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Topic: Child Welfare Initiatives

Scientific Ratings in this topic:
1 - Well-Supported by Research Evidence
2 - Supported by Research Evidence
3 - Promising Research Evidence
4 - Evidence Fails to Demonstrate Effect
5 - Concerning Practice
NR - Not able to be Rated
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Definition for Child Welfare Initiatives:

Child Welfare Initiatives refers to a variety of practice models that can be strategically integrated into the day-to-day work of public child welfare agencies. There are many programs that fall into the Child Welfare Initiative category. They all have different structures. One provides a series of research-based assessment tools to be used by child welfare workers at critical junctures to determine the relative level of risk to a child and to ensure consistent, fair, and accurate decision-making agency wide. Another is a family-centered, neighborhood-based system of foster care that encourages public child welfare agencies to use data, partner with impacted communities, recruit and support caregivers, and develop family/professional teams to make critical decisions about each child. Yet another program focuses on enabling emotionally and behaviorally disturbed youth to live successfully in family settings, rather than in group home care, by creating family centered teams that focus on family strengths to overcome challenges. Although there are differences in these models, each recognizes the critical need to engage families in making decisions about their children. A successful child welfare worker must develop skills to engage families and to work with them as partners, with the goals of safety, permanence, and well-being for each child.

Why was Child Welfare Initiatives chosen as a topic by the Advisory Committee? (Click for Answer)

Child Welfare initiatives was chosen by the Advisory Committee because the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 requires public child welfare to track performance on established outcomes. California has built upon and expanded outcome measurement through state legislation known as AB 636. Emerging child welfare outcome statistics demonstrate the need for informed and effective practice by child welfare staff. The Child Welfare Initiatives provide best practice models that are likely to help public child welfare achieve better outcomes for children and families.

Mary Harris
Former CEBC Advisory Committee member

Programs in this topic area

Here are your search results for programs in the area of Child Welfare Initiatives:

The programs listed below have been reviewed by the CEBC and, if appropriate, been rated using the Scientific Rating Scale.

Programs with a Scientific Rating of 2 - Supported by Research Evidence:

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Programs with a Scientific Rating of 3 - Promising Research Evidence:

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  • Alternative Response (AR) – detailed view
    – ? provisional rating until: Monday, July 1, 2013
    [Family Assessment Response]
    Topics: Child Welfare Initiatives, Reducing Racial Disparity and Disproportionality in Child Welfare
    Child Maltreatment reports that do not allege sexual abuse or substantial child maltreatment (as defined by MN statute 626.556).
  • Child Endangerment Risk Assessment Protocol (CERAP) – non-responder
    Topics: Child Welfare Initiatives
  • Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) – detailed view
    Topics: Child Welfare Initiatives, Placement Stabilization, Family Stabilization
    Children who are abused/neglected and their family groups.
  • Structured Decision Making (SDM) – detailed view
    – ? provisional rating until: Monday, July 1, 2013
    Topics: Child Welfare Initiatives, Reducing Racial Disparity and Disproportionality in Child Welfare
    Families referred to and assessed by CPS agencies.

Programs with a Scientific Rating of NR - Not able to be Rated:

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  • Signs of Safety – detailed view
    Topics: Casework Practice, Child Welfare Initiatives, Interventions for Neglect, Motivation and Engagement
    Child protection practitioners working with children and families where there has been suspected or substantiated child abuse or neglect