Child Welfare and Early Childhood: A Conversation About the Benefits of Cross-Systems Collaboration

Given that approximately 40% of all children entering foster care are age 5 and under, there is a strong need for cross-systems collaboration between child welfare and early childhood to ensure that both systems achieve better outcomes for children and families. A panel of national experts will state the case for cross-systems collaboration, detail the significant racial disparities for Black, Latino, and Native American children in child welfare systems, and talk about the challenges and benefits of working together to improve outcomes. They will also offer some promising examples of collaborative efforts currently being implemented in several states.