This page highlights examples of State and local efforts to improve collaboration between the domestic violence and child welfare systems, including information on the development of guidelines, strategies, model programs, and training to support children, youth, and families affected by domestic violence.
Addressing Domestic Violence in Juvenile Dependency Mediation (PDF - 368 KB)
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (2020)
Highlights the successful partnership between the Nevada Supreme Court's Court Improvement Program, the Nevada Division of Child and Family Services, and District Court Family Divisions across the State to pilot a model and support it with data collection, research, and evaluation.
Child Welfare Practices for Cases With Domestic Violence (PDF - 1,311 KB)
Oregon Department of Human Services (2016)
Reviews child welfare practice for children involved in cases of domestic violence including how intimate partner violence endangers children, impacts for children who witness and suffer violence, ineffective responses to domestic violence, how to assess and assure safety and well-being, how to work with adult survivors, and more.
Child Witness to Violence Project
Provides counseling, advocacy, training, and outreach focusing on children who are bystanders to community and domestic violence.
Collaborative History, Partners, & Impact
Ohio Intimate Partner Violence Collaborative
Highlights the activities and accomplishments of the Ohio Intimate Partner Violence Collaborative, a group of community partners that addresses practice at the intersection of child protection and intimate partner violence, particularly in the context of an alternative response practice approach.
Enhancing Collaborative Practice Between Domestic Violence Staff and Child Protective Services Staff (PDF -154 KB)
University of Texas at Austin, Child and Family Research Partnership (2017)
Explores a pilot project used in four domestic violence centers across Texas in which initiatives were launched to enhance relationships with Child Protective Services. The initiatives tested included new strategies for cross-system collaboration such as joint trainings, communication liaisons, and policy revisions to promote more coordinated service delivery.
Evaluation of Co-Locating Domestic Violence Advocates in New York State Child Protective Services Offices (PDF - 496 KB)
University at Albany State University of New York, Center for Human Services Research (2014)
Reports on the results of a campaign in New York to co-locate advocates from domestic violence programs within Child Protective Services offices with the goal of increasing safety and access to services for those experiencing domestic violence who are involved with the child welfare system. Findings showed that overall, co-locating services resulted in positive outcomes and improved services.
Missouri's MIECHV Team Implements Plan to Address Domestic Violence
ZERO TO THREE (2016)
Explains how Missouri's Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) team is now training participants to screen for domestic violence and how to successfully intervene in order to prevent child abuse, neglect, and domestic violence.
Working Together: Domestic Violence Advocates Co-Located at DHS Offices: Policies and Practice Resource Guide (PDF - 7,629 KB)
Gebstadt & Lemmon (2017)
Oregon Department of Human Services and the Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence
Examines co-location of domestic violence advocates at Oregon Department of Human Services offices and child welfare office to better support domestic violence survivors and their children.