Youth in foster care continue to have poorer education outcomes compared with their peers. For example, the high school graduation rate in California for youth in foster care is 58 percent while the general

Best Practices Guide for Improving Education Outcomes for Youth in Foster Care

<p>Youth in foster care continue to have poorer education outcomes compared with their peers. For example, the high school graduation rate in California for youth in foster care is 58 percent while the general population graduation rate is 84 percent. <em><a href="https://allianceforchildrensrights.org/wp-content/uploads/Education_DistrictBestPracticesGuide_Final.pdf" rel="nofollow">Best Practices Guide for Developing a District System to Improve Education Outcomes for Youth in Foster Care</a></em> from the Alliance for Children&#39;s Rights seeks to build on its Foster Youth Education Toolkit and help school districts create a system that implements an education that fully supports youth in foster care.</p>
<p>This data-driven guide is the result of a 4-year partnership built between a network of school districts and Alliance for Children&#39;s Rights staff working with youth in foster care in Los Angeles County and on systems change issues across the state. It covers the following topics:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: inside;"><li>Identifying and designating youth in foster care in local student information systems</li><li>Collecting and analyzing local data for continuous improvement</li><li>Improving school stability</li><li>Implementing immediate enrollment of youth in the least restrictive environment</li><li>Issuing partial credits to youth in foster care</li></ul>
<div>Each chapter provides an overview of relevant laws; provides discussion questions; includes a step-by-step guide; and presents other considerations, issues, and recommendations. The guide includes tools and practice tips to help districts implement the recommended best practices, equity issues for districts to consider, and trauma concerns. It also highlights participating districts that demonstrate the gains that had been made by following the recommendations in this guide.</div>
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<div>Program directors, education professionals who work with youth in foster care, and other stakeholders can access <a href="https://allianceforchildrensrights.org/wp-content/uploads/Education_DistrictBestPracticesGuide_Final.pdf" rel="nofollow">the guide</a> and use the recommendations to further their work in improving educational outcomes for youth in foster care. </div>

May 2022

Written by Associate Commissioner Aysha E. Schomburg (This message is an excerpt from remarks delivered at the Kansas Racial Equity Collaborative Symposium.) Years ago, I read a book by Isabel Wilkerson

<p><em>Written by Associate Commissioner Aysha E. Schomburg</em></p>
<p>(<em>This message is an excerpt from remarks delivered at the Kansas Racial Equity Collaborative Symposium.</em>)</p>
<div>Years ago, I read a book by Isabel Wilkerson called The Warmth of Other Suns. The title of the book relates to a poem by Richard Wright, wherein he writes, in part, &#34;I was leaving the south, to fling myself into the unknown.&#34; The book is about the Great Migration of Blacks living in the south seeking opportunities in the north. When I think about this journey we are all on toward advancing racial equity, it can certainly feel like we are flinging ourselves into the unknown.</div>
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<div>There&#39;s a specific passage in the book that stays with me. The author describes a moment when, as a young girl, she discovers a photo of two Black migrant women and writes, &#34;Why did they go? What were they looking for? How did they get the courage to leave all they ever knew for a place they had never seen…? Was it a braver thing to stay or a braver thing to go?&#34;</div>
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<div>This is how I think about this journey toward equity. Is it braver to stay where we are, or is it braver to take the journey and move toward achieving racial equity? Can we fling ourselves into the unknown?</div>
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<div>A few weeks ago, I was asked to encourage attendance for a training on a racial impact assessment tool. The first question in this tool is, &#34;Is there a diverse group of people at the table?&#34;. There is a 2-minute video of advocates in New York City picketing outside of a Prada store because Prada created a whole line of products with blackface imagery, including black monkeys with big red lips. How did this get approved? Who was at the table, and maybe more importantly, who wasn&#39;t? </div>
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<div>I flung myself into the unknown and played the video for my colleagues. Then I asked, &#34;Who was at the table when this decision was made?&#34; The truth is, none of us had any idea who was at the table, or who wasn&#39;t. A few days later, a colleague who had been in the leadership meeting emailed me. She began by writing, &#34;In the spirit of the Prada example…&#34; and went on to suggest that we begin having conversations to assess the language we use in framing our policies. She was moved to act toward racial sensitivity.</div>
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<div>I flung myself into the unknown and I felt the warmth of impact.</div>
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<div>We do this work of advancing racial equity and equity for underserved communities because it is the best thing we can do for future generations—not only for Black and Brown people but all people. Everyone will benefit from an equitable society.  </div>
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<div>Is it braver to stay or go? For me, it is a braver thing to go.  </div>
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<div>I want to move toward racial equity and justice. </div>
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<div>I want to fling myself into the unknown. </div>
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<div>I want to feel the warmth of impact. </div>
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<div>I want to feel the warmth of other suns.</div>

Family Voices United published a report featuring a summary of responses from youth with lived foster care experience to the question "What supports should be provided to maintain stable foster care placements

Support and Resources for Expectant and Parenting Young People in Foster Care

<p>Family Voices United published a <a href="http://www.familyvoicesunited.org/voices/share-your-perspective-expectant-and-parenting-youth" rel="nofollow">report</a> featuring a summary of responses from youth with lived foster care experience to the question &#34;What supports should be provided to maintain stable foster care placements for expectant and parenting youth, or to support them in achieving safe reunification with relatives/loved ones?&#34; Policymakers can use this report to better understand constituents and tailor programs and systems to better serve different populations.</p>
<p>This report focuses on expectant and parenting youth—a special population that may need additional supports, such as help enrolling the youth&#39;s own children in early childhood care or education while they work on their own educational or professional goals. The responses included the following six themes:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: inside;"><li>Honor our mental health</li><li>Connect us to our peers</li><li>Show us the resources and support us in obtaining them</li><li>Facilitate networks of support</li><li>Invest in our futures</li><li>Celebrate and show us love</li></ul>
<div>Read the report, <em><a href="http://www.familyvoicesunited.org/voices/share-your-perspective-expectant-and-parenting-youth" rel="nofollow">Support &amp; Resources for Expectant and Parenting Young People in Foster Care</a></em>, for more information.</div>

