June 2023Vol. 24, No. 5Bright Spots Online Hub Provides Parent-Reviewed Child Welfare Practices
Bright Spots, a new online resource library, features child welfare practices reviewed and recommended by parents who have experienced the child welfare system. The hub features a variety of resources, including practice tips, toolkits, and interviews on various topics.
Bright Spots was developed by Alia, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to child welfare systems change. The organization partners with Rise magazine and Be Strong Families to develop its parent-recommended resource library.
To become a “Bright Spot,” proposed practices must be submitted to or solicited by Alia. They are then reviewed by a panel of parents who have experienced the child welfare system. When reviewing, parents determine whether they would recommend a proposed practice and evaluate submissions based on the following criteria:
- Potential for keeping families together
- Potential for impact on the child welfare system
- Potential negative consequences
- Conditions to make the practice more equitable or effective
Examples of resources in the Bright Spots library include All Children, All Families, a practice guide for implementing LGBTQ+ inclusive approaches; Blind Removals, a removal decision-making process designed to eliminate implicit bias; and the Peer and Community Care model, a family-strengthening model based on community connections.
More practices are available on the Bright Spots website.
