Written by Associate Commissioner Aysha E. Schomburg In my CBX message from December 2021, I wrote that my best friend was going to have a baby, and I shared the feelings I was experiencing about how I

Foster Ubuntu, A Message From Aysha E. Schomburg

Written by Associate Commissioner Aysha E. Schomburg
In my <a href="https://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov/article/2022/december-january/oblivious-to-trauma/2e3884031b92c150517620efe54bcb31" rel="nofollow">CBX message</a> from December 2021, I wrote that my best friend was going to have a baby, and I shared the feelings I was experiencing about how I would love and protect the baby “infinitely.” I wrote that I wanted to shower him with “a lifetime of familial closeness and an unshakeable foundation.” It is still so true. In a few days, my godson will turn 16 months. He is vibrant, animated, and full of life. He brings all of us the kind of joy in our hearts that only a child can bring to the surface—that magical feeling that makes us believe our hearts are beating so merrily that they’re actually bubbling.
My best friend is also a full-time single mom and working physician, and she needs help. We support her and make sure that she has what she needs so that her son can have what he needs. For example, when his mom needs rest, he spends the night with me so that she can sleep in or take naps. In other words, she needs respite so she can reenergize. Respite helps her be a great parent. As part of her circle, we support her in something as simple as getting rest.
May has been designated National Foster Care Month, a time when we can purposefully celebrate those who open their hearts to children, youth, and young adults; those who know the joyous feeling of a bubbling heart; those who have experienced the magic; and those who wield it. We can celebrate what, in my mind, is the true definition of foster care—to love, help, support, and connect people. We celebrate dedicated, loving parents who face and overcome adversity. We celebrate nurturing resource parents and kin caregivers. We celebrate children, youth, and young adults who have stared trauma in the face and who still have the heart to keep going. We celebrate the magic that lives in extended family and community members who wrap their arms around families, whether for a lifetime or only for the right time. We celebrate this notion of all for all. We celebrate Ubuntu.
“Ubuntu” is an African word that can be translated to mean “humanity to others” or “I am because we are.” Some of the principles or values of Ubuntu include communality, respect, dignity, acceptance, sharing, coresponsibility, humaneness, fairness, compassion, and love. Ubuntu represents what all families and children need—a strong foundation, familial closeness and togetherness, and community. What if Ubuntu is the magic we can wield? How can we foster Ubuntu to support parents, resource parents, kin caregivers, and young adults?
This month, I invite you to join me in choosing one of the values of Ubuntu and demonstrating that principle in your daily life. To demonstrate is an action, which means I am inviting you to display that value through your actions. For National Foster Care Month, let’s celebrate and purposefully live and share the values of Ubuntu.

May 2023

The report Rethinking Service Array for Young People Transitioning From Child Welfare by the Capacity Building Center for States calls for a more comprehensive and collaborative approach to providing services

Rethinking Service Array for Young People Transitioning From Child Welfare

The report <a style="color: #0563c1; text-decoration: underline;" title="Rethinking Service Array for Young People Transitioning From Child Welfare" href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/div-x/product8-rethinking-service-array.pdf" rel="nofollow">Rethinking Service Array for Young People Transitioning From Child Welfare</a> by the Capacity Building Center for States calls for a more comprehensive and collaborative approach to providing services and supports to young people involved in the child welfare system. It focuses on strategies to improve services for housing, health care and mental health, substance use disorder treatment, and postsecondary education. The report also emphasizes the importance of a strengths-based approach to service delivery based on a partnership between young adults and child welfare agencies.
The report outlines several key principles to inform strategies when creating a service array that is authentically youth-focused: proactive, youth-driven, emphasizes normalcy, and future focused. In general, the strategies provided focus on partnering with other organizations, schools, and service providers to provide more holistic and comprehensive services that consider the whole person, make services and information about them more easily accessible, and ensure the voice of the young person receiving services is heard. The report also describes the challenges agencies face when providing adequate and effective services. It also presents federal laws and programs youth and agencies can leverage as well as examples of innovative state, tribal, and local programs.
Overall, the article highlights the need for agencies to rethink how and which services are offered to young people currently and formerly in foster care in order to meet their diverse and complex needs through authentic partnerships to codevelop the services they need.
Read the <a style="color: #0563c1; text-decoration: underline;" href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/div-x/product8-rethinking-service-array.pdf" rel="nofollow">full report</a> for more details on the suggested strategies for improvement, which were provided by young people with lived experience and expertise.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities published an issue brief on recent guidance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) about charging parents for costs associated with foster

States Should Use New Guidance to Stop Charging Parents for Foster Care, Prioritize Family Reunification

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities published an issue brief on recent guidance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) about charging parents for costs associated with foster care. The issue brief, <a style="color: #0563c1; text-decoration: underline;" title="States Should Use New Guidance to Stop Charging Parents for Foster Care, Prioritize Family Reunification" href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/family-income-support/states-should-use-new-guidance-to-stop-charging-parents-for-foster" rel="nofollow">States Should Use New Guidance to Stop Charging Parents for Foster Care, Prioritize Family Reunification</a>, claims that the practice of charging parents for foster care delays family reunification and disproportionally impacts families of color. It suggests that states and localities change their policies to reflect the HHS guidance and prioritize reunification. Steps to implement the guidance will vary by state, but there are several that most states will need to take:
<ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; list-style-position: inside;" type="disc"><li style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 8pt; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Develop clear guidance establishing nonreferral to child support enforcement agencies.</li><li style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 8pt; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Reprogram computer systems to stop automatic referrals.</li><li style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 8pt; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Provide adequate training on new guidance and practices.</li><li style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 8pt; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Establish quality control mechanisms to review cases flagged for a referral before they are referred.</li><li style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 8pt; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Adopt practices that improve coordination between child welfare and child support programs.</li></ul>
Historically, federal guidance on child support referral rules has been broad, and decisions have varied widely by jurisdiction. The new guidance gives greater clarification on &#34;best interests&#34; and encourages agencies to only rarely refer cases to child support enforcement. The reasoning for these changes in the guidance is based on the assertion that charging parents for foster care delays family reunification, as many of the families that come into contact with foster care meet or are below the federal definition of poverty—and too often poverty can be seen as neglect.
The issue brief explains that families can accrue debt from these payments, which can lead to longer stays in out-of-home care and risk further interactions with child protection services after reunification. These payments can exacerbate the racial disparities within child welfare, as structural discrimination disproportionately impacts Black and American Indian people in areas that can lead to a child welfare assessment that finds neglect.
Read the <a style="color: #0563c1; text-decoration: underline;" title="full issue brief" href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/family-income-support/states-should-use-new-guidance-to-stop-charging-parents-for-foster" rel="nofollow">full issue brief</a> for more information on the HHS guidance, the impact of the policy on families of color and those experiencing poverty, and suggestions for updated agency policies.

Every May, the Children's Bureau, together with Child Welfare Information Gateway and other partner organizations, promotes National Foster Care Month (NFCM) to raise awareness about the key roles everyone

Every May, the Children&#39;s Bureau, together with Child Welfare Information Gateway and other partner organizations, promotes National Foster Care Month (NFCM) to raise awareness about the key roles everyone can play in the lives of children and youth in foster care. This year&#39;s NFCM theme—&#34;Strengthening Minds. Uplifting Families.”—highlights the importance of taking a holistic and culturally responsive approach to supporting the mental health needs of children and youth in foster care and their caregivers. The <a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/fostercaremonth/" rel="nofollow">NFCM 2023 website</a> offers an array of resources and tools that support this year’s theme, including the following:
<ul style="list-style-position: inside;"><li>Inspiring <a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/fostercaremonth/stories/" rel="nofollow">real-life stories</a> from the perspectives of children, youth, and families, which can be used as tools to highlight the role each of us has in enhancing the lives of children and youth in foster care</li><li><a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/fostercaremonth/awareness/facts/?utm_campaign&#61;nfcm23&amp;utm_medium&#61;email&amp;utm_source&#61;plannowCB032123" rel="nofollow">Key facts and statistics</a> about the current state of children&#39;s and youth’s mental health</li><li>A <a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/fostercaremonth/resources/" rel="nofollow">resource section</a> that includes best practices, programs, organizations, publications, and more on <a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/fostercaremonth/resources/youthhealth/" rel="nofollow">supporting youth mental health</a> and <a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/fostercaremonth/resources/cbfunded/" rel="nofollow">Children’s Bureau-funded projects</a></li><li>A section on <a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/fostercaremonth/awareness/" rel="nofollow">raising awareness</a> that includes this year&#39;s <a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDUsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMzAzMjEuNzM3NDI3ODEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5jaGlsZHdlbGZhcmUuZ292L2Zvc3RlcmNhcmVtb250aC9hd2FyZW5lc3MvP3V0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1uZmNtMjMmdXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fc291cmNlPXBsYW5ub3dDQjAzMjEyMyN0b29sa2l0In0._KMnoRWeR3yib7RiKRZ8YaJCY-1SA7hs5GKhEXdGJXw/s/2979813196/br/156497842823-l" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Outreach Toolkit</a>, which includes the materials agencies and systems need to plan local efforts to raise awareness about NFCM and the importance of supporting the mental health needs of children and families</li><li>A collection of <a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/fostercaremonth/awareness/graphics/" rel="nofollow">graphics</a>, <a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/fostercaremonth/awareness/socialmedia/" rel="nofollow">sample social media posts</a>, and <a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/fostercaremonth/awareness/emailsig/" rel="nofollow">an email signature and sample messaging</a> that can be included in outreach efforts</li></ul>
Explore the <a title="NFCM 2023 website" href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/fostercaremonth/" rel="nofollow">NFCM 2023 website</a> for more information.