This year's National Foster Care Month (NFCM) theme, "Relative and Kin Connections: Keeping Families Strong," highlights the importance of prioritizing and strengthening relative and kin connections and

<p>This year&#39;s National Foster Care Month (NFCM) theme, &#34;Relative and Kin Connections: Keeping Families Strong,&#34; highlights the importance of prioritizing and strengthening relative and kin connections and emphasizing the positive impact these relationships have on maintaining family and cultural ties for children and youth in foster care.</p>
<p>As in past years, the <a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/fostercaremonth/" rel="nofollow">NFCM website</a> is dedicated to offering an array of resources and tools aimed at addressing the unique needs of children in foster care; improving placement stability; and strengthening relationships between birth families, children and youth in foster care, and child welfare agencies. </p>
<div>The NFCM 2022 website features a new modern look and feel in addition to the following additions:</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: inside;"><li>A <a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/fostercaremonth/about/#cb" rel="nofollow">message</a> from Associate Commissioner Aysha E. Schomburg</li><li>New stories added to the <a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/fostercaremonth/stories/" rel="nofollow">Reflections: Stories of Foster Care</a> page that feature inspirational firsthand accounts from individuals with lived experience describing the important role kinship caregivers play in the lives of children and youth in foster care   </li><li>New outreach tools, such as graphics and GIFs, in the <a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/fostercaremonth/awareness/graphics/?utm_campaign&#61;nfcm22&amp;utm_medium&#61;email&amp;utm_source&#61;nfcmwebsitelaunch031422" rel="nofollow">Graphics</a> page</li><li>New <a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/fostercaremonth/resources/?utm_campaign&#61;nfcm22&amp;utm_medium&#61;email&amp;utm_source&#61;nfcmwebsitelaunch031422" rel="nofollow">resources</a> that highlight family finding and other recruitment strategies, best practices for family engagement, information about licensing for relative caregivers, and more.</li></ul>
<div>Visit this year&#39;s <a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/fostercaremonth/" rel="nofollow">website</a> to find a host of enhanced web features and resources for the field as well as outreach tools for individuals and organizations to use to spread awareness at state and local levels and to amplify a unified campaign message across new audiences. </div>

A report from the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation within the Administration for Children and Families of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services explores how self-regulation can be

Building Coregulation Capacity to Support Positive Development for Youth in Foster Care

<p>A <a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/report/building-co-regulation-capacity-support-positive-development-youth-foster-care" rel="nofollow">report</a> from the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation within the Administration for Children and Families of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services explores how self-regulation can be applied as a framework for promoting youth health and well-being through coregulation. It reviews which developmental skills and competencies are addressed in the current literature, how coregulation is presented, and what context it is being applied in as well as identifies research gaps. The report provides key findings as well as recommendations. Child welfare researchers and program administrators can use this report to better understand coregulation and how to implement it into practice.</p>
<p>Coregulation involves more than just relationships. There are three critical components within the coregulation framework: caring, consistent, and responsive relationships; cocreation of supportive environments; and intentional and developmentally informed day-to-day interactions. Coregulation also does not require a therapeutic context or a specific program.</p>
<div>Although older youth in and transitioning out of care possess resilience and unique strengths, they often experience challenges with self-regulating, which can make it more difficult to successfully transition to adulthood. These challenges can stem from experiencing trauma, disrupted relationships, or maltreatment. Additionally, challenges exist within the child welfare system that make it more difficult for adults to provide coregulation. This population has limited access to evidence-based interventions and have a great need for targeted support services. </div>
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<div>The report provided the following recommendations:</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: inside;"><li>Utilize principles of practice</li><li>Strengthen supports for coregulation within the child welfare system</li><li>Strengthen evidence on coregulation for older youth in foster care</li></ul>
<div>For more information, access the report, <em><a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/report/building-co-regulation-capacity-support-positive-development-youth-foster-care" rel="nofollow">Building Co-Regulation Capacity to Support Positive Development for Youth With Foster Care Experience</a></em>.</div>
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The Administration for Children and Families and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published a technical guide to help title IV-E and Medicaid

Data-Sharing Toolkit for Child Welfare and Medicaid Agencies

<p>The Administration for Children and Families and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published a <a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/training-technical-assistance/data-sharing-and-medicaid-toolkit" rel="nofollow">technical guide</a> to help title IV-E and Medicaid agencies share information more efficiently. Children and youth in foster care have higher rates of physical and behavioral health needs than their peers who are not in foster care. To better meet the complex needs of this vulnerable population, automated, bidirectional data sharing can help ensure youth get timely access to health services, which leads to better outcomes.</p>
<p>The guide provides information about the following:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: inside;"><li>Populations served by both agencies</li><li>Legal framework for sharing information</li><li>Opportunities and benefits of sharing data </li><li>Tips for overcoming challenges</li><li>Guidance for establishing partnerships and developing a strategic design for bidirectional data exchanges</li><li>Examples of successfully operating data exchanges administered by states and localities</li><li>Cost-allocation guidance</li></ul>
<div>To learn more, explore the technical assistance guide, <em><a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/training-technical-assistance/data-sharing-and-medicaid-toolkit" rel="nofollow">Toolkit: Data Sharing for Child Welfare Agencies and Medicaid</a></em>.</div>

