Building Staffing Capacity
At the local level, Colorado uses state general funds to support a statewide network of Family Resource Centers that act as a hub for prevention efforts.
This quick, three-page brief from the Annie E. Casey Foundation shares six pivotal strategies for coordinating and funding community efforts to support families at risk of entering the child welfare system.
In recent years, two factors have fueled an increased focus on how child welfare leaders can work with communities and partners to help families stay together. These are: 1) The 2018 passage of the Family First Prevention Services Act, which reformed the federal child welfare financing streams to provide services to families that are at risk of entering the child welfare system; and 2) and a heightened awareness of how discriminatory policies and practices within child welfare lead to unnecessary disruption and separation of families of color.
Many states are creating new partnerships to help fund their expanded efforts to support families. This brief identifies six innovative partnerships across the country and gives a quick look at the funding strategies and solutions they’re using to keep families supported, connected and safe.
This document is part of the Funding Strategies to Support Families series. Check out another brief in this series, "Key Funding Streams to Keep Families Supported, Connected and Safe."
Casey identified six strategies for supporting resource coordination to prevent system involvement and keep families safe and together. These are: 1) invest in infrastructure at the state and local levels; 2) create funding structures that maximize prevention funds; 3) support community led planning and design; 4) align programs at the state level to better serve families; 5) invest in evaluation; and 6) leverage private and local dedicated funding streams.