons learned, evidence-based practices, and more. All sessions at the 2023 CWVE were designed by and featured child welfare agency staff, federal staff, and national experts, who represented a wide range of organizations from across the country. Each session was loaded with tips, concrete strategies, and best practices designed to help child welfare agencies ensure that their diverse workforce and the children, young people, and families they serve all thrive together.

Session topics included:

  • Leaning Into the Wind: What We Know About the State of Child Welfare  
  • Understanding Employee Performance, Turnover, and Well-Being Data
  • The Impact of Lived Expertise in Evidence-Based Practice Work  
  • Attracting and Maintaining a Diverse Workforce: Addressing Moral Injury, Barriers to Advancement, and Becoming a Leader  
  • A Tale of 2 Counties: Development and Implementation of Coaching  
  • Building Onboarding and Training Programs for Success: Experiences in Tribal and County-Administered Agencies

Looking for Session Recordings and Resources?

You will be able to access all the CWVE recordings for up to a year by logging into the virtual platform. Use the recordings to view sessions you may have missed from this year's CWVE and share them with your colleagues!

Stay tuned for the release of more CWVE materials in the following months. The 2023 CWVE Learning Experience includes key CWVE session recordings, along with a discussion guide and related resources, to help meet your professional and agency needs. Be sure to check back on the CWVE website for the latest updates and information about the 2023 CWVE Learning Experience.

Questions? Contact capacityinfo@icf.com.

CWVE 2023 Exhibitors

  • Capacity Building Center for Tribes
  • Capacity Building Center for Courts
  • Child Welfare Information Gateway
  • Children’s Bureau
  • National Child Welfare Workforce Institute
  • Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development
  • Children’s Bureau Learning and Coordination Center
  • Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
  • Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse
  • FRIENDS National Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention
  • Center for Native Child and Family Resilience
  • National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare
  • Minority Professional Leadership Development (AdoptUSKids)
  • National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative
  • Quality Improvement Center on Engaging Youth in Finding Permanency

Interested in Learning More About Past CWVE Topics?