The Children's Bureau website hosts information on child welfare programs, funding, monitoring, training and technical assistance, laws, statistics, research, federal reporting, and much more. Recent additions

<p>The Children&#39;s Bureau website hosts information on child welfare programs, funding, monitoring, training and technical assistance, laws, statistics, research, federal reporting, and much more.</p>
<p>Recent additions to the site include the following:</p>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: inside;"><li><a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/training-technical-assistance/new-year-open-discussion-webinar" rel="nofollow">CCWIS New Year – Open Discussion Webinar</a></li><li><a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/training-technical-assistance/program-data-submission-spring-2022" rel="nofollow">Title IV-E Prevention Program Data Submission Spring 2022 Webinar</a></li><li><a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/report/cfsr-fact-sheet-legal-judicial" rel="nofollow">Round 4 Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSRs): Fact Sheet for Legal and Judicial Communities</a></li><li><a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/policy-guidance/im-22-01" rel="nofollow">Guidance for Title IV-B and IV-E Agencies When Serving LGBTQI&#43; Children and Youth: IM-22-01</a></li><li><a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/policy-guidance/pi-22-02" rel="nofollow">Actions Required for 2022 Tribal Submissions of APSR Updates; and Parts I, II, and III of the CFS-101: PI-22-02</a></li><li><a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/policy-guidance/pi-22-03" rel="nofollow">Instructions for State Courts on Applying for State Court Improvement Program (CIP) Funds for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023: PI-22-03</a></li><li><a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/policy-guidance/pi-22-04" rel="nofollow">Availability of Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Children&#39;s Justice Act Grants to States Under the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA): PI-22-04 </a></li></ul>
<div>Visit the <a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb" rel="nofollow">Children&#39;s Bureau website</a> often to see what&#39;s new.</div>

Child Welfare Information Gateway released a three-part podcast series dedicated to the importance of engaging fathers in child welfare services. The podcasts share strategies implemented in three of the

<p>Child Welfare Information Gateway released a three-part podcast series dedicated to the importance of engaging fathers in child welfare services. The podcasts share strategies implemented in three of the five state or county agencies that participated in the Fathers and Continuous Learning in Child Welfare project (Los Angeles County, CA; Hartford, CT; and Prowers County, CO), which aimed to improve placement stability and permanency outcomes for children by engaging their fathers and paternal relatives.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/more-tools-resources/podcast/episode-71/" rel="nofollow">&#34;Engaging Fathers – Putting Lessons Into Practice, Part 1&#34;</a> features Christine Lau, M.S.W., assistant chief of child welfare, Connecticut Department of Children and Families, and Abdul Rahmaan I. Muhammad, L.M.S.W., executive director, My People Clinical Services. The topics discussed in this episode include the benefits of including community partners and fatherhood advocates in Connecticut&#39;s improvement team; Connecticut&#39;s decision to choose multiple, small strategies rather than a single, large-scale strategy to address father engagement; and lessons learned.</p>
<div><a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/more-tools-resources/podcast/episode-72/" rel="nofollow">&#34;Engaging Fathers – Putting Lessons Into Practice, Part 2&#34;</a> features Angela Parks-Pyles, deputy director, contract services, Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, and Alan-Michael Graves, Ed.D., senior director of learning and capacity building, Good&#43; Foundation. The topics discussed in this episode include the value of community organizations in Los Angeles County&#39;s improvement team; strategies Los Angeles County implemented to change its processes and mindset about the importance of fathers; and the importance of acting &#34;intentionally and unapologetically&#34; to enact meaningful change.   </div>
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<div><a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/more-tools-resources/podcast/episode-73/" rel="nofollow">&#34;Engaging Fathers – Putting Lessons Into Practice, Part 3&#34;</a> features Laine Meyers-Mireles, director, Prowers County Department of Human Services; Courtney Holt-Rogers, adult and family service manager, Prowers County Department of Human Services; and Amy Rosengrants-Smith, therapist, Prowers County Department of Human Services. The topics discussed in this episode include how small child welfare agencies can have more flexibility and innovative capability compared with larger bureaucratic agencies, how child welfare and its partner human services agencies in Prowers County shared collective accountability to engage and involve fathers and paternal families in casework and prevention strategies, and what is needed to spark and maintain culture change around fathers.</div>
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<div>To learn more about the importance of engaging fathers in child welfare practices, visit <a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/" rel="nofollow">Child Welfare Information Gateway</a>.</div>

The Children's Bureau funds several technical assistance centers to provide professionals with tools to better serve children, youth, and families.   The following are some of the latest resources from

