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Child Welfare and Early Childhood: Cross-Systems Collaboration to Improve Outcomes for Young Children and Their Families Series: Prevention

March 16 2022
2:00 PM EDT

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Approximately 40 percent of all children entering foster care are age five and under. Addressing the needs of these children and their families is critical to helping child welfare systems and early childhood systems achieve better outcomes.

Ultimately, the goal of prevention strategies is to keep children safe and well cared-for in their families and communities, thereby decreasing the need for child welfare services. What, though, is the role of child welfare agencies in prevention? What can child welfare agencies to do address child well-being for our youngest children? Presenters will discuss how Plans of Safe Care protect infants affected by prenatal substance exposure. Examples of state and county community and family empowerment approaches to prevention will be discussed.

Presenters:

  • Alissa Copeland, Washington DCYF, Intake and Early Learning Program Manager
  • Sarah Holdener, Washington DCYF, Plan of Safe Care Program
  • Robert H. (Robin) Jenkins, Ph.D., Associate Director and Senior Implementation Specialist with the Impact Center at Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute | University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
  • Nikki Kovan, Minnesota Department of Education, Early Learning Director
  • Megan Waltz, Minnesota DHS, Supervisor, Promotion and Prevention Unit | Child Safety and Permanency

Host:

Dr. Cynthia Tate, State Services Liaison, NCIT Hub Lead, BUILD Initiative

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