The National Foster Care Youth & Alumni Policy Council (NFCYAPC) released its 19th priority statement, "Supporting Immigrant Children & Youth in Foster Care." The policy directive emphasizes the need to

Supporting Immigrant Children and Youth in Foster Care

The National Foster Care Youth &amp; Alumni Policy Council (NFCYAPC) released its 19th priority statement, <a style="color: #0563c1; text-decoration: underline;" href="https://www.fosterclub.com/blog/public-policy/new-priority-released-supporting-immigrant-youth-children-foster-care" rel="nofollow">&#34;Supporting Immigrant Children &amp; Youth in Foster Care.&#34;</a> The policy directive emphasizes the need to ensure immigrant children and youth who experience foster care receive appropriate services and support regardless of their immigration status. The directive outlines three key priorities for improving the support provided to this population:
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0px; list-style-position: inside;"><li style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0px; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Ensure immigrant youth do not exit foster care without legal status. This means that youth should start the immigration process as soon as possible (with support from child welfare agencies), including identifying and reaching out to lawyers who can help facilitate the process</li><li style="margin: 0in 0in 0in 0px; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Provide caseworkers who are equipped to support immigrant youth in their immigration cases. The NFCYAPC recommends providing training to all child welfare staff on navigating the immigration process and accessing specific resources. The report also recommends that caseworkers have culturally competent training to effectively connect with and support young people from different cultures and connect them with their communities.</li><li style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 0px; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Provide support for immigrant youth in understanding, accessing, and exercising their basic human rights. Youth should be able to understand their rights under U.S. law and should have access to resources that can help them exercise those rights. The NFCYAPC recommends that states develop and implement a plan to provide this support to immigrant youth.</li></ul>
By prioritizing the needs of this population and promoting collaboration across multiple systems and sectors, the directive seeks to ensure immigrant children and youth in foster care can access the services and support they need to thrive.

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

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. 
Recent additions or updates to the site include the following:
<ul style="list-style-position: inside;" type="disc"><li><a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/capacity-building-projects-jan-23.pdf" rel="nofollow">Capacity Building Projects: The Role of Tailored Services in Fostering Reforms in Child Welfare Systems</a></li><li><a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/report/tribal-lookup-table-fy-2024" rel="nofollow">Tribal Federal Medical Assistance Percentage Look-Up Table for FY 2024</a></li><li><a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/report/tribal-fmap-fy-2024" rel="nofollow">Tribal Federal Medical Assistance Percentage Reference Table for FY 2024</a></li><li><a href="https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId&#61;347040" rel="nofollow">HHS-2023-ACF-ACYF-CA-0078: Trauma-Interventions for Children and Youth in Foster Care With Complex Mental, Behavioral, and Physical Health Needs</a></li><li><a href="https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId&#61;343852&amp;utm_campaign&#61;nofofy23&amp;utm_medium&#61;email&amp;utm_source&#61;adoptionnofos032923" rel="nofollow">HHS-2023-ACF-ACYF-CO-0033: National Center for Enhanced Post-Adoption Support</a></li><li><a href="https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId&#61;343851&amp;utm_campaign&#61;nofofy23&amp;utm_medium&#61;email&amp;utm_source&#61;adoptionnofos032923" rel="nofollow">HHS-2023-ACF-ACYF-CO-0039: National Center for Adoption Competent Mental Health Services</a></li><li><a href="https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId&#61;343850&amp;utm_campaign&#61;nofofy23&amp;utm_medium&#61;email&amp;utm_source&#61;tcip032023" rel="nofollow">HHS-2023-ACF-ACYF-CS-0053: Tribal Court Improvement Program</a></li><li><a href="https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId&#61;343849&amp;utm_campaign&#61;nofofy23&amp;utm_medium&#61;email&amp;utm_source&#61;modifiednofo033023" rel="nofollow">HHS-2023-ACF-ACYF-CT-0010: Quality Improvement Center on Workforce Analytics</a> (Modified funding opportunity)</li><li><a href="https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId&#61;344177&amp;utm_campaign&#61;nofofy23&amp;utm_medium&#61;email&amp;utm_source&#61;statetribalnofo041223" rel="nofollow">HHS-2023-ACF-ACYF-CW-0055: State-Tribal Partnerships to Implement Best Practices in Indian Child Welfare</a></li><li><a href="https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId&#61;344082&amp;utm_source&#61;RHYTTAC&#43;2020&amp;utm_campaign&#61;f227613ed2-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_BCP_NOFO_NCS&amp;utm_medium&#61;email&amp;utm_term&#61;0_-30c18942a4-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D" rel="nofollow">HHS-2023-ACF-ACYF-CY-0009: National Communication System for Runaway and Homeless Youth Program</a></li><li><a href="https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId&#61;344097&amp;utm_medium&#61;email&amp;utm_source&#61;pifmapoprenofo041323" rel="nofollow">HHS-2023-ACF-OPRE-PH-0031: Center for Research on Hispanic Children and Families</a></li><li><a href="https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId&#61;344228&amp;utm_medium&#61;email&amp;utm_source&#61;oprenofo032823" rel="nofollow">HHS-2023-ACF-OPRE-YR-0153: Early Care and Education Research Scholars: Head Start Dissertation Grants</a></li><li><a href="https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId&#61;344227&amp;utm_medium&#61;email&amp;utm_source&#61;oprenofo032823" rel="nofollow">HHS-2023-ACF-OPRE-YE-0154: Early Care and Education Research Scholars: Child Care Dissertation Grants</a></li><li><a href="https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId&#61;344098&amp;utm_medium&#61;email&amp;utm_source&#61;oprenofo031623" rel="nofollow">HHS-2023-ACF-OPRE-YR-0247: Secondary Analyses of Head Start Data</a></li><li><a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/policy-guidance/im-23-04" rel="nofollow">IM-23-04: Changes to Medicaid Eligibility for Youth/Young Adults Age 18 and Older Who Transition Out of Foster Care and Move to a New State</a></li><li><a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/policy-guidance/im-23-05?utm_medium&#61;email&amp;utm_source&#61;IM&#43;23-05_041923" rel="nofollow">IM-23-05: End Date for the Flexibilities Extended in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act) for Requirements Under Titles IV-B and IV-E of the Act</a></li><li><a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/policy-guidance/pi-23-07?utm_medium&#61;email&amp;utm_source&#61;ACYF-CB-PI-23-07_032123" rel="nofollow">PI-23-07: Federal Fiscal Year 2023 Title IV-B, Subpart 2 Funding Available to Develop and Enhance or to Evaluate Kinship Navigator Programs</a></li><li><a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/policy-guidance/pi-23-08?utm_medium&#61;email&amp;utm_source&#61;pifmapoprenofo041323" rel="nofollow">PI-23-08: Title IV-E Plan Amendment– Public Law (P.L.) 117-348 – The Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2022</a></li><li><a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/policy-guidance/covid-19-public-health-emergency-transition-implications-acf-programs" rel="nofollow">ACF Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) - COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Transition–Implications for ACF Programs</a></li><li><a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/USACFCWIG/2023/03/23/file_attachments/2445216/2023%20Dear%20Colleague%20Letter%20-%20Department%20of%20Health%20and%20Human%20Services%20and%20Department%20of%20Education.pdf" rel="nofollow">ACYF DCL - Joint HHS-Dept. of Education Letter on Educational Opportunities for Youth</a></li><li><a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/training-technical-assistance/march-office-hours-afcars-2020" rel="nofollow">March Office Hours: Updates on NCWDMS and AFCARS 2020 Reporting</a></li><li><a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/training-technical-assistance/xml-concepts-technical-training-video" rel="nofollow">XML Concepts Technical Training Video</a></li></ul>
Visit the <a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Children&#39;s Bureau website </a>often to see what&#39;s new.

The series Roadmaps for Building Child Welfare Evidence explores strategies for building child welfare professionals' ability to build, understand, and use research and data evidence to increase the number

Roadmaps to Building Child Welfare Research Evidence

The series <a style="color: #0563c1; text-decoration: underline;" href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/report/roadmaps-building-child-welfare-evidence" rel="nofollow">Roadmaps for Building Child Welfare Evidence </a>explores strategies for building child welfare professionals&#39; ability to build, understand, and use research and data evidence to increase the number of evidence-based practices. The Child Welfare Evidence Strengthening Team developed the series through a grant awarded by the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, which is part of the Administration for Children and Families within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The series is a collection of instructional resources child welfare administrators and evaluators can use to help them conduct child welfare evaluations. The resources address the following:
<ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; list-style-position: inside;" type="disc"><li style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 8pt; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Designing child welfare impact evaluations</li><li style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 8pt; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Writing high-quality evaluation reports</li><li style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 8pt; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Conducting a randomized controlled trial in child welfare</li><li style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 8pt; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Generating rigorous evidence with quasi-experimental designs</li><li style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 8pt; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Using administrative data to understand populations and measure outcomes</li><li style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 8pt; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Developing a theory of change and logic model for kinship navigator programs</li><li style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 8pt; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Evaluating capacity for a successful impact evaluation</li></ul>
The series emphasizes the importance of using evidence-based practices to improve outcomes for children and families involved in the child welfare system. Child welfare administrators and evaluators can use these resources to better understand how well programs, policies, or initiatives work for children, youth, and families.