Updates From the Children's Bureau's Training and Technical Assistance Partners

<p>The Children&#39;s Bureau funds several technical assistance centers to provide professionals with tools to better serve children, youth, and families. </p>
<div> The following are some of the latest resources from these partners: </div>
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<div><strong>Child Welfare Information Gateway   </strong></div>
<div><em><a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/laws-policies/statutes/safety-risk/" rel="nofollow">The Use of Safety and Risk Assessment in Child Protection Cases</a></em></div>
<div><em><a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/laws-policies/statutes/consent/" rel="nofollow">Consent to Adoption</a></em></div>
<div><a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/responding/trauma/" rel="nofollow">Trauma-Informed Practice in Child Welfare</a> [Webpage]</div>
<div>Visit the <a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/" rel="nofollow">Child Welfare Information Gateway website</a> for more.</div>
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<div><strong>Child Welfare Capacity Building Collaborative</strong></div>
<div>Capacity Building Center for States - <a href="https://bit.ly/3NpEAt3" rel="nofollow">&#34;Diversifying the Child Welfare Workforce With Lived Expertise&#34;</a> [Webinar]</div>
<div>Visit the <a href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/" rel="nofollow">Child Welfare Capacity Building Collaborative website</a> for more.</div>
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<div><strong>FRIENDS National Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention</strong></div>
<div><a href="https://friendsnrc.org/resources/maximizing-funding-discussion-series-session-4-exploring-opportunities-for-arpa-funds/" rel="nofollow">&#34;Maximizing Funding Discussion Series: Session 4 – Exploring Opportunities for ARPA Funds&#34;</a> [Webinar]</div>
<div>Visit the <a href="https://friendsnrc.org/" rel="nofollow">FRIENDS National Resource Center website</a> for more.</div>
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<div><strong>Children&#39;s Bureau Learning &amp; Coordination Center (CBLCC)</strong></div>
<div><a href="https://cblcc.acf.hhs.gov/topic-areas/workforce-support/preventing-and-healing-from-secondary-traumatic-stress-taking-an-organizational-approach/" rel="nofollow">&#34;Preventing and Healing From Secondary Traumatic Stress: Taking an Organizational Approach&#34;</a> [Digital Dialog]</div>
<div>Visit the <a href="https://cblcc.acf.hhs.gov/" rel="nofollow">CBLCC website</a> for more.</div>
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<div><strong>AdoptUSKids</strong></div>
<div><a href="https://blog.adoptuskids.org/helping-a-child-through-a-crisis/" rel="nofollow">&#34;Helping a Child Through a Crisis&#34;</a> [Blog post]</div>
<div><a href="https://professionals.adoptuskids.org/how-to-support-foster-adoptive-and-kinship-families-of-color/" rel="nofollow">&#34;Supporting Foster and Adoptive Families of Color: Stories and Strategies From Leaders of Color in Child Welfare&#34;</a> [Webinar]</div>
<div><a href="https://professionals.adoptuskids.org/data-driven-diligent-recruitment-using-data-to-recruit-and-sustain-families/" rel="nofollow">&#34;Data-Driven Diligent Recruitment: Using Data to Recruit and Sustain the Pool of Families  You Need for Children in Foster Care&#34;</a> [Webinar]</div>
<div>Visit the <a href="https://adoptuskids.org/" rel="nofollow">AdoptUSKids website</a> for more.</div>
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<div><strong>National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect (NDACAN)</strong></div>
<div><a href="https://www.ndacan.acf.hhs.gov/events/events.cfm" rel="nofollow">Spring 2022 Office Hours - May 27: &#34;Using NDACAN Data for Teaching and Learning&#34;</a></div>
<div><a href="https://www.ndacan.acf.hhs.gov/events/2022-summer-webinars/2022-summer-webinars-listing.cfm" rel="nofollow">Summer Training Webinar Series 2022: &#34;The Power of Linking Administrative Data&#34;</a></div>
<div>Visit the <a href="https://www.ndacan.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm" rel="nofollow">NDACAN website</a> for more.</div>
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<div><strong>National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (NCWWI) </strong></div>
<div><a href="https://vimeo.com/691555898" rel="nofollow">&#34;Collaborating to Enhance ICWA Knowledge and Practice&#34;</a> [Webinar]</div>
<div><a href="https://ncwwi.org/document/the-indian-self-determination-act-and-social-work-practice/" rel="nofollow">&#34;The Indian Self-Determination Act and Social Work Practice&#34;</a> [Infographic]</div>
<div><a href="https://ncwwi.org/document/indian-child-welfare-timeline/" rel="nofollow">&#34;Indian Child Welfare Timeline&#34;</a> [Infographic]</div>
<div>Visit the <a href="https://www.ncwwi.org/" rel="nofollow">NCWWI website</a> for more.</div>
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<div><strong>Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development (QIC-WD)</strong></div>
<div><a href="https://www.qic-wd.org/blog/institute-20-kicks" rel="nofollow">&#34;The Institute 2.0 Kicks Off&#34;</a> [Blog post]</div>
<div><em><a href="https://www.qic-wd.org/qic-take/supervision-virtual-workplace" rel="nofollow">Supervision in a Virtual Workplace</a></em></div>
<div>Visit the <a href="https://www.qic-wd.org/" rel="nofollow">QIC-WD website</a> for more.</div>
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<div><strong>National Quality Improvement Center for Collaborative Community Court Teams (QIC-CCCT)</strong></div>
<div><em><a href="https://www.cffutures.org/home-page/qic-ccct-tribal-posc-modules/" rel="nofollow">Tribal Family Wellness Plan Learning Modules</a></em></div>
<div><a href="https://www.cffutures.org/qic-main-page/qic-ccct-final-webinar/" rel="nofollow">&#34;Earlier the Better: How Collaborative Court Teams Are Supporting Infants and Parents Affected by Prenatal Substance Exposure&#34;</a> [Webinar]</div>
<div>Visit the <a href="https://www.cffutures.org/qic-ccct/" rel="nofollow">QIC-CCCT website</a> for more.</div>
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A recent working paper by Child Trends, Integrating Positive Youth Development and Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Approaches Across the Child Welfare and Justice Systems, focuses on the importance

Implementing Positive Youth Development Approaches in Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice

