This podcast series, produced on behalf of the Children's Bureau, presents a series of interviews and group conversations intended to provide beneficial information for busy child welfare and social work professionals. The podcasts cover a wide range of topics and provide perspectives from communities served by child welfare agencies along with tips and stories from professionals about implementing new services and programs, working across agencies, and improving practice.
The podcasts are available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and SoundCloud. Subscribe to receive new episodes as they are released.
The views and opinions expressed within these podcasts do not necessarily reflect those of the Children's Bureau or the Administration for Children and Families.
Episode 84: What Does an Effective Support System Look Like?
Explores how Alternative Family Services successfully creates effective support systems for youth in foster care.
Episode 83: Authentically and Respectfully Engaging Lived Experience in Storytelling
Presents a panel discussion from the Capacity Building Center for State’s 2022 Child Welfare Virtual Expo. The panel members provide an array of approaches for organizations to engage people with lived experience.
Episode 82: Creating the Space for People With Lived Experience to Thrive
Presents a session from the Capacity Building Center for State's 2022 Child Welfare Virtual Expo. This episode provides strategies and examples of how child welfare agencies should respectfully engage individuals with lived experience for assistance
Episode 81: Advances in Supporting Kinship Caregivers - Part 5
Explores improvements to the engagement and support of kinship families in New Mexico.
Episode 80: Advances in Supporting Kinship Caregivers - Part 4
Explores the public-private partnership between and the state of Nevada. FosterKinship supports the state by providing both kinship navigator services, foster care licensing services, and provides programs to connect kinship families access to services they need to raise healthy children.
Episode 79: Advances in Supporting Kinship Caregivers - Part 3
Focuses on the successes experienced within the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, in Washington State, and their flexible use of funding and prevention approach.
Episode 78: Advances in Supporting Kinship Caregivers - Part 2
Focuses on Washington State’s approach to providing kinship support services which is operated by the State’s Aging and Long-Term Support Administration.
Episode 77: Advances in Supporting Kinship Caregivers - Part 1
Features a group of kinship-centered services and programs from Rhode Island.
Episode 76: Building Parenting Skills to Address Trauma, Grief, and Mental Health
Explores the National Training and Development Curriculum (NTDC) for Foster and Adoptive Parents funded by the Children's Bureau. NTDC provides free curriculum and resources for potential foster or adoptive parents.
Episode 75: Away From Home - Sharing the Impacts of Institutional Care
Focuses on a report developed by Think Of Us to understand the perspectives, attitudes, and experiences of young people with recent histories in institutional placements, and to understand their beliefs around reforming or ending institutional placements.
Episode 74: Threading Equity Throughout Child Welfare
Features a conversation with the Children's Bureau associate commissioner about promoting equity in State child welfare systems.
Episode 73: Engaging Fathers - Putting Lessons Into Practice, Part 3
Shares strategies implemented to engage fathers from Prowers County, Colorado. This is the third of a three-part series.
Episode 72: Engaging Fathers - Putting Lessons Into Practice, Part 2
Shares strategies implemented to engage fathers from Los Angeles County, California. The second of a three-part series.
Episode 71: Engaging Fathers – Putting Lessons Into Practice, Part 1
Focuses on the strategies developed to engage fathers within Hartford, Connecticut. The first of a three-part series.
Episode 70: Preventing Placement Disruptions
Features a conversation surrounding the California Family Urgent Response System (FURS) to preserve the relationship of the caregiver and the child or youth.
Episode 69: Engaging Indigenous Families and Communities
Shares insight from the National Native Children's Trauma Center (NNCTC) for those caseworkers and agencies that are working or will work with indigenous communities to support children and families.
Episode 68: "Reimagining Child Welfare - Oregon's Vision for Transformation"
Features Oregon's Child Welfare Division and their release of Vision for Transformation, which documents a strategic roadmap to success, including specific guiding principles, strategies, and measurable outcomes.
Episode 67: Aging Out – Healing, Preparing, and Supporting Youth in Foster Care, Part 2
Continues to feature insights and findings surrounding each of the three themes helping youth heal and deal with trauma, centering youth in their preparedness, and helping youth build a supportive network. This episode is the second in a two-part series.
Episode 66: Aging Out – Healing, Preparing, and Supporting Youth in Foster Care, Part 1
Features insights and findings surrounding each of the three themes helping youth heal and deal with trauma, centering youth in their preparedness, and helping youth build a supportive network. This episode is the first in a two-part series.
Episode 65: Foster Care Alumni - Making Lived Experience Matter, Part 2
Focuses on the healing journey alumni take and the importance of community and family support, along with guidance for future or current advocates and recommendations for improving the foster care system. This episode is the second in a two-part series.