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 these

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

The Children&#39;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 these partners.
Child Welfare Information Gateway
<ul style="list-style-position: inside;" type="disc"><li><a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/preventing/preventionmonth/resources/resource-guide/?utm_campaign&#61;ncapm23&amp;utm_medium&#61;email&amp;utm_source&#61;prgCB041723" rel="nofollow">2023/2024 Prevention Resource Guide</a></li><li><a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/diverse-populations/lgbtq/equity-eo/" rel="nofollow">Advancing Equality for LGBTQIA2S&#43; Individuals</a> [New webpage]</li><li><a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/bhw/federal/" rel="nofollow">Compliance With Federal Behavioral Health and Wellness Laws</a> [Webpage update]</li><li><a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/permanency/planning/engaging-families/" rel="nofollow">Engaging Families in Permanency Planning</a> [Webpage update]</li><li><a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/more-tools-resources/podcast/episode-84/" rel="nofollow">&#34;Episode 84: What Does an Effective Support System Look Like?&#34;</a> [Podcast episode]</li><li><a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/laws-policies/statutes/reporterimmunity/" rel="nofollow">Immunity for Persons Who Report Child Abuse and Neglect</a></li><li><a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/bhw/impact-substance/" rel="nofollow">Impact of Substance Use on the Child Welfare System</a> [Web section update]</li><li><a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/fostercaremonth/" rel="nofollow">National Foster Care Month 2023</a> [New web section]</li><li><a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/s-costsp/" rel="nofollow">Planeando la adopción: conozca los costos y recursos (Planning for Adoption: Knowing the Costs and Resources)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/management/workforce/recruitment/rjps/" rel="nofollow">Realistic Job Previews (RJPs)</a> [Webpage update]</li><li><a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/permanency/reunification/" rel="nofollow">Reunifying Families</a> [Web section update]</li><li><a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/bulletins-povertyneglect/" rel="nofollow">Separating Poverty From Neglect in Child Welfare</a></li><li><a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/preventing/promoting/parenting/pregnant-youth/" rel="nofollow">Supporting Expectant, Pregnant, and Parenting Youth in Foster Care</a> [Webpage update]</li><li><a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/youth/resourcesforyouth/mentalhealth/" rel="nofollow">Supporting Your Mental Health During Times of Uncertainty</a> [Webpage update]</li><li><a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/management/funding/planning/sustainability/" rel="nofollow">Sustainability Planning</a> [Webpage update]</li><li><a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/bulletins-2gen/" rel="nofollow">Two-Generation Approaches to Supporting Family Well-Being</a></li><li><a title="Understanding Psychotropic Medications" href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/bhw/medications/" rel="nofollow">Understanding Psychotropic Medications</a> [Web section update]</li><li><a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/management/workforce/socialmedia/" rel="nofollow">Using Social Media in Child Welfare</a> [Webpage update]</li><li><a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/supporting/mhsu/familysud/" rel="nofollow">Working With Families: Substance Use</a> [Webpage update]</li></ul>
Visit the <a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/" rel="nofollow">Information Gateway website</a> for more.
 
Child Welfare Capacity Building Collaborative
<ul style="list-style-position: inside;"><li>Center for Courts</li><li>Center for States 
<ul style="list-style-type: circle; list-style-position: inside;"><li><a href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states/resources/tool-youth-engagement-empowerment" rel="nofollow">A Tool for Youth Engagement and Empowerment</a></li><li><a href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states/resources/lessons-learned-from-division-x" rel="nofollow">Building on the Lessons Learned From Division X Implementation</a></li><li><a href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states/topics/cfsr/cfsr-data-syntax-toolkit" rel="nofollow">CFSR Statewide Data Indicators</a> [Webpage update]</li><li><a href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states/resources/child-and-family-services-review-state-data-profile-quick-reference-round-4" rel="nofollow">Child and Family Services Review State Data Profile Quick Reference (Updated for CFSR Round 4)</a></li><li><a href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states/resources/episode-4-partnering-with-parents-for-system-change" rel="nofollow">&#34;Episode 4: Partnering With Parents for System Change&#34;</a> [Podcast recording]</li><li><a href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states/resources/foster-care-transition-adulthood-program" rel="nofollow">John H. Chafee Foster Care for Successful Transition to Adulthood Program Resource List</a></li><li><a href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states/resources/preparation-checklist-for-engagement-of-young-people-and-families-in-the-cfsr" rel="nofollow">Preparation Checklist for Engagement of Young People and Families in the CFSR</a></li><li><a href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states/resources/financial-assistance-youth" rel="nofollow">Providing Direct Financial Assistance to Youth and Young Adults</a></li><li><a href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states/resources/service-array-young-people-childcare" rel="nofollow">Rethinking Service Array for Young People Transitioning From Child Welfare</a></li><li><a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USACFCBCS-3504228?wgt_ref&#61;USACFCBCS_WIDGET_1" rel="nofollow">Spotlight On Supporting the Child Welfare Workforce</a></li></ul>
</li><li>Center for Tribes Tribal Information Exchange 
<ul style="list-style-type: circle; list-style-position: inside;"><li><a href="https://tribalinformationexchange.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u&#61;927bf357a0b39086d25cc370d&amp;id&#61;e3d60a2b2c&amp;e&#61;976a478cfe" rel="nofollow">Capacity Building Center for Tribes Facebook page</a> (may require a Facebook account)</li><li><a href="https://tribalinformationexchange.org/index.php/2023/03/22/recorded-webinar-trauma-informed-supervision-in-tribal-child-welfare-part-1-of-2-maintaining-clear-roles-With-realistic-expectations/" rel="nofollow">“Part 1: Maintaining Clear Roles with Realistic Expectations</a>” (from the Trauma-Informed Supervision in Tribal Child Welfare series) [Webinar recording]</li><li><a href="https://tribalinformationexchange.org/index.php/2023/03/01/trauma-informed-practice-strategies-to-support-indigenous-transition-aged-youth/" rel="nofollow">Trauma-Informed Practice Strategies to Support Indigenous Transition-Aged Youth</a></li><li><a href="https://tribalinformationexchange.org/index.php/2023/03/01/trauma-informed-supervision-in-child-welfare/" rel="nofollow">Trauma-Informed Supervision in Child Welfare</a></li></ul>
</li></ul>
Visit the <a href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/" rel="nofollow">Child Welfare Capacity Building Collaborative website</a> for more.
 
Children&#39;s Bureau Learning and Coordination Center (CBLCC)
<ul style="list-style-position: inside;"><li><a href="https://cblcc.acf.hhs.gov/topic-areas/resilience-and-well-being/birth-parent-foster-caregiver-partnerships-taking-a-family-systems-perspective/" rel="nofollow">&#34;Birth Parent Foster Caregiver Partnerships: Taking a Family Systems Perspective&#34;</a> [Digital dialogue]</li><li><a href="https://cblcc.acf.hhs.gov/shareable-media/we-can/" rel="nofollow">WE CAN: Social Media Messages You Can Use in National Child Abuse Prevention Month and Beyond</a></li><li><a href="https://cblcc.acf.hhs.gov/topic-areas/resilience-and-well-being/young-mamas-in-foster-care-setting-the-stage-for-success/" rel="nofollow">&#34;Young Mamas in Foster Care: Setting the Stage for Success&#34;</a> [Digital dialogue]</li></ul>
Visit the <a href="https://cblcc.acf.hhs.gov/" rel="nofollow">CBLCC website</a> for more.
 
FRIENDS National Resource Center
<ul style="list-style-position: inside;"><li><a title="April 2023 CBCAP Peer Learning Call: Overview of 2023 CBCAP Program Instruction and Application" href="https://friendsnrc.org/resources/april-2023-cbcap-peer-learning-call-overview-of-2023-cbcap-program-instruction-and-application/" rel="nofollow">April 2023 CBCAP Peer Learning Call: Overview of 2023 CBCAP Program Instruction and Application</a> [Webinar recording]</li><li><a href="https://friendsnrc.org/parent-leadership/parent-stories/" rel="nofollow">Sharing the Journey: Voices of Parent Leaders</a> [Podcast series]</li></ul>
Visit the <a href="https://friendsnrc.org/" rel="nofollow">FRIENDS National Resource Center website</a> for more.
 
National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW)
<ul style="list-style-position: inside;"><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v&#61;j48JRKEbpfg" rel="nofollow">“Mitigating Safety and Risk for Children Affected by Parental Substance Use Disorders Involved in the Child Welfare System”</a> [Webinar recording]</li></ul>
Visit the <a href="https://ncsacw.acf.hhs.gov/" rel="nofollow">NCSACW website</a> for more.
 
National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (NCWWI)
<ul style="list-style-position: inside;"><li><a href="https://ncwwi.org/slug/promoting-antiracist-child-welfare-practice-ncwwi-1-page-summary/" rel="nofollow">&#34;Promoting Antiracist Child Welfare Practice&#34;</a></li></ul>
Visit the <a href="https://ncwwi.org/" rel="nofollow">NCWWI website</a> for more.
 
National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect (NDACAN)
<ul style="list-style-position: inside;"><li><a href="https://www.ndacan.acf.hhs.gov/datasets/dataset-details.cfm?ID&#61;277" rel="nofollow">AFCARS Foster Care File, 6-Month periods (FY2016A - 2022B)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ndacan.acf.hhs.gov/about/updata/ndacan-updata-vol-61-spring-2023-03-16.pdf" rel="nofollow">The NDACAN Updata</a> (Spring 2023 issue)</li></ul>
Visit the <a href="https://www.ndacan.acf.hhs.gov/index.cfm" rel="nofollow">NDACAN website</a> for more.
 
Quality Improvement Center on Engaging Youth in Finding Permanency (QIC-EY)
<ul style="list-style-position: inside;"><li><a href="https://qic-ey.org/products/barriers-to-authentic-youth-engagement/" rel="nofollow">Barriers to Authentic Youth Engagement</a></li><li><a href="https://qic-ey.org/products/lessons-learned/" rel="nofollow">QIC-EY Lessons Learned #1: Authentic Engagement of Children and Youth Must be Reimagined and Clearly Defined</a></li></ul>
Visit the <a href="https://qic-ey.org/" rel="nofollow">QIC-EY website</a> for more.
 
Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development (QIC-WD)
<ul style="list-style-position: inside;"><li><a href="https://mailchi.mp/qic-wd/ebci-feature" rel="nofollow">Building Knowledge to Strengthen the Child Welfare Workforce</a> (March 2023 issue)</li><li><a href="https://www.qic-wd.org/qic-tip/supporting-virtual-supervision-part-hybrid-workforce" rel="nofollow">Supporting Virtual Supervision as Part of a Hybrid Workforce</a></li><li><a href="https://www.qic-wd.org/qic-take/virtual-training-child-welfare" rel="nofollow">Virtual Training in Child Welfare</a></li></ul>
Visit the <a href="https://www.qic-wd.org/" rel="nofollow">QIC-WD website</a> for more.
 