<p>A recent working paper by Child Trends, <em><a href="https://www.childtrends.org/publications/integrating-positive-youth-development-and-racial-equity-inclusion-and-belonging-approaches-across-the-child-welfare-and-justice-systems" rel="nofollow">Integrating Positive Youth Development and Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Approaches Across the Child Welfare and Justice Systems</a></em>, focuses on the importance of positive youth development (PYD) approaches in child welfare. Specifically, the working paper explores the need for PYD approaches that incorporate racial equity and inclusion, why it is important to focus on young adults, and why these approaches are especially important for the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.</p>
<p>PYD approaches involve focusing on youth&#39;s assets and building on their protective factors. These approaches can improve mental health, physical health, education, and employment outcomes for young people.</p>
<div>The working paper also introduces the STRENGTH model, which was designed to help organizations and communities guide and collaborate with youth. The conceptual model is structured around eight principles:</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: inside;"><li><strong>S</strong>ystems integration</li><li><strong>T</strong>rustworthy and safe</li><li><strong>R</strong>elationships</li><li><strong>E</strong>quity, inclusion, and belonging</li><li><strong>N</strong>eeds met holistically</li><li><strong>G</strong>rowth, leadership, and opportunities to fail and learn</li><li><strong>T</strong>raining and education</li><li><strong>H</strong>ealing</li></ul>
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<div>The next phase of Child Trends&#39; work in this area is to design a STRENGTH toolkit to provide concrete supports to programs and systems implementing PYD approaches for young adults.</div>
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<div>For more information about PYD approaches, the STRENGTH model, and the coming toolkit, read <em><a href="https://www.childtrends.org/publications/integrating-positive-youth-development-and-racial-equity-inclusion-and-belonging-approaches-across-the-child-welfare-and-justice-systems" rel="nofollow">Integrating Positive Youth Development and Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Approaches Across the Child Welfare and Justice Systems</a></em>. </div>

Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing criminal industries in the world, and child trafficking often goes unidentified because of a lack of effective, evidence-based screening protocols. A recent

Study Evaluates Screening Protocols for Child Trafficking

<p>Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing criminal industries in the world, and child trafficking often goes unidentified because of a lack of effective, evidence-based screening protocols. A <a href="https://medcraveonline.com/FRCIJ/detecting-child-trafficking-within-the-child-welfare-system-recommendations-and-best-practices-for-screening-and-identification-protocols-in-the-united-states.html" rel="nofollow">recent article</a> in <em>Forensic Research &amp; Criminology International Journal</em> evaluates child trafficking screening tools in 26 states and provides recommendations and best practices for screening and identification protocols.</p>
<p>Using interviews with child welfare leaders, the study&#39;s research team found that 92 percent of the 26 states had screening protocols in place for identifying potential victims of trafficking. However, states also reported common challenges associated with implementing and utilizing screening tools, with the main one being the lack of standardized use of the screening tools, resulting in inconsistent reporting.</p>
<p>The article calls attention to the need for child welfare agencies and organizations to improve their identification of and response to child trafficking. Findings suggest that one way to improve these protocols is by utilizing statewide task forces, advisory councils, and partnerships with universities. In addition, the authors recommend using psychometrically validated screening and identification tools as part of evidence-based and trauma-informed protocols. </p>
<div>For more information, see the article, <a href="https://medcraveonline.com/FRCIJ/detecting-child-trafficking-within-the-child-welfare-system-recommendations-and-best-practices-for-screening-and-identification-protocols-in-the-united-states.html" rel="nofollow">&#34;Detecting Child Trafficking Within the Child Welfare System: Recommendations and Best Practices for Screening and Identification Protocols in the United States.&#34;</a> </div>

The National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC) recently released an update to its cornerstone resource, Recommendations for Legal Representation of Child and Youth in Neglect and Abuse Proceedings,

Updated Recommendations for Legal Representation of Child and Youth in Neglect and Abuse Proceedings

<p>The National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC) recently released an update to its cornerstone resource, <em><a href="https://bit.ly/3KCIo8m" rel="nofollow">Recommendations for Legal Representation of Child and Youth in Neglect and Abuse Proceedings</a></em>, which was originally released in 2001. In a <a href="https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.naccchildlaw.org/resource/resmgr/standards/nacc_recs_press_release_fina.pdf" rel="nofollow">press release</a>, NACC notes that the recommendations are widely recognized as child welfare law best practices. Two decades later, the updated standards were rewritten to emphasize youth voice, equity, and high-quality legal representation.</p>
<p>Unlike NACC&#39;s 2001 recommendations, which were largely drafted by lawyers, the new standards were developed in coordination with young professionals with lived experience in the child welfare system. The recommendations call upon attorneys and other members of the legal system to anchor legal representation around the voice and interests of children and youth. </p>
<div>The standards provide a list of 10 primary duties of attorneys for children and youth that reflect this priority:</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: inside;"><li>Establish an attorney-client relationship</li><li>Support the attorney-client relationship</li><li>Offer legal counsel and advice</li><li>Ensure opportunity for full participation</li><li>Provide competent legal representation</li><li>Provide loyal and independent legal representation </li><li>Maintain confidentiality</li><li>Advance equity in legal representation</li><li>Provide &#34;360-degree&#34; advocacy </li><li>Provide continuity of legal representation </li></ul>
<div>Read <a href="https://bit.ly/3KCIo8m" rel="nofollow"><em>Recommendations for Legal Representation of Child and Youth in Neglect and Abuse Proceedings</em></a> for more information.</div>

Written by the Capacity Building Center for States "Reconnecting with and strengthening my relationships with family has always been an important part of finding my identity and sense of belonging. However,

