Resources

Introduction to Family Strengthening

Resources

Annie E. Casey Foundation / Making Connections Initiative

www.aecf.org

www.aecf.org/initiatives/mc/
The primary mission of the Annie E. Casey Foundation is to foster public policies, human service reforms, and community supports that better meet the needs of vulnerable families. The foundation's work in child welfare is grounded in two fundamental convictions: first, there is no substitute for strong families to ensure that children grow up to be capable adults. Second, the ability of families to raise children is often inextricably linked to conditions in their communities. The foundation's goal is to help neighborhoods build effective responses to families and children at risk of abuse or neglect. The foundation believes that community centered responses can better protect children, support families, and strengthen communities.

Started in 1999, Making Connections is a ten-year investment by the Annie E. Casey Foundation to improve outcomes for families and children in isolated neighborhoods. The Making Connections Network includes 22 site teams involved in each Making Connections city, as well as the residents, community leaders, businesses, government officials, schools, faith communities, community organizations and others working to revitalize these neighborhoods.

Child and Family Policy Center

www.cfpciowa.org
The Child and Family Policy Center is working to develop more outcome based approaches to address child and family needs, with a particular focus on community building efforts within disinvested neighborhoods. The Center provides technical assistance to many Iowa communities to develop more seamless and preventive responses to children and families. On a national level, the Center operates the publication clearinghouse and technical assistance resource network of the National Center for Service Integration (NCSI) and provides technical assistance and support for those constructing more comprehensive, community based systems of support to families and children.

ConnectforKids.org

www.connectforkids.org
ConnectforKids.org practices civic journalism in the service of making communities better for children and families by providing coverage of key issues, successful programs, and ideas for action in the areas of child welfare, poverty, education, health, and more.

Family Support America

www.familysupportamerica.org
Family Support America promotes family support as the nationally recognized movement to strengthen and support families and places the principles of family support practice at the heart of every setting in which children and families are present.

National Child Welfare Center for Family-Centered Practice

www.cwresource.org
The National Child Welfare Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice is a service of the Children's Bureau. The Resource Center seeks to enhance the capacity of State and Tribal child welfare agencies to plan, implement, and evaluate family-centered services for children and families. The mission of the Resource Center is to assist State and Tribal child welfare agencies in implementing family-centered practices to achieve the goals of safety, permanency, and well being for children and families.

National Conference of State Legislatures

www.ncsl.org/programs/sfn/sfn.htm
A partner in the Annie E. Casey Making Connections Initiative, the National Conference of State Legislatures examines legislative issues related to family strengthening in the areas of economic development and commerce, education, human services and natural resources.

National Governor's Association, Center for Best Practices

www.nga.org/center/topics/1,1188,D_6518,00.html
The NGA Center for Best Practices has a number of activities underway to help states improve services to low income children and families through cross system integration. Relevant resources on this site explore eliminating federal funding and service delivery silos, case studies of service integration, and both service and systems integration.

National League of Cities, Institute for Youth, Education, and Families

www.nlc.org/nlc_org/site/programs/institute_for_youth_education_and_families/index.cfm

The NLC's Institute for Youth, Education, and Families helps municipal leaders take action on behalf of children, youth, and families in their communities.   NLC launched the Institute in January 2000 to recognize the influential and unique roles that mayors, city council members, and other local leaders play in strengthening families and improving outcomes for children and youth. 

Report: Strengthening America's Families: What Municipal Leaders Must Do - National League of Cities
This report seeks to build broad support among local officials for investments in families. Produced by NLC's Council on Youth, Education, and Families it lays out why inaction is not an option, the leadership and partnership roles that municipal leaders can play, the importance of engaging residents, and the key connections that can strengthen families. Read full report»

National Resource Center for Community-Based Family Resource and Support Program (FRIENDS)

www.friendsnrc.org
FRIENDS provides training and technical assistance to lead agencies implementing the Community-Based Family Resource and Support (CBFRS) grant program in the following key areas: parent leadership training, family resource and support programs and services, services to diverse populations, establishment of respite care programs, and creation of funding strategies. Requests for services are initiated by CBFRS State lead agencies.

National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice, University of Iowa School for Social Work

www.uiowa.edu/~nrcfcp/
The National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice provides technical assistance, staff training, research and evaluation, and library research on family based programs and issues to public and private human services agencies in states, counties, and communities across the United States . The Center has worked in child welfare, mental health, juvenile justice, community action, county extension, Head Start, and job training programs.

Promising Practices Network

www.promisingpractices.net
The Promising Practices Network (PPN) web site highlights programs and practices that redible research indicates are effective in improving outcomes for children, youth, and families. The information offered is organized around three major areas: Proven and Promising Programs, Research in Brief, and Strengthening Service Delivery.

The Child Welfare League of America

www.cwla.org
The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) is an association of more than 1,000 public and nonprofit agencies devoted to improving life for more than 3.5 million at-risk children, youth and their families. CWLA establishes standards of excellence as goals for child welfare practice. The public policy staff concentrates on passage of child welfare legislation to protect abused and neglected children and strengthen vulnerable families. CWLA is the largest publisher of child welfare materials in the world, is involved extensively in consulting with both governmental and voluntary child welfare organizations to improve services to at-risk children and families, and convenes numerous conferences, seminars, and training sessions throughout the year.