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, GooglePlay, 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 20: Workforce Part 2 – A State's Approach to Change
Shares an example of how one state changed its approach to staff development, as well as provides insight on the “must-haves” and lessons learned in moving away from isolated interventions and toward a targeted and cohesive strategy.
Episode 19: Workforce Part 1 – The Workforce Development Framework
Hear how addressing your workforce can impact worker turnover, enhance leadership skills, build staff capacity and other challenges facing child welfare agencies. The podcast also focuses on the essential elements and implementation of the Workforce Development Framework, which was developed by the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute.
Episode 18: Child Welfare Then and Now
Shares the perspective from a child welfare veteran with nearly three-decades serving children and families. Listen to what’s changed—and what’s remained consistent.
Episode 17: Family Group Decision-Making: Parent Advocates in New York City
Showcases how parent advocates, who have past experience with the child welfare system, are using their knowledge to help support families within Family Group Decision-Making (FGDM).
Episode 16: Family Group Decision-Making: Implementing the Family Group Conference
Gives listeners an overview of how Arizona Kinship Support Services implements the Family Group Conference model, developed by the Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect.
Episode 15: Diligent Recruitment – Regional Resource Navigators
Provides details about the New Mexico Regional Resource Navigator program. This program assigns navigators to work exclusively with specific regions of the state to guide families through the assessment and licensing processes.
Episode 14: Diligent Recruitment – Intelligent Recruitment
Provides listeners greater detail into how Florida community-based care agencies, state agencies, and professional marketing teams partnered together. The conversation includes the approach to gathering target audience data, how agencies were provided marketing and outreach plans unique to their region, and a comparison of how the intelligent marketing approach has impacted the number of foster families.
Episode 13: Collaborating Between Child Welfare and Mental Health
Centers on the multidimensional model, Partnering for Success, developed from a Children’s Bureau grant to the National Center for Evidence-Based Practice in Child Welfare.
Episode 12: Supporting Kinship Caregivers Part 2
Showcases successful examples of communities improving the connections between kinship caregivers and available services.
Episode 11: Supporting Kinship Caregivers Part 1
Showcases successful examples of kinship navigator programs connecting kinship families with available services.
Episode 10: Prevention: Protective Factors Part 2
Takes a detailed look into a local agency’s efforts to holistically implement a protective factors-based approach.
Episode 9: Prevention: Protective Factors - Part 1
Provides an overview of protective factors and helps listeners distinguish protective factors from risk factors.
Episode 8: Engaging Fathers Part 3
Provides listeners with insights gained from a partnership occurring in Spartanburg, SC.
Episode 7: Engaging Fathers Part 2
Continues the conversation with leaders of local fatherhood organizations in which they share their perspectives and insights and recommendations to help child welfare agencies partner with fatherhood organizations to enhance the engagement and involvement of fathers and paternal family members in establishing permanency and safety for children in the child welfare system.
Episode 6: Engaging Fathers Part 1
Features a conversation with leaders of local fatherhood organizations in which they share their perspectives and insights and recommendations to help child welfare agencies partner with fatherhood organizations to enhance the engagement and involvement of fathers and paternal family members in establishing permanency and safety for children in the child welfare system.
Episode 5: Working With the Correctional System and Incarcerated Parents
Features a conversation between those with experience on both sides of the working relationship between the child welfare and correctional systems.
Episode 4: Secondary Traumatic Stress
Provides examples about how to help child welfare professionals cope with secondary traumatic stress.
Episode 3: Interagency Collaboration to Address Human Trafficking
Discusses how the Miami CARES project identifies victims; provides therapeutic services; brings juvenile justice agencies, the State's attorney office, and public defenders together for a common cause; and sustains communication and collaboration between agencies.
Episode 2: Prevention: Developing and Sustaining a Parent Partner Program
Listen to members of the Iowa Department of Human Services, along with Children & Families of Iowa, who helped institute and expand the State's parent partner program. A veteran parent partner is also featured and provides insight on recruiting and retaining parent partners.
Episode 1: Engaging Youth in Foster Care
Gives caseworkers the perspective of a former youth in foster care and provides insight and tips on using Facebook to learn more about youth in care, information about the knowledge gaps youth may have about transitioning to adulthood, and ways to help youth recognize the supportive adults in their lives and develop trusting relationships.