Addressing the well-being of children, youth, and families who come in contact with child welfare often requires integration with other service systems and restructuring of programs and services to better address social, emotional, and behavioral functioning. The following resources offer information on building the capacity of programs and systems to promote the well-being of children, youth, and families, including State and local examples.
Active Implementation Hub
State Implementation and Scaling-up of Evidence-based Practices Center (SISEP) & National Implementation Research Network (NIRN)
Provides internet based training on active implementation, including content, activities and assessments and includes a searchable resource library with active implementation resources and tools.
Building Communities That Help Young Children and Families Thrive (PDF - 660 KB)
Schumacher (2013)
Center for the Study of Social Policy, Early Childhood-LINC, & Children's Services Council of Palm Beach County
Details a study conducted to identify local, comprehensive, integrated, multi-sector initiatives focused on improving outcomes for young children and their families. Findings from the study are included with a description of key factors to sustain early childhood systems that improve the quality of life for families enrolled in those programs and opportunities for additional studies.
Building Financial Capability: A Planning Guide for Integrated Services (PDF - 5,304 KB)
United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, & Office of Community Services (2015)
Offers an interactive guide for community-based organizations interested in integrating financial capability services into existing programs. The interactive tools in the guide walk organizations step-by-step through the process of developing an integration plan, tools to help organizations determine how best to provide financial capability services, and a comprehensive roadmap for implementing the integration plan.
The Child Welfare Capacity Building Collaborative, Brief #1: Child Welfare Organizational Capacities
Child Welfare Capacity Building Collaborative (2015)
Defines "capacity," summarizes five dimensions of capacity that have been identified by research, provides examples of each dimension, and describes why each dimension is important to an organization. This brief addresses the role of capacity and capacity building in improving performance in States, Tribes, and courts.
A Guide to Build Capacity for Child Welfare Using the CQI Process (PDF - 1,218 KB)
American Public Human Services Association & National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Workgroup (2014)
Discusses guidelines for increasing the capacity of child welfare agencies through the use of their continuous CQI systems. This report explains the cycle of CQI and the importance of improving services, indicating how evidence-based research supports the identified steps.
Implementation Science: Effectively Implementing Sustainable Programs
FRIENDS National Center on Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (2015)
Introduces key elements in program implementation, sustainability, leadership, and organizational culture. This two-module online course also provides strategies for supervisors to consider during the implementation phase, in addition to stages individuals may experience during changes in the work environment. This self-paced course, available through the Learning Center, is free, but requires users to create a login.
Investing in Public Programs Matters: How State Policies Impact Children's Lives: 2012 State Child and Youth Well-Being Index (PDF - 1,422 KB)
Foundation for Child Development, Annie E. Casey Foundation, & Population Reference Bureau (2012)
Highlights data indicating the relationships between State policies and economic and demographic factors that impact child well-being, including a focus on State taxes and investments in education, health care, and welfare benefits.
Leading Practice: A Resource Guide for Child Protection Leaders (PDF - 1,720 KB)
Gibbs, Dwyer, & Vivekananda (2014)
State of Victoria, Department of Human Services (Australia)
Provides a guide for supervisors and leaders in child protection to support frontline workers by understanding effective management, deliverables, strengthening analytical capacity, and the importance of relationships to improve service outcomes.
Making the Case: A Comprehensive Systems Approach for Adolescent Health and Well-Being (PDF - 678 KB)
Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (2010)
Uses the Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Initiative as a model for building systems to support adolescents' complex biological, behavioral, cognitive, and social needs.
Promoting the Social-Emotional Well-Being of Infants and Toddlers in Early Intervention Programs: Promising Strategies in Four Communities (PDF - 1,822 KB)
Woods, Smith, & Cooper (2010)
Suggests ways to strengthen early intervention programs for infants and toddlers to reduce the long-term negative consequences of early developmental delays. The report addresses promising strategies in the areas of screening, eligibility, and support of at-risk children; staff development; interagency collaboration; and funding.
Results-Based Public Policy Strategies for Promoting Children's Social, Emotional and Behavioral Health (PDF - 236 KB)
Center for the Study of Social Policy (2012)
Provides policy strategies States can use to implement evidence-based practices to prevent and address social, emotional, and behavioral health disorders. State examples of effective policies and financing approaches are also included.
State and local examples
Can Public Child Welfare Help to Prevent Child Maltreatment?: Promising Findings From Los Angeles
McCroskey, Pecora, Franke, Christie, & Lorthridge (2012)
University of Southern California
Journal of Family Strengths, 12(1)
Describes findings from the Los Angeles County Prevention Initiative Demonstration Project, a systems-change approach to developing relationships between public child welfare, allied public agencies, and community-based networks that offer family-centered services, economic assistance, and capacity building to support all kinds of families.
Collaboration Between TANF and Child Welfare to Improve Child Welfare Outcomes Discretionary Grant Cluster
Child Welfare Information Gateway
Discusses projects funded that demonstrate models of effective collaboration between public assistance (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and child welfare agencies that will improve outcomes for children and youth who are in, or are at risk of entering, the child welfare system.
A New Framework for Childhood Health Promotion: The Role of Policies and Programs in Building Capacity and Foundations of Early Childhood Health (PDF - 582 KB)
Mistry, Minkovitz, Riley, Johnson, Grason, Dubay, et al. (2012)
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
American Journal of Public Health
Outlines a framework for policymakers and practitioners to guide future decision-making and investments in early childhood health promotion.
New Jersey Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Plan 2010-2013: A Roadmap to Child and Family Well-Being (PDF - 752 KB)
New Jersey Department of Children and Families & New Jersey Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect (2010)
Outlines strategies to prevent child abuse and neglect and improve child and family well-being in areas such as increasing concrete supports to families in need, improving early childhood services, and expanding statewide family-centered resource and support networks.