Reconnecting Family Ties for Children and Youth in Foster Care

<p><em>Written by the Capacity Building Center for States</em></p>
<p>&#34;Reconnecting with and strengthening my relationships with family has always been an important part of finding my identity and sense of belonging. However, this power comes with a different set of unexpected challenges. Family events can often be stressful as we struggle with how to treat one another. It is difficult to have healthy relationships because we did not have the opportunity to learn how to do this when we were younger.&#34;— Aleks Talsky, young adult consultant, Capacity Building Center for States (2021, p. 2)</p>
<div>When a child or youth enters foster care, it is traumatic. Being removed from their home interrupts family bonds, and a child may feel as if everything they have known has disappeared. When parents can no longer safely care for a child, living with a family member or close family friend may be the least disruptive option for the child. Children and youth need long-term relationships to give them a sense of belonging and help them feel loved and connected to their family, friends, and culture. While finding legal permanency through reunification, guardianship, or adoption is an important goal, supporting these long-term relationships, or relational permanency, is just as important. </div>
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<div>The following provides information about what can agencies do to build a holistic network of family and caring adults for children and youth.</div>
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<div><strong>Prioritize Family Finding</strong> </div>
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<div>As a first step, ask youth what relationships are important to them. Agencies can begin conducting an intensive search for family members and fictive kin before children enter out-of-home care. Kinship care should be the priority for children if they are separated from their parents. Engaging extended family and fictive kin like teachers, coaches, and family friends should extend beyond finding children a home. Instead of pressuring kin into a caretaker role they may not feel able to fulfill, agencies can explore what long-term relationships, connections, and emotional or other supports kin are able to offer as children grow into adults. Throughout the time children remain in foster care, agencies should continue the search with urgency to expand their lifelong support network of caring adults and long-term relationships. For youth, having support establishing and maintaining these connections will help them navigate these often-complex relationships and explore their identity.</div>
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<div><strong>Support Kinship Caregivers</strong></div>
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<div>Provide kinship caregivers with benefits and support to the same degree as nonrelative resource parents, including financial and concrete supports, training, trauma education and support, guidance, and respite care. Children living with kinship caregivers achieve better outcomes, maintain a closer connection to parents and siblings, experience fewer disruptions when in kinship care, and are as safe or safer than children in nonrelative foster care (Hassall et al., 2021; Koh et al., 2021; Schmidt &amp; Treinen, 2017; Winokur et al., 2018). Licensing should be individualized to prioritize the children&#39;s relationship with a specific relative; keeping siblings together; and safety requirements over nonsafety requirements, such as the square footage of a house.</div>
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<div><strong>Invest in Kinship Navigator Programs </strong></div>
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<div>Dedicate staff and resources to promote and support kinship placements, caregivers, and families. Unlike foster parents who may go through training and certification, kinship caregivers may answer an unexpected call to step up for a family member with little time to prepare. Kinship navigators can ensure kinship caregivers have the support they need to meet children&#39;s social, emotional, and physical needs. Programs like Ohio&#39;s OhioKAN Kinship and Adoption Navigator have specially trained staff who continually reassess caregiver needs to align services and supports and also provide regular material and emotional support. In some programs, kinship navigators also participate in ongoing family finding. </div>
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<div><strong>Create a &#34;Kin First&#34; Culture </strong></div>
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<div>Work to create an agency culture that expects and supports kin-first practices. People need real strategies to become aware of and begin to dismantle unconscious biases, to replace negative stereotypes with positive examples, and to understand the benefits of maintaining kin connections for children and youth. Activities in the <a href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states/topics/foster-care-permanency/kinship-care-series?utm_source&#61;cbxmay2022&amp;utm_medium&#61;referral" rel="nofollow"><em>It&#39;s All Relative: Supporting Kinship Care</em> discussion guides and video series</a> can be used for individual coaching or to promote collaborative discussions. Enlist people with lived experience in the child welfare system to facilitate training at all levels, including preservice assessment, safety training for staff, and licensing training for kinship caregivers and nonrelative foster parents. Include youth, parents, and kinship caregivers on panels that speak to policy at agency, state, and federal levels to ensure policies and practices affirm, promote, and support family finding, kinship placement, and preserving sibling connections. Build parent partner programs to support family engagement, provide peer-to-peer mentoring, reduce social isolation, and link parents to services. The <a href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states/resources/parent-partner-program-navigator?utm_source&#61;cbxmay2022&amp;utm_medium&#61;referral" rel="nofollow">Parent Partner Program Navigator</a> can guide agencies through this process.</div>
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<div><strong>Maintain Sibling Connections </strong></div>