AdoptUSKids
<ul style="list-style-position: inside;" type="disc"><li><a href="https://professionals.adoptuskids.org/10-consejos-para-ayudar-a-los-adolescentes-a-explorar-la-adopcion-spanish/" rel="nofollow">“10 consejos para ayudar a los adolescentes a explorar la adopción”</a> [Article]</li><li><a title="“Adoptive Parents: Find the Post-Adoption Support Your Family Needs Now”" href="https://blog.adoptuskids.org/adoptive-parents-find-the-post-adoption-support-your-family-needs-now/" rel="nofollow">“Adoptive Parents: Find the Post-Adoption Support Your Family Needs Now”</a> [Blog post]</li><li><a href="https://professionals.adoptuskids.org/adoptuskids-welcomes-melinda-kline-as-national-project-director/" rel="nofollow">“AdoptUSKids Welcomes Melinda Kline as National Project Director”</a> [Article]</li><li><a href="https://professionals.adoptuskids.org/embedding-support-in-all-you-do-5-ways-tribes-can-support-resource-families-from-first-engagement/" rel="nofollow">“Embedding Support in All You Do: 5 Ways Tribes Can Support Resource Families From First Engagement”</a> [Article]</li><li><a href="https://blog.adoptuskids.org/foster-parents-celebrate-everything-and-other-secrets-to-success/" rel="nofollow">“Foster Parents: Celebrate Everything—and Other Secrets to Success”</a> [Blog post]</li><li><a href="https://professionals.adoptuskids.org/hoja-de-consejos-de-reclutamientos-especificos-para-ninos-spanish/" rel="nofollow">“Hoja de consejos de reclutamientos especificos para niños”</a> [Article]</li><li><a href="https://professionals.adoptuskids.org/rejuvenating-your-support-groups/" rel="nofollow">“Rejuvenating Your Support Groups”</a> [Webinar recording]</li><li><a href="https://blog.adoptuskids.org/this-foster-parent-brings-lessons-from-her-own-experience-in-foster-care/" rel="nofollow">“This Foster Parent Brings Lessons From Her Own Experience in Foster Care”</a> [Blog post]</li><li><a href="https://blog.adoptuskids.org/transracial-parenting-resources/" rel="nofollow">“Transracial Parenting Resources”</a> [Blog post]</li><li><a href="https://professionals.adoptuskids.org/workers-help-recruit-speakers-bureau-members/" rel="nofollow">“Workers: Help Recruit Speakers Bureau Members”</a> [Article]</li></ul>
Visit the <a href="https://adoptuskids.org/" rel="nofollow">AdoptUSKids website</a> for more.
 
James Bell Associates
<ul style="list-style-position: inside;"><li><a href="https://www.jbassoc.com/resource/capacity-building-projects-the-role-of-tailored-services-in-fostering-reforms-in-child-welfare-systems/" rel="nofollow">Capacity Building Projects: The Role of Tailored Services in Fostering Reforms in Child Welfare Systems</a></li><li><a href="https://www.jbassoc.com/resource/connecting-technical-assistance-to-implementation-progress-in-child-welfare-capacity-building-efforts/" rel="nofollow">“Connecting Technical Assistance to Implementation Progress in Child Welfare Capacity Building Efforts”</a> [Article]</li><li><a href="https://www.jbassoc.com/resource/home-visiting-and-the-opioid-crisis/" rel="nofollow">Home Visiting and the Opioid Crisis</a></li><li><a href="https://www.jbassoc.com/resource/state-partnerships-to-coordinate-home-visiting-and-child-welfare/" rel="nofollow">State Partnerships to Coordinate Home Visiting and Child Welfare</a></li></ul>
Visit the <a href="https://www.jbassoc.com/" rel="nofollow">James Bell Associates website</a> for more.

Continued access to support and services after a child is adopted or finds permanency through guardianship is crucial for the well-being of children and families. These supports may also prevent children

AdoptUSKids Report Details Postadoption and Guardianship Services Available Nationwide

Continued access to support and services after a child is adopted or finds permanency through guardianship is crucial for the well-being of children and families. These supports may also prevent children from entering or reentering care. Supports and services may include therapy or counseling, support groups, social events, respite care, information resources, financial aid, and more. AdoptUSKids, a national project that serves both families and child welfare professionals, conducted a survey to analyze the state of these postadoption and guardianship services in 46 states and 3 territories.
The survey was conducted between 2019 and 2021, with the aim of gathering information from public agencies so that adoptive families could learn about the support available in their communities. At the survey’s conclusion, AdoptUSKids released a <a href="https://adoptuskids.org/_assets/files/AUSK/pro-hub/post-adoption-survey-guide-web508-final.pdf" rel="nofollow">report</a> detailing the findings from the project as well as a <a href="https://professionals.adoptuskids.org/post-adoption-support-across-the-country-themes-and-opportunities/" rel="nofollow">blog post</a>  summarizing the high-level takeaways, including themes and opportunities. The following are some of those takeaways:
<ul style="list-style-position: inside;" type="disc"><li>Almost two-thirds of the states and territories that responded do not offer respite care services in postadoption and guardianship programs, despite a reported need for these services by families.</li><li>Community-based therapeutic services are often available; however, only 29 percent of jurisdictions offer intensive services, including in-home or residential therapeutic services, in their postadoption and guardship programs.</li><li>A majority of jurisdictions offer publicly funded support to guardians, but this support is not always equal to the support available to adoptive families.</li><li>In many states and territories, support services are tied to subsidy agreements, which may exclude certain families.</li><li>About 46 percent of states and territories offer postadoption support to families who adopt privately or internationally.</li><li>Ten States and territories have increased their budgets for postadoption and guardianship support in the last 5 years.</li></ul>
More information about supports and services available in specific states and territories is available on the <a title="post-adoption and guardianship support webpage(s)" href="https://adoptuskids.org/adoption-and-foster-care/parenting-support/support-services-by-state" rel="nofollow">AdoptUSKids website</a>.

Children and families of color continue to be disproportionately represented in the child welfare system. To disrupt processes that cause disproportionality, child welfare professionals should be culturally

Using a Continuous Quality Improvement Approach to Advance Racial Equity in Child Welfare

Children and families of color continue to be disproportionately represented in the child welfare system. To disrupt processes that cause disproportionality, child welfare professionals should be culturally aware and conscious of personal bias when making intervention or placement decisions. Change will also require an intentional, continued focus on embedding equity into child welfare practice.
A recent bulletin from the Capacity Building Center for States, <a title="Spotlight On Racial Equity and Continuous Quality Improvement in Child Welfare" href="https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USACFCBCS-34a72e6?wgt_ref&#61;USACFCBCS_WIDGET_1" rel="nofollow">Spotlight On Racial Equity and Continuous Quality Improvement in Child Welfare</a>, proposes a continuous quality improvement (CQI) approach to address racial inequities in child welfare. <a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/management/practice-improvement/cqi/" rel="nofollow">CQI</a> is a quality management philosophy that focuses on defining, measuring, and improving practices and policies.
In the bulletin, the Center for States proposes using CQI practices that consider racial equity, diversity, and inclusion in order to bring about substantial change. A main facet of this is ongoing, collaborative partnership with youth and families with lived expertise in the child welfare system. The following are recommendations for this combined CQI and racial equity approach:
<ul style="list-style-position: inside;" type="disc"><li>Ensure support is in place to enable individuals with lived expertise and other community partners to participate on your CQI team.</li><li>Learn from and share decision-making power with those most affected by child welfare programs and practices.</li><li>Seek, listen to, and incorporate the perspectives of families, community members, and staff of color to provide contextual knowledge to the data and explore root causes of disproportionality.</li><li>Collect, use, and analyze disaggregated data to identify trends, strengths, and concerns among populations who have experienced inequitable treatment and disproportionate outcomes.</li><li>Collect qualitative data that can add detail to and augment understanding of what is summarized in aggregate data.</li><li>Transfer data into user-friendly, culturally responsive formats and languages tailored to community and system partners, including families.</li></ul>
The bulletin also features a variety of resources that can be used to encourage conversations, provide practice recommendations, and promote action, including the following:
Publications
<ul style="list-style-position: inside;" type="disc"><li><a href="https://www.chapinhall.org/wp-content/uploads/Casey-Equity-Report_CQI-Final.pdf?utm_campaign&#61;widget&amp;utm_content&#61;&amp;utm_medium&#61;referral&amp;utm_name&#61;&amp;utm_source&#61;spotlightonfeb23" rel="nofollow">Applying Race Equity Strategies Throughout the Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Process</a> (Publication)</li><li>​​<a href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states/resources/rei-terms-and-definitions?utm_campaign&#61;widget&amp;utm_content&#61;&amp;utm_medium&#61;referral&amp;utm_name&#61;&amp;utm_source&#61;spotlightonfeb23" rel="nofollow">Diversity, Racial Equity, and Inclusion in Child Welfare: Terms and Definitions</a>​ (Glossary)</li><li><a href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states/resources/change-implementation-focusing-on-race-equity?utm_campaign&#61;widget&amp;utm_content&#61;&amp;utm_medium&#61;referral&amp;utm_name&#61;&amp;utm_source&#61;spotlightonfeb23" rel="nofollow">Focusing on Race Equity Throughout Change and Implementation</a> (Tip sheet)</li></ul>
Learning Experiences and Archived Webinars
<ul style="list-style-position: inside;" type="disc"><li><a href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states/topics/cwve/2021-advancing-racial-equity?utm_campaign&#61;widget&amp;utm_content&#61;&amp;utm_medium&#61;referral&amp;utm_name&#61;&amp;utm_source&#61;spotlightonfeb23" rel="nofollow">Advancing Racial Equity in Child Welfare: Child Welfare Virtual Expo 2021</a> (Videos and discussion guides)</li><li><a href="https://learn.childwelfare.gov/lms/course/view.php?id&#61;195&amp;utm_campaign&#61;widget&amp;utm_content&#61;&amp;utm_medium&#61;referral&amp;utm_name&#61;&amp;utm_source&#61;spotlightonfeb23" rel="nofollow">CQI Training Academy: Using Data to Implement Change</a> (Self-paced e-learning course, available on <a href="https://learn.childwelfare.gov/?utm_campaign&#61;widget&amp;utm_content&#61;&amp;utm_medium&#61;referral&amp;utm_name&#61;&amp;utm_source&#61;spotlightonfeb23" rel="nofollow">CapLEARN</a>; free registration required)</li><li><a href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states/resources/our-shared-vocabulary-video?utm_campaign&#61;widget&amp;utm_content&#61;&amp;utm_medium&#61;referral&amp;utm_name&#61;&amp;utm_source&#61;spotlightonfeb23" rel="nofollow">&#34;Diversity, Racial Equity, and Inclusion in Child Welfare: Our Shared Vocabulary&#34;</a> (Video)</li><li><a href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states/resources/racial-equity-diversity-and-inclusion-in-cqi-part-ii?utm_campaign&#61;widget&amp;utm_content&#61;&amp;utm_medium&#61;referral&amp;utm_name&#61;&amp;utm_source&#61;spotlightonfeb23" rel="nofollow">&#34;Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Continuous Quality Improvement, Part II: Advancing Equity Through Data Exploration&#34;</a> (Webinar)</li></ul>

