Cross-System Collaboration to Support Youth Involved With Child Welfare

Many organizations and programs affect the lives of youth involved with the child welfare system. Coordinating services to youth can help improve outcomes and strengthen the support system for youth. Find guidelines, protocols, and other resources for improving collaboration among youth-serving agencies.

Building Partnerships to Support Stable Housing for Child Welfare-Involved Families and Youth
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Child Welfare Information Gateway
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Year Published 2019
Outlines affordable housing and homelessness services and how child welfare professionals can collaborate with those systems to help families. Although directed primarily at child welfare professionals, the information in this bulletin also may help housing and homelessness services providers understand the unique needs and concerns of child welfare-involved youth and families and how their programs can help." Grantee spotlight" boxes throughout the document feature examples of programs focused on child welfare and housing collaboration that were funded by the Children's Bureau within the Administration for Children and Families of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as part of the Partnerships to Demonstrate the Effectiveness of Supportive Housing for Families in the Child Welfare System (SHF) and Youth At-Risk of Homelessness (YARH) grant clusters.

Family Engagement Inventory
Child Welfare Information Gateway
Offers a web-based tool to assist professionals in child welfare, juvenile justice, behavioral health, and education with family engagement as defined and implemented across these fields of practice.

Health Coverage for Homeless and At-Risk Youth (PDF - 207 KB)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2016)
Reviews who is eligible for the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the services covered, how to apply, and a chart of the Medicaid and CHIP income eligibility for children, adults, parents, and pregnant women across the 50 states.

It’s Your Life (PDF - 6,473 KB)
American Bar Association, Center on Children and the Law (2017)
Helps lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth in foster care navigate the child welfare system.

Ready by 21
Maryland Department of Human Services (2017)
Examines how the Maryland Department of Human Services is working collaboratively with stakeholders to ensure that youth are as prepared as possible for independent living by the time they reach age 21. Information can be found about education, stable housing, health care, financial stability, and mentors.

Related Publications for Building Program Capacity to Support Youth at Risk of Homelessness: Phases I and III
Mathematica Policy Research
Provides high-level themes and lessons learned from a process study of the Children’s Bureau planning and implementation grants for developing and testing cross-system interventions for youth with child welfare involvement who are most likely to experience homelessness.

Supporting Youth in Foster Care: Research-Based Policy Recommendations for Executive and Legislative Officials in 2017 (PDF - 570 KB)
Child Trends (2017)
Examines how policymakers can play an important role in supporting children in foster care and strengthening their families.

Youth.gov
Provides interactive tools and other resources to help youth-serving organizations and community partnerships plan, implement, and participate in effective programs for youth. Also find resources about juvenile justice, mental health, school climate, and the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention.

Youth Engaged 4 Change
Allows youth to share their experiences on how to make a difference on topics important to them. The website also provides topical information for youth on support, foster care, education, advocacy, disabilities, employment, and more. Youth Engaged 4 Change is an extension of youth.gov, a project of the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs.

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