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<div>Placement in foster care is traumatic, and keeping siblings together provides continuity, connection to family, and serves as protection against trauma. Sibling relationships are often one of the longest-lasting relationships over a lifetime. Young children spend more of their free time with siblings than with anyone else and significantly affect each other&#39;s development. Support and warmth from sibling bonds can have a positive influence on social competence, academic engagement, and educational attainment, and sibling bonds continue to have a positive influence on adult well-being (Feinberg et al., 2012). Kinship care may increase the likelihood that siblings can stay together. If siblings are split apart, support meaningful opportunities for them to spend time together in natural settings and frequent contact through technology (e.g., internet, cell phones, social media). Take advantage of offering more extended time together through programs like <a href="https://camptobelong.org/" rel="nofollow">Camp To Belong</a>, which reunites siblings for a week of recreation in an emotionally supportive environment.</div>
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<div><strong>Additional Resources</strong></div>
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<div>Explore the following resources as you consider how your agency can support relative and kin connections:</div>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: inside;"><li>The Center for States&#39; <a href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states/topics/foster-care-permanency?utm_source&#61;cbxmay2022&amp;utm_medium&#61;referral" rel="nofollow">Out-of-Home Services</a> webpage links to resources and information for child welfare agencies seeking to build capacity to develop, implement, and sustain a broad continuum of out-of-home services that promote safety, permanency, and well-being for children and youth. </li><li>The <em><a href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states/topics/foster-care-permanency/nfcm-2021?utm_source&#61;cbxmay2022&amp;utm_medium&#61;referral" rel="nofollow">Menu for Youth Engagement </a></em>series and the <em><a href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states/topics/foster-care-permanency/family-focused-system?utm_source&#61;cbxmay2022&amp;utm_medium&#61;referral" rel="nofollow">Becoming a Family-Focused System</a></em> series support meaningful partnerships with youth and families</li><li>The discussion guides and videos in the <a href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states/topics/foster-care-permanency/kinship-care-series?utm_source&#61;cbxmay2022&amp;utm_medium&#61;referral" rel="nofollow"><em>It&#39;s All Relative: Supporting Kinship Care</em> discussion guides and video series</a> help create a more supportive environment for kinship caregivers.</li><li>The <em><a href="https://www.fosterclub.com/sites/default/files/docs/blogs/ACF%20Youth%20Engagement%20Team%20Recommendations_approved%20by%20ACF%20Comms%20and%20External%20Affairs_remediated_compressed.pdf" rel="nofollow">Recommendations for Improving Permanency and Well-Being</a></em> report summarizes strategies collected during roundtable discussions between Administration for Children and Families (ACF) leaders and the ACF Youth Engagement Team about how agencies can support permanency with kin, relational permanency, and successful adoption for older youth. The Youth Engagement Team comprises young adults who have experienced the foster care system.</li><li>In <em><a href="https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.naccchildlaw.org/resource/resmgr/youth_voices/aleks_talksky_youthperspecti.pdf" rel="nofollow">The Path Away From—and Back to—My Siblings: Discovering the Power of Identity and Sibling Relationships</a></em>, a young adult with lived experience in kinship care shares her story and recommendations to support siblings&#39; relationships in foster care.</li></ul>
<div><strong>References</strong></div>
<div><br /></div>
<div>Feinberg, M. E., Solmeyer, A. R., &amp; McHale, S. M. (2012). The third rail of family systems: Sibling relationships, mental and behavioral health, and preventive intervention in childhood and adolescence. <em>Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review</em>, 15, 43–57. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-011-0104-5" rel="nofollow">https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-011-0104-5 </a></div>
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<div>Hassall, A., Janse van Rensburg, E., Trew, S., Hawes, D. J., &amp; Pasalich, D. S. (2021). Does kinship vs. foster care better promote connectedness? A systematic review and meta-analysis. <em>Clinical Child &amp; Family Psychology Review</em>, 24, 813–832. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-021-00352-6" rel="nofollow">https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-021-00352-6</a></div>
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<div>Koh, E., Ware, A., &amp; Lee, E. (2021). State implementation of the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act: Exploratory study on kinship care. <em>Advances in Social Work</em>, 21, 77–99. <a href="https://doi.org/10.18060/23942" rel="nofollow">https://doi.org/10.18060/23942</a></div>
<div><br /></div>
<div>Schmidt, M. C., &amp; Treinen, J. (2017). Using kinship navigation services to support the family resource needs, caregiver self-efficacy, and placement stability of children in informal and formal kinship care. <em>Child Welfare</em>, 95(4), 69–89.</div>
<div><br /></div>
<div>Talsky, A. (2021). The path away from—and back to—my siblings: Discovering the power of identity and sibling relationships. National Association of Counsel for Children. <a href="https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.naccchildlaw.org/resource/resmgr/youth_voices/aleks_talksky_youthperspecti.pdf" rel="nofollow">https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.naccchildlaw.org/resource/resmgr/youth_voices/aleks_talksky_youthperspecti.pdf </a></div>
<div><br /></div>
<div>Winokur, M. A., Holtan, A., &amp; Batchelder, K. E. (2018). Systematic review of kinship care effects on safety, permanency, and well-being outcomes. <em>Research on Social Work Practice</em>, 28, 19–32. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1049731515620843" rel="nofollow">https://doi.org/10.1177/1049731515620843 </a></div>