The National Training and Development Curriculum for Foster and Adoptive Parents (NTDC) was funded through a 5-year cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration

Four Ways to Access the National Training and Development Curriculum for Foster and Adoptive Parents

The National Training and Development Curriculum for Foster and Adoptive Parents (NTDC) was funded through a 5-year cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Bureau. This cooperative agreement was led by Spaulding for Children in close partnership with other agencies.
NTDC is fully available at no cost, and there are four potential options to gain access to the curriculum materials. As part of determining how NTDC will be implemented, agencies will need to assess how each option fits with existing structures and what work may be needed to develop the structure for professional staff and participants to gain the desired level of access.
The four options below differ in several ways, including the level of interactivity, the availability and type of provided materials, and the ability for professional staff to monitor participants&#39; course progress and completion:
<ul style="list-style-position: inside;"><li><a href="https://ntdcportal.org/" rel="nofollow">NTDC website</a> - The NTDC website allows users to download curriculum materials to a local device. The website includes files needed for the <a href="https://ntdcportal.org/general-curriculum-materials/self-assessment/" rel="nofollow">self-assessment</a> and the <a href="https://ntdcportal.org/general-curriculum-materials/classroom/" rel="nofollow">classroom-based</a> and <a href="https://ntdcportal.org/general-curriculum-materials/right-time/" rel="nofollow">right-time</a> trainings. Each of these components is organized by theme and includes all curriculum materials, including guides, PowerPoint presentations, handouts, videos, podcasts, and more. </li><li><a href="https://learn.childwelfare.gov/" rel="nofollow">CapLEARN</a> - This learning management system (LMS) is a federal website that provides access to training to build child welfare capacity through learning. To create a free account and access learning opportunities, register on the <a href="https://learn.childwelfare.gov/" rel="nofollow">CapLEARN website</a>. </li><li>Agency LMS - Interactive course materials were developed using the Moodle LMS. Agencies currently using Moodle (version 3.11 and above) will be able to directly import course materials onto their websites. Agencies can also download online and interactive curriculum components in formats that can be modified or directly added to their LMS. Agencies may also request curriculum files; however, materials will be provided in .mbz and .imscc formats only. The receiving agency will need to download and configure files for their LMS, as needed. Spaulding for Children offers limited consultation to assist agencies with this transfer. For sites interested in this option, contact <a href="mailto:scohick&#64;spaulding.org" rel="nofollow">scohick&#64;spaulding.org</a> for additional information. </li><li>Spaulding for Children portal - For sites interested in providing interactive access to their participants but do not want to use CapLEARN or do not have their own LMS, Spaulding for Children will host and fully manage an interactive system. For agencies interested in this option, contact <a href="mailto:scohick&#64;spaulding.org" rel="nofollow">scohick&#64;spaulding.org</a> for additional information.</li></ul>

A brief by Child Trends highlights four strategies to engage youth in youth-serving programs more effectively. For these programs to achieve their desired outcomes, youth engagement is essential. The brief

Students Offer Lessons on Enhancing Engagement in Youth Programs

A brief by Child Trends highlights four strategies to engage youth in youth-serving programs more effectively. For these programs to achieve their desired outcomes, youth engagement is essential. The brief <a style="color: #0563c1; text-decoration: underline;" title="Students Offer Lessons on Enhancing Engagement in Youth Programs" href="https://www.childtrends.org/publications/students-offer-lessons-on-enhancing-engagement-in-youth-programs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Students Offer Lessons on Enhancing Engagement in Youth Programs</a> incorporates feedback from focus groups of high school students who participated in a larger evaluation of a social-emotional program. The goal was to evaluate their experiences in the program to identify effective strategies for enhancing youth engagement in programs.
The brief provides the following tips on how to enhance youth engagement in programs:
<ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; list-style-position: inside;" type="disc"><li style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 8pt; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Tailor content to youth to make programming more useful and relevant. Youth respondents are more engaged in programming when the content is relevant, informative, and beneficial to them.</li><li style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 8pt; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Create comfortable surroundings for youth during program sessions. This can include providing autonomy in choosing where to sit or whom to work with and ensuring that youth have the space and time to connect—especially before personal or sensitive discussions.</li><li style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 8pt; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Create an inclusive and judgment-free environment. Creating a judgment-free and inclusive environment increases youth comfort, participation, and connection with program facilitators. Setting this standard at the beginning of the program can promote engagement and build relationships with youth.</li><li style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 8pt; line-height: 107%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Diversify program activities to engage youth who learn differently. Youth respondents strongly preferred interactive activities like group work and role-playing over lecture-style delivery.</li></ul>
Overall, the brief emphasizes the importance of creating programs that are responsive to the needs and interests of young people. Child Trends suggests that programs can better engage youth and support their growth and development by prioritizing tailored content, hands-on learning, and youth voice. The brief also includes resources with additional information for promoting youth engagement.

The Fathers and Continuous Learning in Child Welfare (FCL) project is an effort to strengthen the engagement of fathers and other paternal relatives in child welfare and to increase the evidence base of

Fathers and Continuous Learning in Child Welfare Project Strives for Increased Father Engagement 

The Fathers and Continuous Learning in Child Welfare (FCL) project is an effort to strengthen the engagement of fathers and other paternal relatives in child welfare and to increase the evidence base of promising father-engagement strategies.
Fathers have historically not been well engaged in child welfare services, despite research indicating that this type of engagement is beneficial to children. The FCL project aims to improve father and paternal relative engagement efforts using the Breakthrough Series Collaborative (BSC) methodology, which works to increase participation by reducing power differentials. Mathematica and the University of Denver. are conducting the project.
Project organizers recently conducted a descriptive study at five child welfare agencies between June 2021 and March 2023. The agencies serve Los Angeles, CA; Hartford and Manchester, CT; Denver, CO; Prowers County, CO; and Wake County, NC. Project organizers outlined the FCL descriptive study’s approach in an October 2022 <a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/opre/fcl_descriptive_eval_plan_oct2022.pdf" rel="nofollow">design report</a>. The following are the three main goals of the study:
<ul style="list-style-position: inside;"><li>To describe potentially promising strategies and approaches to engaging fathers and paternal relatives in the child welfare system</li><li>To assess the BSC as a continuous quality improvement framework for addressing challenges in the child welfare system</li><li>To assess the extent to which agencies experienced a shift in organizational culture after implementing the BSC</li></ul>
Data collection efforts included surveys of staff and partners, an analysis of program data, interviews with staff and community members, and focus groups with fathers and paternal relatives.
Project organizers plan to release a final report with findings from the study later in 2023. More information is available in the 2022 design report, <a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/opre/fcl_descriptive_eval_plan_oct2022.pdf" rel="nofollow">Fathers and Continuous Learning in Child Welfare: Descriptive Evaluation Design Report</a>.

Written by Jas Snell and the Capacity Building Center for States “Going through care is hard. We shouldn't need to make it harder by not giving every youth every tool they need to succeed in life.”—From

Strengths-Based Strategies to Support Mental Health and Well-Being for Youth, Young Adults, and Families

