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Analyzing Costs Associated with Community Partnerships for Protecting Children

This document explores the costs necessary for establishing and maintaining a Community Partnership and highlights efforts across systems and community organizations to fully fund a community-oriented approach to child abuse and neglect. Interviews were conducted by James Bell and Associates with local stakeholders in St. Louis, one of the original Partnership sites, to understand operational costs and to project costs into the future. Types and sources of funding were identified for sustainability.

Costs Associated with Community Partnerships for Protecting Children (29 pgs, 1MB)

 

  
A Community of Support for Children: Operationalizing Portland Maine’s Community Partnership for Protecting Children (Suzanne Patt, 2007)

The Community Partnership for Protecting Children (CPPC) in Portland, Maine proclaims in its mission statement, Keeping children safe in their families, neighborhoods, and communities is
everyone’s business. Built on the model of the Center for the Study of Social Policy’s national CPPC initiative, the partnership sets forth a new approach to child welfare that emphasizes family-centered practice; child protective services policy, practice, and culture change; neighborhood networks of support; and shared decision-making. Accomplishing the vision of supporting families and keeping children safe, however, is much easier said than done, especially given the complexity of the problems families and neighborhoods face, the challenges of the current child welfare system, and the vast number of people and organizations with potential for involvement in the lives of children and families. Thus, this Policy Analysis Exercise asks: what steps should Portland’s CPPC take in order to
operationalize its mission? Or, in other words, how can CPPC practically achieve the goal of keeping children safe?

Community Support of Children and Families (70 pgs, 473 kb)

  

Promising Practices to Address Racial Disproportionality


Places to Watch: Promising Practices to Address Racial Disproportionality in Child Welfare Services, documents the efforts of ten jurisdictions as they attempt to address and change the contributing factors that have led to racial disproportionality in their child welfare systems.

Places to Watch (102 pgs, 1.6 MB)		  

Community Partnerships for Protecting Children


In 2005 the Center for Community Partnerships in Child Welfare commissioned the Family Violence Prevention Fund to assess the lessons learned from CPPC efforts in Louisville, Jacksonville, St Louis, and Cedar Rapids, IO, aimed at building partnerships between domestic violence, child welfare and neighboring communities. The report identifies site accomplishments and challenges. The lessons, while specific to integration between child welfare and domestic violence, have broader implications for all efforts geared toward building networks between and among a range of agencies.

Lessons about Addressing Domestic Violence

  

CCPCW Brochure


This brochure describes the Center for Community Partnerships in Child Welfare´s role as a technical assistance intermediary, its scope, and mission. It also gives an overview of the CPPC approach and initiative.

CCPCW Brochure

  

What is the Community Partnerships for Protecting Children Approach?


This brochure gives a brief overview of the CPPC approach, including the principles, goals, core elements, and strategies that drive this work.

CPPC Approach (6 pgs, 294 kb)

  

Community Partnerships for Protecting Children


A comprehensive report detailing the community partnership approach that includes information on the four original community partnerships in Louisville, KY; Jacksonville, FL; St. Louis, MO; and Cedar Rapids, IA.

CPPC Brochure (13 pgs, 1540 kb, 1999)

Getting Started on Community Child Protection


This booklet explains how different stakeholders can initiate a community partnership in their local jurisdiction. The roles of judges, advocates, child welfare leaders, et cetera, are explored.

Getting Started (8 pgs, 998 kb, 7/01) 		 

Creating a Community Partnership: Guidance from the Field


Leaders from the original four community partnership sites were brought together several years into implementation and asked, "If you were to advise a new site, what would you tell them based on your experiences?" This booklet provides their answers on crucial steps to take when creating a community partnership. 		 

Doing Business Differently: Changing Policy and Practice in the St. Louis Division of Family Services


This report discusses efforts within the St. Louis child protection agency to serve families more effectively by changing practice approaches, developing relationships with community partners, and working closely with the St. Louis Family Court.

Doing Business Differently (26 pgs, 2210 kb, 2003)


  

Citizen Power for Stronger Families: Jacksonville, Florida


By Andrew White. This report highlights strategies for community engagement used by the Jacksonville Community Partnership to involve a wide range of local leaders in its efforts. The paper shares successes, challenges, and lessons learned.

Jacksonville Florida Report (26 pgs, 117 kb)

  

Collaboration Demands Respect: Louisville, Kentucky


By Andrew White. This report discusses the process for shared decision-making in the Louisville Community Partnership. Successes, challenges, and lessons learned are highlighted.

Louisville Report (28 pgs, 361 kb)

  

Alianzas Comunitarias para la protección de Niños y Niñas

Los Alianzas Comunitarias para la protección de Niños y Niñas son un esfuerzo do común acuerdo para cambiar la manera de pensar de cómo protegemos a los niños y niñas y se reforma el sistema de protección infantil del pais. Esto comienza con la premisa de que la seguridad de los niños la depende de que estos tengan familias fuertes, y que las fortalezas de la familia dependen de las conexiones que estas tengan con una amplia red de personas, organizaciones, e instituciones comunitarias. No existe un solo factor responsable por el maltrato y abandono infantil por lo tanto ninguna institución publica puede por si sola resguardar la seguridad y bienestar de los niños. Las Alianzas Comunitarias para la protección de Niños y Niñas inuducran a los miembros de la comunidad y a las agencias de servicios para acoger y apoyara las familias antes que estas se encuentran en crisis, intervienen más rápido, compresiuamente, y efectivamente cuando el maltrato o abandono ocurre; y se asocian con las agencias estatales de protección de niños para mejorarlas políticas, programas y practicas para que estas puedan ser má consistentes en fortalecer a los familias y más agresivas en proteger a los niños