An infographic for parents and parent groups from the Children's Trust Fund Alliance highlights the importance of protective factors in strengthening families. It provides a colorful and engaging look

Building Protective Factors With Parent Partners

<p>An <a href="https://ctfalliance.sharefile.com/share/view/sf4b4784a89c44fdcbf11fcde9d2cc141" rel="nofollow">infographic</a> for parents and parent groups from the Children&#39;s Trust Fund Alliance highlights the importance of protective factors in strengthening families. It provides a colorful and engaging look at how parents and families can thrive by building protective factors through everyday actions. It also introduces two of the parent groups with whom the Alliance works and outlines some of the available resources focused on building protective factors and developing effective parent partnerships. </p>
<p>The Children&#39;s Trust Fund Alliance is a national network for state children&#39;s trust funds that promotes the well-being of children by engaging the public and influencing national systems and organizations that impact children, families, and communities.</p>
<p>To learn more, view <em><a href="https://ctfalliance.sharefile.com/share/view/sf4b4784a89c44fdcbf11fcde9d2cc141" rel="nofollow">What Gets Your Wheels Spinning?</a></em> </p>

Upcoming conferences and events on child welfare and adoption include the following: May  "Investigating Crimes Against Children With Disabilities-Considerations for Law Enforcement" [Webinar] American

<p>Upcoming conferences and events on child welfare and adoption include the following:</p>
<p><strong>May </strong></p>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: inside;"><li><a href="https://www.memberleap.com/members/evr/reg_event.php?orgcode&#61;APSA&amp;evid&#61;28038469" rel="nofollow">&#34;Investigating Crimes Against Children With Disabilities-Considerations for Law Enforcement&#34;</a> [Webinar]<br />American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children<br />May 10</li></ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: inside;"><li><a href="https://bostonchildrens.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_W8ruxnY6RnuHxWusHMWqEQ" rel="nofollow">&#34;Listening to Families Resettling in the US&#34;</a> [Webinar]<br />Brazelton Touchpoints Center<br />May 11</li></ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: inside;"><li><a href="https://www.wku.edu/lp/treps/nat-ive/index.php" rel="nofollow">2022 National Title IV-E Roundtable for Child Welfare Training and Education</a><br />Western Kentucky University<br />May 17–19, Bowling Green, KY</li></ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: inside;"><li><a href="https://www.umass.edu/ruddchair/summer-adoption-research-institute" rel="nofollow">2022 Rudd Summer Adoption Research Institute</a> [Virtual]<br />University of Massachusetts Amherst, Rudd Adoption Research Program<br />May 18–27</li></ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: inside;"><li><a href="https://web.cvent.com/event/b82525e3-8696-4b48-ad7e-d449443b68b9/summary" rel="nofollow">&#34;Child Welfare, Family Regulation and Policing&#34;</a> [Webinar series]<br />Kempe Center<br />May 25</li></ul>
<div><strong> June</strong></div>
<div>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: inside;"><li><a href="https://www.nfpa.org/conference" rel="nofollow">2022 Annual Education Conference</a> [Virtual]<br />National Foster Parent Association<br />June 6–9</li></ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: inside;"><li><a href="https://www.apsac.org/colloquium" rel="nofollow">29th APSAC Colloquium</a><br />American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC)<br />June 6–10, New Orleans, LA</li></ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: inside;"><li><a href="https://bit.ly/3IPjzEy" rel="nofollow">&#34;LGBTQIA2&#43; Families Then and Now&#34;</a> [Webinar]<br />Brazelton Touchpoints Center<br />June 6 and 20</li></ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: inside;"><li><a href="https://www.aphsanationalsummit.com/" rel="nofollow">2022 National Health and Human Services Summit</a><br />American Public Human Services Association<br />Arlington, VA, June 12–15</li></ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: inside;"><li><a href="https://socialworkmanager.org/" rel="nofollow">2nd Annual Forward Thinking Summit</a> [Virtual]<br />Network for Social Work Management<br />June 14–16</li></ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: inside;"><li><a href="https://bit.ly/3xn83OT" rel="nofollow">National Adoption Conference</a><br />National Council for Adoption<br />June 15–17, Indianapolis, IN</li></ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: inside;"><li><a href="https://bit.ly/3M01MwA" rel="nofollow">&#34;The Journey to Prioritizing Family Groups&#34;</a> [Webinar]<br />Kempe Center<br />June 19</li></ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: inside;"><li><a href="https://bit.ly/36VdUzK" rel="nofollow">&#34;Applying Key NTI Concepts and Tools: Using Therapeutic Parenting Strategies to Address Challenging Behavior&#34;</a> [Webinar]<br />Center for Adoption Support and Education<br />June 21</li></ul>
</div>
<div><strong> July</strong></div>
<div>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: inside;"><li><a href="https://bit.ly/365Xh4h" rel="nofollow">&#34;Applying Key NTI Concepts and Tools: Promoting Family Stability and Wellness Post Permanency&#34;</a> [Webinar]<br />Center for Adoption Support and Education<br />July 12</li></ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: inside;"><li><a href="https://www.ffta.org/page/Conference22" rel="nofollow">36th Annual Conference on Treatment Family Care</a><br />Family Focused Treatment Association<br />July 17–20, New Orleans, LA</li></ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc; list-style-position: inside;"><li><a href="https://bit.ly/3O5JuLZ" rel="nofollow">&#34;The Termination of Parental Rights or the Civil Death Penalty&#34;</a> [Webinar]<br />Kempe Center<br />July 27</li></ul>
</div>

The Institute for Innovation and Implementation of the University of Maryland School of Social Work, with funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, developed a new learning community

Design and Implementation Strategies for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics

<p>The Institute for Innovation and Implementation of the University of Maryland School of Social Work, with funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, developed a new learning community as part of an effort to establish a national technical assistance center to support the expansion of certified community behavioral health clinics (CCBHCs). The <a href="https://theinstitute.umaryland.edu/institute-news/institute-launches-child--family-focused-certified-community-behavioral-health-.php" rel="nofollow">Child and Family CCBHC Learning Community</a> holds monthly meetings to support access to and the quality of CCBHCs across the country. These meetings feature national experts and CCBHC examples from across the country. Participants will learn about design and implementation approaches that CCBHCs can establish to meet the needs of children, youth, and their families.</p>
<p>The next learning community meeting will take place on May 11. Recordings of previous meetings may be available to learning community members. To sign up for the community, visit the Institute for Innovation and Implementation <a href="https://theinstitute.umaryland.edu/institute-news/institute-launches-child--family-focused-certified-community-behavioral-health-.php" rel="nofollow">website</a>.</p>

May 2022Vol. 23, No. 4Data-Sharing Toolkit for Child Welfare and Medicaid Agencies