Written by Jas Snell and the <a href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states" rel="nofollow">Capacity Building Center for States</a>
“Going through care is hard. We shouldn&#39;t need to make it harder by not giving every youth every tool they need to succeed in life.”—From <a title="&#34;Chalyce’s Story&#34;" href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states/resources/chalyces-story" rel="nofollow">&#34;Chalyce’s Story&#34;</a>
Collaborating with families and youth to identify their strengths and assess what worked well within the family prior to child welfare contact can help prevent youth and young adults from falling through the cracks of the system, being overmedicated or undermedicated, and help them better navigate becoming an adult. In <a title="Chalyce&#39;s Story" href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states/resources/chalyces-story" rel="nofollow">Chalyce&#39;s Story</a>, a foster care advocate with lived experience regrets the missed opportunity to identify her own strengths. A mental health screening upon entry into care may have helped her identify healthy coping skills and given her the tools she needed to help manage her mental health. Early identification and development of strengths through trauma-informed and strengths-based assessment, treatment, and service planning can mitigate risk-taking behaviors, mental health challenges, and functional difficulties among youth in the child welfare system (Kisiel et al., 2017). The strategies, considerations, and examples below can help agencies integrate a focus on mental health and well-being in their work with young people by encouraging identification and discussion about what&#39;s working from the start.
<h3>Implementing Healing-Centered, Strengths-Based Practice</h3>
Trauma-informed care acknowledges that experiences leading up to and including separation have negative effects on the emotional and mental health of young people and their families. Understanding youth through the lens of traumatic events—“What’s happened to you?” rather than “What’s wrong with you?”—helps agencies respond to behavioral and emotional issues in a way that promotes healing and prevents additional trauma. While recognizing trauma helps agencies provide positive support for the mental health of young people, it is important to move beyond primarily focusing on deficits and harm. In <a href="https://ginwright.medium.com/the-future-of-healing-shifting-from-trauma-informed-care-to-healing-centered-engagement-634f557ce69c" rel="nofollow">The Future of Healing: Shifting From Trauma Informed Care to Healing Centered Engagement</a>, Dr. Shawn Ginwright encourages moving to a more strengths-based, asset-driven approach that fosters and sustains well-being. Healing-centered engagement recognizes that people are “much more than the worst thing that happened to them” (Ginwright, 2018, para. 15). Healing strategies work to enhance people’s strengths, skills, and positive experiences, building on what they want to achieve. A healing-centered approach is especially important when addressing mental health challenges in communities of color.
Child welfare professionals can uplift and support youth, young adults, and families by implementing strengths-based, culturally responsive approaches that pay attention to the racial and ethnic disparities of who provides and receives services. In <a href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states/resources/coles-story" rel="nofollow">&#34;Cole’s Story,&#34;</a> Cole Williams, a former foster parent and child welfare worker who adopted his sons, explains that he “rarely read or saw positive stories or images highlighting our experience as an African American family.” To strengthen his sons’ mental health and confront messaging that negatively impacts their self-worth and esteem, he created Radical Feelings, a culturally specific series of products. The resources support a solutions-focused dialogue to change the narrative regarding mental health for Black men and boys of color. These tools and others like them can help young people, families, and service providers to identify and process feelings, reduce the stigma associated with mental health challenges among communities of color, and build professionals’ skills and knowledge around diversity, racial equity, inclusion, and belonging.
<h3>Building Trust Through Mentorship and Coaching</h3>
Implementing a strengths-based practice requires a culture that values relationship-building, healing, and seeking opportunities to learn and grow with families. Building relationships and trust through mentorship and coaching promotes growth, increases access to opportunities, and offers bidirectional learning to all parties involved. For example, in <a title="&#34;Sarah and Nic’s Story,&#34;" href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states/resources/sarah-and-nics-story" rel="nofollow">&#34;Sarah and Nic’s Story,&#34;</a> a peer mentor reminds the young people she mentors to stop listening to the people who don’t believe in them, and in <a title="&#34;Corey and Kristopher’s Story,&#34;" href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states/resources/corey-and-kristophers-story" rel="nofollow">&#34;Corey and Kristopher’s Story,&#34;</a> a caseworker’s commitment to being genuine and transparent helps a youth overcome years of distrust stemming from earlier traumatic experiences while in foster care.
Mental health and well-being are essential to every person’s journey of healing, access to opportunities, and self-sufficiency. When they are intentionally nurtured, healthy mental models can promote a positive vision of oneself for the future, kick off the journey of healing, and help individuals shift from the idea of lacking to the belief in abundance. Explore the resources in the Capacity Building Center for States&#39; <a href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states/topics/foster-care-permanency/nfcm-2021" rel="nofollow">Menu for Youth Engagement</a> and <a href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states/voices-of-lived-experience-library#:~:text&#61;Voices%20of%20Lived%20Experience%20Galleries&amp;text&#61;Listen%20to%20the%20stories%20of%20foster%20parents%20and%20kinship%20caregivers,who%20returned%20to%20foster%20care." rel="nofollow">Voices of Lived Experience Library</a> for more stories and examples of healing approaches from lived experienced and professional partners.
<h3>Additional Resources</h3>
<ul style="list-style-position: inside;"><li><a title="Voices of Lived Experience in Child Welfare: A Digital Story Library Discussion Guide" href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states/resources/vole-discussion-guide" rel="nofollow">Voices of Lived Experience in Child Welfare: A Digital Story Library Discussion Guide</a> (Capacity Building Center for States)</li><li><a title="Tip Sheet on Responding to Youth and Young Adult Mental Health Needs" href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states/resources/responding-mental-health-needs" rel="nofollow">Tip Sheet on Responding to Youth and Young Adult Mental Health Needs</a> (Division X Technical Assistance) </li><li><a title="Integrating Positive Youth Development and Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Approaches Across the Child Welfare and Justice Systems" 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> (Child Trends)</li><li><a title="An individualized, strengths-based approach in public child welfare driven systems of care" href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/acloserlook/strengthsbased/" rel="nofollow">An Individualized, Strengths-Based Approach in Public Child Welfare Driven Systems of Care</a> (National Technical Assistance and Evaluation Center for Systems of Care)</li></ul>
<h3>References</h3>
Ginwright, S. (2018). The future of healing: Shifting from trauma informed care to healing centered engagement. <a href="https://ginwright.medium.com/the-future-of-healing-shifting-from-trauma-informed-care-to-healing-centered-engagement-634f557ce69c" rel="nofollow">https://ginwright.medium.com/the-future-of-healing-shifting-from-trauma-informed-care-to-healing-centered-engagement-634f557ce69c</a>
Kisiel, C., Summersett-Ringgold, F., Weil, L., &amp; McClelland, G. (2017). Understanding strengths in relation to complex trauma and mental health symptoms within child welfare. Journal of Child &amp; Family Studies, 26(2), 437–451. <a title="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-016-0569-4" href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-016-0569-4" rel="nofollow">https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-016-0569-4</a>

Launched in January 2023, the Quality Improvement Center on Engaging Youth in Finding Permanency (QIC-EY) Podcast highlights core themes for advancing engagement of children and youth in child welfare.

Podcast Discusses Authentic Engagement of Children and Youth in Child Welfare

Launched in January 2023, the Quality Improvement Center on Engaging Youth in Finding Permanency (QIC-EY) Podcast highlights core themes for advancing engagement of children and youth in child welfare. In this limited series, we hear from three professionals: Phoenix Santiago, Nathan Ross, and Jamole Callahan. While their experiences connected to child welfare differ, they share the same deep commitment to ensuring systematic changes in how children and youth are authentically engaged and empowered. The podcast episodes are in the <a title="first" href="https://qic-ey.org/products/lessons-learned/qic-ey-lessons-learned-authentic-engagement-of-children-and-youth-reimagined-and-clearly-defined/" rel="nofollow">first lesson</a> of the <a title="QIC-EY Lessons Learned:" href="https://qic-ey.org/products/lessons-learned/" rel="nofollow">QIC-EY Lessons Learned series</a>.  
As you listen to the podcast episodes below featuring members of the QIC-EY leadership team who have lived expertise, reflect on how these powerful examples can help guide your work in authentically engaging children and youth:
<ul style="list-style-position: inside;"><li><a href="https://youtu.be/yERghA2r4gU" rel="nofollow">“Characteristics and Competencies Important for Engaging With Children and Youth Authentically”</a></li><li><a href="https://youtu.be/S8nzv0TW3bc" rel="nofollow">“Respecting, Responding to and Maintaining Connections to Cultural Strengths”</a></li><li><a href="https://youtu.be/syVpaSOIT1w" rel="nofollow">“Child and Youth Adult Partnership and Shared Decision-Making With Jamole Callahan”</a></li></ul>
Three additional lessons learned are scheduled for release in May, July, and September.
For more information, visit the <a href="https://qic-ey.org/" rel="nofollow">QIC-EY website</a>. To sign up for regular communications and updates, visit the QIC-EY&#39;s <a title="Mailing List page" href="https://qic-ey.org/subscribe/" rel="nofollow">Mailing List page</a>.

A recent report from the Quality Improvement Center on Engaging Youth in Finding Permanency (QIC-EY) analyzes child welfare professionals’ experiences with engaging youth. The report features interviews

QIC-EY Report Summarizes Caseworkers' Experiences With Youth Engagement

A recent <a title="report" href="https://qic-ey.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Workforce-expert-interviews.pdf" rel="nofollow">report</a> from the <a href="https://qic-ey.org/" rel="nofollow">Quality Improvement Center on Engaging Youth in Finding Permanency</a> (QIC-EY) analyzes child welfare professionals’ experiences with engaging youth. The report features interviews with 15 child welfare professionals in 9 states and summarizes and analyzes the interviewees responses to six guiding research questions:
<ul style="list-style-position: inside;" type="1"><li>How are youth engaged in key activities while they are involved with the child welfare system?</li><li>Do engagement approaches vary based on the child’s age, race, cultural background, and/or LGBTQ identity?</li><li>What are the main barriers to engaging youth in permanency planning?</li><li>What are the perceived benefits of engaging youth in permanency planning?</li><li>What recommended changes in policy and practice could enhance youth engagement?</li><li>What would workforce professionals like to see included in a youth engagement training?</li></ul>
An analysis of the interviews indicates that youth’s level of engagement varied by age, with teens and older youth often granted more rights. The most common form of youth engagement in case planning was including youth in permanency team meetings. Youth were also engaged in relational permanency efforts to identify supportive family and kin connections. Challenges to youth engagement included overall lack of time and resources as well as limited guidance for how to promote and partner with youth in achieving cultural permanency.
The report features sections on each of the following themes:
<ul style="list-style-position: inside;" type="disc"><li>Youth engagement in practice</li><li>Benefits of youth engagement</li><li>Barriers to youth engagement</li><li>Recommendations to promote youth engagement</li><li>Suggestions for staff training</li><li>Supervision and coaching</li></ul>
The full report, <a href="https://qic-ey.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Workforce-expert-interviews.pdf" rel="nofollow">Qualitative Analysis of Workforce Expert Interviews</a>, is available on the QIC-EY website.

