Strengthening Families and Child Welfare System Transformation

Flashcards covering key terms and concepts related to transforming the child welfare system into a family well-being system, with a focus on parent advocacy, anti-racism, the public health approach, and protective factors for families.

Children's Trust Fund Alliance (Alliance)

A membership organization that supports state children’s trust and prevention funds to prevent child maltreatment, working with partners to impact policies, practices, and systems changes.

Birth Parent National Network (BPNN)

A national platform for birth parents to partner with organizations and policymakers, sharing life experiences and making recommendations to improve policies and practices affecting children and families.

Birth Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC)

A group of parents with expertise and personal experiences in the child welfare system, serving as strategic partners with Casey Family Programs and the Alliance to advocate for parents' voices.

Anti-racism

An active process of identifying and challenging racism by changing systems, organizational structures, policies, practices, and attitudes to redistribute power equitably.

Undoing Racism

Relates to moving beyond addressing the symptoms of racism to undoing its root causes, aiming to create a more just and equitable society.

21st Century Child Welfare System Vision

A transformed system envisioned as a family well-being system that prevents child harm by partnering with children, families, communities, and agencies to ensure all families have the capacity to care for their children.

Public Health Approach

An approach that expands focus beyond individual behavior to consider relationships, communities, and society in understanding challenges and developing prevention strategies, often using a four-level socio-ecological model.

Socio-Ecological Model

A four-level framework for prevention that considers the complex interplay between individual, relationship, community, and societal factors to understand challenges and the effect of prevention strategies.

Strengths-based Lens

An approach in partnerships between parents and service providers that emphasizes identifying and building on parents' strengths derived from their life experiences.

Culture Shift (in child welfare)

A recommended change in public perception and system operations where asking for help is normalized and seen as a strength, fostering partnerships between parents and service providers.

Racial Equity

Ensuring fair treatment and equitable outcomes for all races, which requires identifying and challenging racism within systems, organizational structures, policies, practices, and attitudes.

Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework

A research-informed, strengths-based approach promoting family well-being by helping families identify and build their strengths through five protective factors.

Parental Resilience

The ability to recover from difficult life experiences, often becoming strengthened or transformed by those experiences.

Social Connections

The ability and opportunity to develop positive relationships that reduce stress and isolation, helping to build a supportive network.

Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development

The ability to use effective parenting strategies and understand what to expect as children develop in physical, cognitive, language, and social-emotional domains.

Concrete Support in Times of Need

Access to supports and services that alleviate stress and contribute to family strength.

Social and Emotional Competence of Children

Family and child interactions that help children develop clear communication, emotion recognition and regulation, and the ability to establish and maintain relationships.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Traumatic events that occur in childhood, which can be minimized through community activities that support safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments for children and families.

CDC's Essentials for Childhood

Research-based recommendations intended to guide community activities that support safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and environments for children and families.