This section examines how agencies and community members can work together to monitor and improve child welfare agency services and outcomes for children and families involved with the child welfare system.

Best Practices in Family & Community Engagement Video Series
Office of Head Start, Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center (2018)
Highlights lessons learned in community partnerships with local organizations and families and practical ways to strengthen these relationships.

Building and Sustaining Collaborative Community Relationships (PDF - 648 KB)
Capacity Building Center for States (2017)
Highlights the importance of effective, ongoing collaboration between child welfare agencies and community-based partners to strengthen assessment and decision-making, increase understanding of the family’s needs, promote communication and information sharing across systems, and provide better overall support to children and families.

Chapter 3: Using Protective Factors as a Framework for Your Community Partnership (PDF - 174 KB)
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Children’s Bureau, Child Welfare Information Gateway, & FRIENDS National Resource Center For Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (2019)
In 2019 Prevention Resource Guide
Provides strategies to help build community awareness and support the development of broad-based, meaningful community partnerships.

The Community Opportunity Map
Casey Family Programs (2018)
Provides an interactive, research-based tool that highlights the aspects of communities that are associated with safe children and strong families. The tool was informed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s healthy community framework.

Engaging Fathers Podcast Series
Child Welfare Information Gateway (2017)
Discusses the beneficial role of fathers in child development and ways to create a more father-friendly child welfare system. This three part series is designed to help child welfare agencies engage and support fathers and paternal family members in creating safe and stable environments for their children.

Making Connections
Annie E. Casey Foundation
Improves outcomes for vulnerable children by strengthening their families' connections to economic opportunity, positive social networks, and effective services and supports. Agencies work in full partnership with residents, community organizations, local government, businesses, and funders.

NCWWI Communications Guide: How to Advance Organizational Goals Through Effective Messaging, Storytelling, and Public Relations (PDF – 1,900 KB)
National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (2020)
Provides information to help programs improve their existing communications strategies to support systemic change, build public support, strengthen the workforce, improve partnerships, increase community collaboration, and enhance perceptions. 

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