A tool developed as part of the Division X Technical Assistance contract provides resources, checklists, and strategies related to youth engagement and empowerment. The 24-page publication, titled A Tool

Division X Resource Provides Information and Implementation Strategies for Youth Engagement and Empowerment

A tool developed as part of the Division X Technical Assistance contract provides resources, checklists, and strategies related to youth engagement and empowerment. The 24-page publication, titled <a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/div-x/product6-youthengagement-empowerment.pdf" rel="nofollow">A Tool for Youth Engagement and Empowerment</a>, is designed for child welfare agencies, programs, and organizations, as well as youth and young adults who are experiencing or formerly experienced the child welfare system. Strategies offered throughout the publication were informed by lived experts who have experienced the child welfare system firsthand.  
The resource details different elements on the “continuum of youth and young adult engagement and empowerment,” including case-level engagement, peer support within agencies, involvement in research and evaluation, and participation in advocacy and decision-making. It also provides implementation strategies to help agencies partner with young people on a variety of activities, including developing authentic engagement within agencies, prioritizing effective communication, building a culture of accountability, funding engagement and empowerment programs, and developing partnerships for state and local change initiatives.
The publication also includes links to other resources that may be helpful for professionals and youth, including a full appendix of youth engagement toolkits and assessment resources. A second appendix features interactive checklists for both child welfare agencies and youth and young adults to assess their experiences with youth engagement. For example, the checklists for professionals include the following questions: “Have you discussed as an agency why it is important to incorporate youth voice?” and “Have you invited young people to participate in any decision-making processes around budgeting and funding?” And the checklists for youth include the following questions: “Have you explored participating on and leading a change implementation team?” and “Have you considered whether you feel safe discussing youth challenges or concerns with team members or leads?”
Developed with the help of those with lived experience in the child welfare system, the publication is one of many resources developed as part of the Division X Technical Assistance contract. More information about these Division X resources is available on the <a href="https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/states/topics/youth-development/division-x" rel="nofollow">Capacity Building Center for States website</a>.

The Youth Villages’ podcast series Stronger Than You Think was created to inspire and empower listeners by showcasing the power of determination, hope, and support through storytelling. Season two of the

Podcast Features Young Adults With Lived Experience in the Foster Care System

The Youth Villages’ podcast series <a href="https://youthvillages.org/podcast/" rel="nofollow">Stronger Than You Think</a> was created to inspire and empower listeners by showcasing the power of determination, hope, and support through storytelling. Season two of the podcast features stories and conversations with a diverse group of young people who have overcome challenges and adversity. Each episode highlights the resilience and strength of these individuals and provides insight into their unique experiences with the foster care system, mental health issues, and other obstacles. The interviews also include commentary from Youth Villages experts that are based on data-driven practices.
Access both seasons of the Stronger Than You Think podcast on the Youth Villages <a href="https://youthvillages.org/podcast/" rel="nofollow">Youth Villages website</a> and listen for free on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stronger-than-you-think/id1568737715" rel="nofollow">Apple</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bp6xs6igxlXsgvx2e2uY6" rel="nofollow">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list&#61;PLpQt16ALBemw1ekPt53Gg4--SrD0tHU9l" rel="nofollow">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/search/stronger%20than%20you%20think%20youth%20villages" rel="nofollow">Google</a>, and <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/588f6e9c-6890-488e-8390-ec35d531b895/stronger-than-you-think" rel="nofollow">Amazon</a>.

Taking risks can be a healthy, rewarding part of growing up. Joining school clubs, meeting new people, and learning to drive for the first time are examples of positive risk-taking. However, some adolescent

Tip Sheet Promotes Healthy Sexuality for Youth in Foster Care

Taking risks can be a healthy, rewarding part of growing up. Joining school clubs, meeting new people, and learning to drive for the first time are examples of positive risk-taking. However, some adolescent risk-taking—especially for youth in foster care—is often associated with negative behaviors like smoking, drinking and driving, or having unprotected sex.
A new <a href="https://www.fosterparenttalk.org/sites/default/files/2023-01/safety.pdf" rel="nofollow">tip sheet</a> from the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services focuses on risky sexual behavior in adolescence and how parents and caregivers can support the youth in their care and keep them safe. The six-page resource, which is part of FYSB’s <a href="https://www.fosterparenttalk.org/home" rel="nofollow">“Healthy Sexuality for Youth in Foster Care: An Online Training for Parents and Caregivers of Youth in Foster Care”</a> (discussed in the Training and Conferences section of this issue of CBX), emphasizes the importance of parents and youth working together to set rules and expectations that encourage healthy behaviors and avoid negative risks. It also provides parents with practical guidance on communicating openly and regularly with youth about the following topics:
<ul style="list-style-position: inside;" type="disc"><li>Navigating romantic and sexual relationships</li><li>Staying safe online</li><li>Explicit material</li><li>Sex trafficking and recognizing the warning signs</li></ul>
Additionally, considerations specific to youth in care are highlighted. Supplemental resource lists for parents, caregivers, and youth appear at the end of the document and cover a variety of related topics, such as social media, bullying and cyberbullying, online privacy and digital awareness, teen dating violence, consent, exploitation, and more.
The <a href="https://www.fosterparenttalk.org/sites/default/files/2023-01/safety.pdf" rel="nofollow">Healthy Sexuality for Youth in Foster Care: Tip Sheet</a> was developed by Mathematica under contract with the FYSB.

Social media use can be a fun and engaging activity for youth, but it does come with risks. The Child Welfare Information Gateway factsheet Social Media: Tips for Youth in Foster Care provides guidance

Social Media Safety Tips for Youth in Foster Care

Social media use can be a fun and engaging activity for youth, but it does come with risks. The Child Welfare Information Gateway factsheet <a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/smtips-youth/" rel="nofollow">Social Media: Tips for Youth in Foster Care</a> provides guidance for youth in foster care on how to safely and responsibly use social media platforms. The four-page factsheet highlights several concerns, such as those related to privacy, cyberbullying, and mental health, and then offers tips for staying safe online. It emphasizes the importance of “trusting your gut,” using strong privacy settings, not sharing personal information or locations, and being kind while also exercising caution when communicating with others.
The factsheet links to a variety of resources and organizations that provide supplemental information, including the <a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/management/workforce/socialmedia/safety/" rel="nofollow">Social Media Safety</a> section of the Information Gateway website. View the tip sheet on the <a href="https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/smtips-youth/" rel="nofollow">Information Gateway website</a>.

A free, online training from the Family and Youth Services Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is now available to help parents and caregivers of youth in foster care learn about

Training for Parents and Caregivers on the Healthy Sexuality of Youth in Foster Care

A free, <a href="https://www.fosterparenttalk.org/home" rel="nofollow">online training</a> from the Family and Youth Services Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is now available to help parents and caregivers of youth in foster care learn about adolescent sexual health. The purpose of the course, intended for use with youth ages 10 and older, is to help parents feel more comfortable talking with youth about healthy relationships and sexuality and the importance of making safe and healthy decisions about sex.
The course consists of the following 10 modules:
<ul style="list-style-position: inside;"><li>Module 1: Introduction</li><li>Module 2: Exploring Attitudes, Beliefs, and Values</li><li>Module 3: Puberty and Adolescent Development</li><li>Module 4: Communicating About Sexuality: Part I</li><li>Module 5: Healthy Sexuality &amp; Sexual Behavior</li><li>Module 6: Helping Youth Make Healthy Decisions</li><li>Module 7: Promoting the Health and Safety of Youth</li><li>Module 8: Sex Trafficking</li><li>Module 9: Communicating About Sexuality: Part II</li><li>Module 10: Training Review</li></ul>
Supporting documents that link to topically organized lists of related and helpful resources and organizations are also available and include, for example, the <a href="https://www.fosterparenttalk.org/sites/default/files/2023-01/safety.pdf" rel="nofollow">Healthy Sexuality for Youth in Foster Care: Tip Sheet</a> discussed in the Resources section of this issue of CBX.
The training, which requires a free account, takes approximately 3 hours to complete; however, it is self-paced and can be done when users have time available. A downloadable certificate of completion is available at the successful conclusion of the course.
This course, <a href="https://www.fosterparenttalk.org/home" rel="nofollow">“Healthy Sexuality for Youth in Foster Care: An Online Training for Parents and Caregivers of Youth in Foster Care,”</a> was adapted from a program developed by Uhlich Children’s Advantage Network and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

Upcoming conferences and events on child welfare and adoption include the following: May 2023 National Forum: All About Fathers* and the Men* in Children’s Lives (*cis and transgender) Brazelton Touchpoints

