This brief describes a human-centered design approach that any state, Tribal, or local agency can use to strengthen partnerships between TANF and Child Welfare with the goal of lowering families’ risk of involvement with the Child Welfare system. It offers several example activities, including building empathy for families, mapping partners serving families, and exploring families' program experiences.

Based on input from state TANF programs during the 2023 National TANF Directors’ Meeting, the Office of Family Assistance (OFA) developed five virtual Learning Collaboratives (LCs) on topics best addressed through a cohort-based, peer learning format. These LCs were designed to be a progressive series of interactive meetings that facilitated reflection, peer sharing, connection with experts, and human-centered design and planning activities to deeply explore facets of the collaborative topic. Sessions were held monthly from March to August 2024 for 60-90 minutes.

The Building Strategic Partnerships with Child Welfare Services LC was connected TANF professionals interested in building strategic partnerships with child welfare partners with experts and one another. It was designed to prepare states to partner with child welfare services to jointly explore a key area for upstream prevention, given the growing body of evidence demonstrating how the concrete and economic supports available through TANF can prevent and reduce families’ involvement with the child welfare system. Participating states included Massachusetts, Vermont, New Jersey, Alabama, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.

This OFA resource highlights the Building Strategic Partnerships with Child Welfare Services LC, including key takeaways and resources from each session as well as overall themes and future considerations for follow-up.

In recent years, local, state, and federal child support offices started reexamining how their enforcement and collection roles can be paired with services that foster meaningful parental engagement and invest in the social and economic well-being of parents paying child support. In examining child support services, it is important to understand the reach they have throughout federal benefits. Across the continuum of human services programs, rules related to child support can impact whether someone qualifies for benefits, what amount they can receive, or the amount of child support they owe – including but not limited to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid, childcare, and child welfare. Often, federal and state policies’ options regarding child support practices are made by individual programs in distinct silos from each other. This American Public Human Services Association resource discusses strategies that can help create the enabling conditions for continued progress in re-centering state and local child support collaborations with other human services program areas.

Head Start is a national program that helps young children from families with low incomes prepare to succeed in school by promoting their early learning and health as well as their families’ well-being. Head Start connects families with medical, dental, and mental health services to be sure that children are receiving the services they need to develop well. Head Start involves parents in their children’s learning and development and helps parents make progress on their own goals, such as housing stability, continuing education, and financial security. Head Start programs are organized into 12 regions and unlike the other regions that are determined geographically, Region XI serves children and families in programs operated by federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) tribes. Understanding that communities have unique needs and priorities, Region XI programs offer a variety of services related to children’s home language or Native language and culture. This Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation study is a result of an evaluation on the family and staff experiences in AI/AN Head Start in Region XI that focused on family and staff well-being, including:

1. Children’s characteristics, family background, and home environment;
2. Children’s social-emotional and learning skills;
3. Children’s disability status and physical health; and
4. Characteristics of children’s lead teachers.

In the U.S., 1 in 10 young adults experience homelessness each year, with disproportionate impacts on American Indian and Alaska Native, Black, multiracial, and Hispanic youth and youth who have been involved with the child welfare or juvenile justice systems. Current housing solutions for youth homelessness often lack flexibility or are not readily available, leaving many young adults waiting long periods of time without stable housing. However, the Cash Plus Model offers a promising alternative — pairing direct cash transfers with youth-driven supportive services to empower young adults in securing safe, stable housing. Chapin Hall has developed two briefs: one describing the Cash Plus Model and the second evaluating the Cash Plus Model implementation in New York City and San Francisco.

The National Indian Child Welfare Association will be hosting a new virtual training on September 24, 2024 to prepare tribal child welfare workers who want to gain insight and increase their skills on the basics. This training will consist of three 90-minute sessions.

There is a registration fee to attend this training.

In October 2023, child welfare leaders, researchers, caseworkers, advocates, and foster care alumni convened for a two-day Think Tank event. The event elevated the voices of lived experts to identify promising practices and barriers. This Chapin Hall report documents the proceedings, highlighting the themes that emerged as participants described the importance of permanent connections and what systems can do to foster healing relationships for emerging adults in care. The report also summarizes the key values that guided the planning process, and how those values were demonstrated in inclusive, youth-centered, trauma-informed practices throughout the Think Tank.

Throughout the past 15 years, differing viewpoints have emerged about what role, if any, kinship diversion should play in the child welfare system. This Annie E. Casey Foundation report highlights a comprehensive survey administered in 2022 of kinship care policies that identifies increasing efforts by states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico to promote kinship care and support kinship caregivers of children and youth who are known to the child welfare system.

The Child and Family Teaming (CFT) model forms the basis of practice for child welfare services under the Integrated Core Practice Model and California's Continuum of Care Reform. This guide was developed by the California Department of Social Services in collaboration with California Tribal Families Coalition and begins with an overview of Indian Child Welfare Act’s requirements for the CFT. It then moves on to best practices in partnering with Tribes, including learning about the Tribe and understanding differing perspectives. The guide continues with highlighting best practices for including children and engaging all team members in the CFT, provides guidance in making CFT meetings accessible and culturally responsive, and gives tips to practitioners in their ongoing communication with the team between meetings.

Children and youth involved with the child welfare system are at heightened risk of experiencing human trafficking. Therefore, child welfare agencies must be at the forefront of responding to and preventing human trafficking. This Child Welfare Information Gateway bulletin explores how agencies can support children and youth who have been exploited as well as those who may have risk factors for future exploitation. It provides background information about trafficking, including its scope, relevant legislation and initiatives, and strategies agencies can implement to address the trafficking of children and youth in the United States.