March 2023Vol. 24, No. 2Spotlight on Preparing to Engage Youth and Families in Round 4 of the CFSRs
The Capacity Building Center for States is seeking to help states prepare for the launch of round 4 of the Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSRs) by providing resources and recommendations in "Preparing to Engage Youth and Families in the Round 4 CFSRs." This resource introduces what round 4 will focus on as well as guiding principles and insight as to what the Children's Bureau will be looking for.
Round 4 of the CFSRs emphasizes the meaningful, authentic, and ongoing engagement of families and young people with lived experience. The Center for States suggests that states begin to asses their infrastructure needs, set goals for a supportive agency culture, and arrange for supports that promote successful engagement. The Center for States also provides recommendations on what engagement plans and infrastructure supports states should consider, such as the following:
- Compensating families and young people
- Providing coaching, training, and professional development
- Exploring expectations, goals, and guiding engagement principles together
- Promoting communication often and early
- Offering logistical support to address in-person meeting challenges
- Supporting peer-to-peer learning
- Ensuring feedback mechanisms and "closing the loop"
The Center for States specializes in offering resources and supports to agencies to help them build the capacity for authentic, meaningful, and ongoing engagement of young people and families.
