The child welfare-to-prison pipeline describes the systems that funnel youth from the child welfare system into the juvenile justice system. The child welfare system often targets and disproportionately surveils black and brown families—largely those living in poverty and dealing with the challenges of mental health, substance use, and over-policing by the criminal legal system. The National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC) will host a webinar on March 22, 2022 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET. Speakers will stress the importance of strengthening community resources and preventing family disintegration as a tool to end the child welfare-to-prison pipeline. There is a registration fee for non-NACC members to attend this webinar.

Child protection agencies nationwide are faced with the complex task of determining when children can be safely cared for at home, often with services and supports, and when they may need to be removed from their parents to ensure their safety. This Q & A interview with David Reed of the Indiana Department of Child Services examines how Indiana has used the state’s Title IV-E waiver since 2012 to offer a selection of evidence-based interventions to keep families safely together or reunify them. Beyond the waiver, the federal Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018 supports evidence-informed interventions to help children safely remain at home by meeting families’ service and treatment needs. The interview also notes changes in the contracting process with child protection service providers and how these providers may also teach families how to access resources and apply for TANF and other entitlements under the state’s per-diem model.

This Children’s Bureau report presents national data about child abuse and neglect known to child protective services agencies in the United States during federal fiscal year 2020. The report includes data on affected children, fatalities, perpetrators, and services.

The Fathers and Continuous Learning in Child Welfare (FCL) project sought to improve placement stability and permanency outcomes for children by engaging their fathers and paternal relatives. FCL implemented a methodology known as the Breakthrough Series Collaborative, a continuous learning methodology. The second of a three-part series, this podcast reviews strategies implemented in Los Angeles County, California. Topics discussed include the value community organizations provided in Los Angeles County's improvement team, how Los Angeles County's actions and thoughts diminished the importance of fathers and paternal families and the steps the agency took to change its processes and mindsets, and why the improvement team felt it needed the courage to act "intentionally and unapologetically" to implement meaningful change.

The Fathers & Families Coalition of America will host its 23rd Annual National Conference as a hybrid event from March 8 to March 11, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. The conference will feature a Roundtable Series covering child support, engaging families, child welfare, disparities in education, and local to national policy impacting practices; 10 Workshop Strands; and Fireside General Sessions. Also included are credential or certificate programs and networking opportunities. Conference registration includes a fee for in-person and virtual participants.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is soliciting applications for the Fiscal Year 2022 Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Grant Program. Funding is intended for tribal entities that do not have prior experience with implementing evidence-based home visiting models, performance measurement systems, and continuous quality improvement activities.

Grant funds will support 63-month grants between ACF and federally-recognized Indian tribes (or a consortium of Indian tribes), tribal organizations, or urban Indian organizations. The grants will support activities including conducting needs assessments, developing infrastructure, providing home visiting programs, and strengthening early childhood systems of support. The anticipated project start date is July 1, 2022. Applications are due April 15, 2022.

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Chapin Hall, and Casey Families partnered to host an expert roundtable on June 23 and 24, 2021. The roundtable, “Toward an Analytic Framework to Address Economic-Related Risk Factors in Child Welfare,” had two objectives: 1) create an analytic framework and identify tools to help jurisdictions deploy resources to address economic risk factors for child maltreatment and 2) identify steps to develop the data capacity and infrastructure needed to implement the analytic framework. This brief summarizes the roundtable, providing an overview of the conversation and highlighting the resulting action steps.

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, in partnership with the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy and the National Academy for State Health Policy, conducted an intensive, multi-state technical assistance project on statewide approaches to address adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) across the lifespan. This paper highlights lessons learned from states that served as models for statewide approaches that prevent and address ACEs and the development of trauma-informed policies (Alaska, California, New Jersey, and Tennessee). The paper also addresses the goals, policy, and programs developed and launched by states that were selected for the project (Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wyoming).

This brief focuses on the challenges and opportunities that the Family First Prevention Services Act (Family First) offers to accelerate the shift toward a prevention-oriented child well-being system. The brief includes recommendations which focus on three key aspects of Family First implementation: the Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse, aligning systems through a primary prevention lens, and building capacity to successfully administer Family First.

The Fathers and Continuous Learning in Child Welfare (FCL) project sought to improve placement stability and permanency outcomes for children by engaging their fathers and paternal relatives. FCL implemented a methodology known as the Breakthrough Series Collaborative (BSC), a continuous learning methodology. The first of a three-part series, this podcast discusses strategies implemented in one agency participating in the BSC in Hartford, Connecticut to create a culture in their child welfare system that prioritizes thinking about and engaging fathers and paternal relatives. The podcast covers the benefits of including community partners and fatherhood advocates in Connecticut’s improvement team.