Child Welfare Information Gateway E-lert! August 2019

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Here's what's new from Child Welfare Information Gateway. Use the links below or contact us to request print copies. If print copies are available, we will ship them to you for free.

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Youth Voice: Strengthening Efforts to Listen to Families

Engaging youth and family perspectives is critical to a well-functioning child welfare system. Strengthening efforts to listen and integrate youth and family voice can empower caregivers, prevent unnecessary parent-child separations, build family resilience, and ensure community resources are aligned with what families need. The Children's Bureau encourages all child welfare agencies, courts, and organizations to consider ways to engage youth and family voices. Get ideas on how to engage youth with the following resources: Youth Perspectives on Foster Care Involving Youth in Case Planning Partnering With Youth for Permanency Planning Working With Youth to Develop a Transition Plan

Podcast: Tribal Courts and Child Welfare: Being Family-Centered

Find out how tribal courts partner with child welfare to support family reunification as well as strengthen a family's connection to their tribe and its culture. Listen to the final episode in the Tribal Courts and Child Welfare series, featuring stories from The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, Taos Pueblo of New Mexico, and the Sitka Tribe of Alaska. "What has shifted is that we're hearing their voice. They have a voice in this plan. They have a voice in this case...because they are the only one that knows what's going on in their homes" —Stacie Waters, Taos Pueblo of New Mexico The podcast is now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, SoundCloud, and Google Play! Listen today and learn on the go!

New & Updated Publications

Mandatory Reporters of Child Abuse and Neglect
Teachers, doctors, counselors, and other professionals are required by law to report known or suspected cases of child abuse and neglect. Learn what you need to know about the federally required procedures in place in your state.

Child Maltreatment 2017: Summary of Findings
An estimated 674,000 children were victims of abuse or neglect nationwide according to the latest federal report. See and compare the child maltreatment data for the last five years in this summary of important findings.

Long-Term Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect
Child abuse and neglect can affect brain development in children and youth, increasing the risk for psychological problems and high-risk behavior later in life. Learn more about the long-term physical, psychological, behavioral and social consequences of child maltreatment, and how to reduce the risk.

Did You Know?

Child fatalities due to child maltreatment disproportionately affect young children and most often are caused by one or both parents. One of the most promising approaches to curtailing child maltreatment fatalities are review teams, which can help communities accurately count, respond to, and prevent these and other preventable deaths. Learn more of the recent data and get prevention strategies for your community.

In this Month's CBX: Spotlight on Using Evidence-Based Practices

The July/August 2019 issue of Children's Bureau Express highlights how building evidence and utilizing evidence-based practices can improve the programs, services, and tools used to support families served by the child welfare system. Read the issue. https://cbexpress.acf.hhs.gov Subscribe to CBX to receive the issue in your inbox.

Upcoming Conferences

Information Gateway will be at the following upcoming conferences. Please stop by and see the team. Be sure to visit Information Gateway's conference calendar to view and/or submit upcoming events!

August 20–21, 2019: National Child Welfare Evaluation Summit, Washington, DC

August 26–28, 2019: 42nd National Child Welfare Law Conference, Anaheim, CA

September 5–6, 2019: Building Hope for Children Conference, Greenville, SC

September 12, 2019: Georgia Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, Atlanta, GA

September 19, 2019: Child Welfare Virtual Expo 2019

Updates From the Capacity Building Center for States

Our Becoming a Family-Focused System series is designed to help agency leaders and staff assess, build, and sustain positive organizational culture and climate change in the areas of collaborative service array development, family engagement, and continuity of relationships.

Explore the new resources in the series and stay tuned for more!

• Strategies for Building a Culture to Partner With Families tip sheet 
• Strategies for Building a Culture of Service Collaboration tip sheet 

For more information and news from the Center for States, visit our website.

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