Upcoming conferences and events on child welfare and adoption include the following:
May
<a title="2023 National Forum: All About Fathers* and the Men* in Children’s Lives" href="https://www.brazeltontouchpoints.org/national-forum/" rel="nofollow">2023 National Forum: All About Fathers* and the Men* in Children’s Lives</a> (*cis and transgender) Brazelton Touchpoints Center  Virtual, May 2–4
<a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/human-services-workforce-development-evaluation-symposium-registration-445762837647" rel="nofollow">Human Services Workforce Development Evaluation Symposium</a>  Agile Visual Analytics Lab &#64; UCLA  Los Angeles, CA, May 2–4 
<a href="https://cascw.umn.edu/event/2023-cascw-spring-conference/" rel="nofollow">23rd Annual Spring Child Welfare Conference</a> Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare  Minneapolis, MN, May 4
<a title="&#34;Talking About Racism in Child &amp; Family Advocacy: Follow Up Conversation&#34;" href="https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZctfuCgpzMjGNOBSMEcxgfF4hs0WsINHS7n#/registration" rel="nofollow">&#34;Talking About Racism in Child &amp; Family Advocacy: Follow Up Conversation&#34;</a> [Webinar]  Prevent Child Abuse America Virtual, May 4
<a title="&#34;Measuring Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Your Child Welfare Workforce&#34;" href="https://www.qic-wd.org/qic-wd-national-webinar-series" rel="nofollow">&#34;Measuring Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Your Child Welfare Workforce&#34;</a> [Webinar]  Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development (QIC-WD) Virtual, May 9   <a title="National Judicial Leadership Summits on Child Welfare" href="https://www.ncsc.org/consulting-and-research/areas-of-expertise/children-and-families/child-welfare-summit" rel="nofollow">National Judicial Leadership Summits on Child Welfare</a> National Center for State Courts Virtual, May 9–10   <a title="&#34;Collaboration Strategies for Tribes, or Non-Native Service Providers Working With Tribes, to Support Kinship/Grandfamilies&#34;" href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f&#61;001ii_a8pCDnnqQux35P6_WptRz4U8Ovka9O6A1e2nqPa8P7Iuk3iTAsmjJMeD8aAtiIJQNJaFU8ccLgGTTgdYKAyZC63_fTQ4Bog9lu3FP8MO0ikEydOu1RRrtBQLcFsSsDMQ5aWaUqqLhTecCeAFRCZQvo7sFL9fnzlc6P60A5lTD-7Wel08Z-QdrR9fCmU5y_5DvlVWoinc&#61;&amp;c&#61;6trukKjXW0h5EGssP_QMspsYQ7r7Pd_8nVTgP6bkxlGk-yNxE_2Etw&#61;&#61;&amp;ch&#61;Na2NfGHTha_UT3IRH_EIiNIEj6hoB2eZFMrbd-9nH69oMNvWDKXKFg&#61;&#61;" rel="nofollow">&#34;Collaboration Strategies for Tribes, or Non-Native Service Providers Working With Tribes, to Support Kinship/Grandfamilies&#34;</a> [Webinar] Grandfamilies &amp; Kinship Support Network Virtual, May 10   <a title="National Foster Care Month Virtual Event" href="https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJIsc--gqTwrGm9yPoQtJvFBcD7HW--m7NA" rel="nofollow">National Foster Care Month Virtual Event</a> The Forum for Youth Investment Detroit, MI, May 10–12   <a title="&#34;Partnership &amp; Protective Factors Supporting Parental Resilience&#34;" href="https://ctfalliance.org/partnering-with-parents/bfpp/#workshop" rel="nofollow">&#34;Partnership &amp; Protective Factors Supporting Parental Resilience&#34;</a> [Webinar] The Children’s Trust Fund Alliance Virtual, May 10   <a title="2023 Forum National Conference" href="http://www.forumfyi.org/nationalconference" rel="nofollow">2023 Forum National Conference</a> The Forum for Youth Investment Detroit, MI, May 10–12   <a title="&#34;Extending Medicaid to Young People in Transition From Foster Care&#34;" href="https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qk-yDkQ7TLGFV1CltW7e0Q?utm_medium&#61;email&amp;utm_source&#61;ACYF-CB-IM-23-04_040623#/registration" rel="nofollow">&#34;Extending Medicaid to Young People in Transition From Foster Care&#34;</a> [Webinar] Children&#39;s Bureau Virtual, May 11   <a title="2nd National Interdisciplinary Parent Representation Conference" href="https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/child_law/std-interdisciplinary-conf23.pdf?ct&#61;t%28EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2_7_2018_COPY_01%29&amp;mc_cid&#61;a1c317e16a&amp;mc_eid&#61;2f795b3f56%22%20\o%20%222nd%20National%20Conference%20on%20Interdisciplinary%20Parent%20Representation" rel="nofollow">2nd National Interdisciplinary Parent Representation Conference</a> American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law, National Alliance for Parent Representation, &amp; Colorado Office of Respondent Parents’ Counsel  Denver, CO, May 11–12 
<a href="https://qpinational2023.sched.com/info" rel="nofollow">2023 QPI National Conference</a> Quality Parenting Initiative (QPI) Virtual, May 16–18   <a title="&#34;Part 2: The Essential Need for Adaptive Leadership and Reflective Practice among Tribal Child Welfare Supervisors&#34;" href="https://maine.zoom.us/webinar/register/9616777953202/WN_zS8v-nAJSP-G2glXwE7Rmw?utm_source&#61;Center&#43;for&#43;Tribes&#43;Outreach&amp;utm_campaign&#61;213d30ef6f-activeeffortsemail_COPY_01&amp;utm_medium&#61;email&amp;utm_term&#61;0_c52045c6a7-213d30ef6f-142484389" rel="nofollow">&#34;Part 2: The Essential Need for Adaptive Leadership and Reflective Practice among Tribal Child Welfare Supervisors&#34;</a> [Webinar] Capacity Building Center for Tribes Virtual, May 18   <a href="https://www.lswo2023.com/" rel="nofollow">LSWO National Latinx Social Work Conference</a> Latino Social Workers Organization (LSWO) Portland, OR, May 18–20   <a href="https://www.memberleap.com/members/evr/reg_event.php?orgcode&#61;APSA&amp;evid&#61;31411189%22%20%5Co%20%222023%20APSAC%20Colloquium" rel="nofollow">2023 APSAC Colloquium</a> American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC)   Denver, CO, May 22–26 
<a href="https://www.ffta.org/page/PPI2023" rel="nofollow">FFTA 19th Annual Public Policy and Advocacy Institute</a> Family Focused Treatment Association (FFTA) Washington, DC, May 23–24   <a href="https://www.csh.org/csh-summit/" rel="nofollow">CSH Supportive Housing Summit 2023</a> Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH)   Philadelphia, PA, May 31–June 2    June 
<a title="&#34;Attracting and Hiring Workers: Evidence-Informed Strategies&#34;" href="https://www.qic-wd.org/qic-wd-national-webinar-series" rel="nofollow">&#34;Attracting and Hiring Workers: Evidence-Informed Strategies&#34;</a> [Webinar] QIC-WD Virtual, June 6
<a href="https://www.chsnc.org/rethink-conference/" rel="nofollow">reTHINK Permanency: Unlocking Pathways From Foster Care to Family Conference</a> Children&#39;s Home Society of North Carolina (NC) and the NC Department of Health and Human Services Raleigh, NC, June 15   <a href="https://nfpaeducation.com/" rel="nofollow">52nd NFPA Annual Education Conference</a> National Foster Parent Association (NFPA) Reston, VA, June 23–June 25   July   <a href="https://www.ffta.org/page/Conference23" rel="nofollow">FFTA 37th Annual Conference</a> Family Focused Treatment Association (FFTA) Columbus, OH, July 10–July 13   <a href="https://prevcon.org/" rel="nofollow">Childhood Injury Prevention Convention</a> Safe Kids Worldwide National Harbor, MD, July 23–26   <a href="https://www.guconf.org/" rel="nofollow">Generations United 22nd Global Intergenerational Conference</a> Generations United Washington, DC, July 26–28

A recent webinar hosted by Generations United (GU) and the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network, GU’s technical assistance provider, discusses shared and coparenting strategies that provide well-being,

Webinar and Training Focus on the Strengths of Kinship Families

A recent webinar hosted by Generations United (GU) and the Grandfamilies &amp; Kinship Support Network, GU’s technical assistance provider, discusses shared and coparenting strategies that provide well-being, safety, and stability for children in kinship families. In the webinar, “The Unique Dynamics of Shared/Co-Parenting in Kinship Families,” Dr. Joseph Crumbley presents the new video series he developed titled The Inherent Strengths in Kinship Families. The six-part training series, intended for kin caregivers and child welfare professionals, identifies how caregivers can use their strengths to protect, nurture, and provide a stable environment for the children in their care, and it highlights for professionals and child welfare agencies why these strengths are the reasons that kin caregivers should be given preferential consideration when a child needs an alternative placement. The series consists of six modules, each containing two videos and a dedicated facilitator’s guide. The training focuses on the following topics as they pertain to kin caregiving:
<ul style="list-style-position: inside;"><li>Attachment</li><li>Adaptability</li><li>Identity</li><li>Healing</li><li>Legacies</li><li>Coparenting</li></ul>
To view the webinar, visit the <a title="Grandfamilies &amp; Kinship Support Network website" href="https://www.gksnetwork.org/events/co-parenting/" rel="nofollow">Grandfamilies &amp; Kinship Support Network website</a>. For more information on the training, visit the training section of <a title="Dr. Crumbley’s website" href="https://www.drcrumbley.com/training" rel="nofollow">Dr. Crumbley’s website</a>.
Dr. Crumbley is a nationally and internationally esteemed expert, trainer, consultant, and author with nearly 40 years of experience in kinship care, adoption, transracial adoption, foster care, and child maltreatment and sexual abuse.

Compared with the heterosexual and cisgender population, individuals of who identify as LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, Two-Spirit, and other diverse sexual orientations,

Providing Culturally Responsive Services to LGBTQ+ Youth and Their Families

Compared with the heterosexual and cisgender population, individuals of who identify as LGBTQ&#43; (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, Two-Spirit, and other diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions) are disproportionately affected by mental health issues, substance use disorders, and suicidality. To address and decrease these behavioral health disparities, the <a href="https://lgbtqequity.org/" rel="nofollow">Center of Excellence on LGBTQ&#43; Behavioral Health Equity</a> was established to implement change strategies in LGBTQ&#43;-serving systems through evidence-based training, coaching, and technical assistance. 
The center provides an extensive list of live, recorded, and self-paced <a href="https://lgbtqequity.org/learn/" rel="nofollow">learning sessions</a> for practitioners, such as <a href="https://lgbtqequity.org/learn/session-recordings/" rel="nofollow">“Providing Culturally Relevant Services to Families of LGBTQ&#43; Youth,”</a> that are free and publicly available. In that hour-long webinar recording, available on the Recorded Opportunities page of the center’s website, presenters discuss the following:
<ul style="list-style-position: inside;"><li>The importance of having culturally responsive services and strategies for working with LGBTQ&#43; young people and their families</li><li>Case examples from the Youth Acceptance Project, which focused on supporting families of LGBTQ&#43; young people involved in, or at risk of entering, foster care</li><li>The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) guide titled Adapting Evidence-Based Practices for Under-Resourced Populations</li></ul>
Eligible learning sessions offer free continuing education credits (accredited by the Council on Social Work Education). A general, noncredit Certificate of Attendance is also available upon completion of a postwebinar evaluation. To view session recordings or join future live webinars, sign up for a free account on the center’s website.
The Center of Excellence on LGBTQ&#43; Behavioral Health Equity is part of the National Center for Youth with Diverse Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity &amp; Expression (<a href="https://sogiecenter.org/" rel="nofollow">The National SOGIE Center</a>) at the <a href="https://innovations.socialwork.uconn.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Innovations Institute at the University of Connecticut School of Social Work</a> and is funded through a grant from SAMHSA.

May 2023Vol. 24, No. 4Podcast Features Young Adults With Lived Experience in the Foster Care System