Alianzas Comunitarias para la protección de Niños y Niñas (13 pgs, 641 kb, 5/05)

Safekeeping


A bi-annual newsletter that describes activities underway in the four original sites/states of the Community Partnerships for Protecting Children initiative and other jurisdictions where progressive child welfare reforms are occurring. Safekeeping includes detailed descriptions of the strategies being pursued and lessons learned by local leaders.


   Safe Keeping Documents

Bringing Families to the Table


In the child welfare field, the practice of including families as part of the decisionmaking team has grown tremendously over the past decade. Several distinct practice models use family-centered principles in combination with family group meetings to bring families "to the table" to discuss and solve problems and to support each other. Many field service workers have requested a guidebook to provide clarity. The goal of this paper is to provide that clarity by providing a descriptive outline on the various approaches.

Family Meetings in Child Welfare (26 pgs, 150 kb, 3/02)

  
    

Handbook For Family Team Conferencing


The Handbook for Family Team Conferencing was developed by the Child Welfare Practice and Policy Group for the community partnerships.

Family Team Conferencing Handbook (31 pgs, 82.8 kb, 7/01)

  
    

Family Team Conferencing in Domestic Violence Cases


These guidelines were developed by the Family Violence Prevention Fund and the Child Welfare Practice and Policy Group. The guidelines are intended to provide additional information to trained Family Team Conference facilitators that will help them address domestic violence issues in the context of Family Team Conferences. In addition, the guidelines offer background information and tips for other Family Team Conference participants, including domestic violence advocates, community-based service providers, child welfare agency workers, and extended family members.

Family Team Conferencing in Domestic Violence Cases (34 pgs, 2720 kb, 10/03)


  
    Family Team Conferencing in Domestic Violence Cases

Scale of Change: Creating and Sustaining Collaborative Child Welfare Reform across Cities and States 
(66 pgs, 761KB 12/08) by Andrew White on behalf of the Center for the Study of Social Policy

This report highlights the efforts made by three very different public systems - California, Washington D.C. and Iowa – each of which exemplifies the road to reform through the guiding principles of strength-based, family centered practice, community partnership, and parent engagement and leadership. All three have resolutely surpassed the “pilot stage” to touch thousands of families each year; have given rise to meaningful policy and practice changes within public agencies; as well as, embedded a stronger sense of responsibility and accountability for the well-being of children and families among multiple stakeholders. The case studies recount the challenges faced in trying to infuse collaborative values and practices within public child welfare systems, while citing key factors that contributed to sustainable, measurable positive results. Public agency workers, community representatives, family advocates, and families will also discover the successful journey of leveraging public and private resources, engaging sometimes unlikely partners, and productively confronting old assumptions about the power of communities and parents for the improvement of family outcomes.

 

 

Race Equity Review: Findings from a Qualitative Analysis of Racial Disproportionality and Disparity for African American Children and Families in Michigan’s Child Welfare System
(66 pgs, 761KB 1/09) by the Center for the Study of Social Policy

In a bold step to examine racial disproportionality and disparity, the state of Michigan’s Department of Human Services initiated an intensive review of their policies, procedures and case practice with a team of national experts, local leaders, and stakeholders. This team, led by the Center for the Study of Social Policy, designed and implemented a qualitative Race Equity Review to examine the research question: “How does it come about that, after substantiation of child abuse or neglect, African American children are more likely to be removed from their homes?.” The findings of the review and this report identify specific policies and practices that directly negatively impact African American children and families. In addition, there are institutional features of Michigan’s child welfare system that negatively impact all families, but have even more severe consequences for African American families. Broad themes identified include a lack of belief in the ability of African American families and communities to care for children; limited case and community advocacy for African American families; the failure to build an infrastructure of policy, practice and resources that contributes to and environment which supports fair outcomes for African American children and families, and the lack of accountability for results. The report presents the Review methodology, specific findings of institutional features that contribute to racial disproportionality and disparity, and recommendations for change.

  

 

 

Why Community Partnerships Will Make a Difference


This paper gives a detailed analysis of the theory of change of the community partnership approach and explores the four core elements that comprise this work.

Strategies to Keep Children Safe (52 pgs, 146 kb, 10/97)


Indicators of Site Progress: Overall Report


This report by the Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago was written during the first phase of the evaluation of the Community Partnerships for Protecting Children initiative. This evaluation studied implementation issues and measured sites by numerous indicators of progress.

OverAll Report (28 pgs, 80.4 kb, 11/99)


We Are In This Together: Community Child Protection In America


A booklet that introduces the community partnership approach to child welfare. This publication offers an overview of several communities across the country that are making innovations in their efforts to keep children safe and strengthen families. (Available to order, not by download.)

Additional information and tools for implementing the community partnership approach can be accessed through our Clearinghouse. Please contact us by email at clearinghouse@cssp.org or by phone at 202-371-1565 or 212-979-2369 for more information.