Meet the child welfare agencies igniting change with CWEL

Jamerika Haynes-Lewis, BA
Communications Manager
September 30th, 2024
Graphic with text that says "Let's welcome our new sites! Colorado Office of Children, Youth, & Families New Jersey Department of Children & Families Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth, & Families"

We’re thrilled to announce our first three sites partnering with CWEL! They are working with us to help create a more equitable child welfare workforce serving children and families. Please join us in welcoming:

Colorado Office of Children, Youth, & Families

Image with text on the right that says "Colorado Office of Children, Youth & Families, Division of Child Welfare" along with the Colorado state emblem and CDHS logo centered to the left.

In Colorado, we’ll be partnering through our Clinical Bridge and CWEL PREP programs. Clinical Bridge is intended to create pathways so that professionals pursuing their clinical social work licensure don’t have to head out an agency’s door to do so. Right now, people wanting to pursue this licensure often have to leave their child welfare roles. Through technical assistance, we’ll create ways for them to stay.

Through our CWEL PREP program, we seek to encourage more college graduates to choose careers in child welfare. We work with schools and organizations to increase student enrollment in Title IV-E stipend programs. Our goal is to build partnerships with historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Latinx-serving educational programs, and Tribal colleges and universities (TCUs).

We also offer tailored support to community college graduates, people with lived experience in foster care, and first-generation college students.

New Jersey Department of Children & Families

An image with a sun in the upper left-hand corner shows three people holding hands. The text to the right says, "New Jersey Department of Children and Families."

We’ll be implementing our RiseUp Fellowship Program and CWEL PREP programs in New Jersey. The RiseUp Fellowship ensures that Black, Indigenous, and Latinx child welfare leaders are supported in transforming child welfare systems, ultimately reducing disproportionate outcomes for children and families. When these leaders step into child welfare roles, they face challenges like bias and discrimination, which can lead to moral injury and burnout.

The 15-month fellowship concentrates on race equity-focused leadership skills. Up to ten leaders work together on projects to solve challenges in their agencies and communities. Fellows also get professional coaching and guidance from experienced Black, Indigenous, and Latinx child welfare leaders.

Rhode Island Department of Child, Youth, & Families

An image with text says "DCYF Rhode Island of Department of Children, Youth & Families." The image features a circle on top of the letter "Y," which symbolizes a person standing with their hands up in the shape of a "Y."

In Rhode Island, we’ll be partnering through our CoachUp and CWEL PREP programs. The CoachUp program helps supervisors become better leaders so that staff enjoy working for them and want to stay. It lasts 12-15 months and offers coaching for mid-level supervisors, based on what each agency needs. Supervisors can learn at their own pace about important skills like managing power, helping staff grow, and fixing team relationships. Participants get one-on-one coaching and take part in group learning sessions. The goal is to give supervisors the tools to lead strong, healthy teams.

“The Rhode Island Department of Youth and Families is thrilled to be chosen as a CWEL site. We are eager to implement strategies that will enhance our workforce and drive positive change.” – Ashley Deckert, RI DCYF Director

Preparing for implementation

Our partnership with these sites officially kicked off in late August as we dove into planning for the launch of our culture and climate assessment. This essential step helps us understand each agency’s unique challenges and strengths. Our goal is to begin implementing these strategies by the end of the year.

What CWEL brings to the table

The selected sites will receive customized support from our strategy teams, tailored to meet their specific needs. This includes building retention through our RiseUp Fellowship and CoachUp strategies and recruiting new child welfare professionals through CWEL PREP. CWEL’s mission is to advance equity and improve well-being within the child welfare workforce.

What’s next?

This is just the beginning! We’re excited about what’s next, and we want you to be part of it. If your agency is interested in becoming a site, don’t hesitate to fill out our interest form today.

We’re also recruiting for our first Tribal child welfare sites! If your Tribal agency is ready to drive meaningful organizational change, we invite you to complete our Tribal interest form.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to work with agencies committed to building a strong, thriving child welfare workforce. Together, we are making meaningful strides toward a better future for our child welfare workforce and the communities they serve. Let’s celebrate this exciting step forward!