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Domestic Violence and Child Welfare Workers |
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October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Many families who experience domestic violence also come to the attention of the child welfare system. These families have complex needs. As child welfare workers, we should work in collaboration with domestic violence advocates as part of a single system focused on family well-being.
Domestic Violence: A Primer for Child Welfare Professionals offers an introduction to working with families who experience domestic violence, including its effects on children and promising practices in assessment and service provision.
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November is quickly approaching! Start planning your National Adoption Month campaign now with the official Outreach Toolkit from the Children's Bureau in partnership with Child Welfare Information Gateway.
The Outreach Toolkit features themed graphics, social media posts, key facts, a virtual meeting background, and more! Add these to your websites, newsletters, emails, meetings, social media pages, and other digital communications to show your support and encourage action in your networks.
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Definitions of child abuse and neglect vary by state. Our publication Definitions of Child Abuse and Neglect shares information about the kinds of conduct, acts, and omissions that should be reported as abuse or neglect, the standards for reporting, and who can be reported as a perpetrator.
For summaries of laws in individual states and territories, use the Statutes Search page.
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Hispanic and Latino families have been a vibrant and vital part of our Nation's tapestry for generations. This National Hispanic Heritage Month, help honor these families by learning about how to keep families connected when separated by an international border.
International borders add another layer of complexity to child welfare cases. This episode, "Connecting Cross-Border Families," features a conversation with Elaine Weisman, program and training manager for International Social Service USA, and covers resources to help caseworkers reunify families; the different agencies that can be involved; and misperceptions about unaccompanied minors, family separation at the border, and other similar situations.
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Best Practices:
Communities and Family Resilience
Strong communities promote resilience in families. Explore resources in these collections on promoting community well-being and conducting successful needs assessments.
Understanding which services a community needs is a complex endeavor, but it can have positive results on family well-being. A community needs assessment identifies the strengths and resources available in a community. The results of an assessment can provide a framework for identifying a path toward building on those strengths and creating a supportive and nurturing community.
There are multiple ways to complete a needs assessment, such as surveys, town meetings, or interviews. Partnering with community organizations, leaders, and others is essential to the process. These partners are sources of insight and knowledge about what works and what doesn't. Authentic engagement and partnership with those who live in a community and use its resources can also create ownership and increase buy-in.
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Did You Know?
Do you know how culture can serve as a protective factor?
Indigenous Peoples' Day is October 9th, and it is a time to honor the sovereignty and strength of tribal nations. American Indian/Alaska Native families have faced incredible challenges and historical and current wrongs while continuing to thrive and be resilient.
Explore American Indian Resilience: Culture as a Protective Factor for resources on how culture heals, strengthens, and preserves this community. This webpage features an example of home-visiting programs that are strengthening tribal families, a video on the science behind resilience and protective factors, and more.
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