By Grewal-Kök, Y., McDaniel, B., Anderson, C. (Chapin Hall) & Dygert, M., Lee, K. (APHSA), Chapin Hall, Image: from article, January 2025
In April 2024, APHSA partnered with Chapin Hall to host the national convening, Breaking the Link: Disrupting the Connection Between Poverty and Child Welfare Involvement. The event brought together more than 75 leaders—including federal, state, and county health and human services officials, experts with lived experience, and national partner organizations—to collaboratively identify strategies to break the link between poverty and child welfare involvement.
The Issue
There is ample evidence that economic and concrete supports (ECS) have a positive effect in reducing family risk for child welfare involvement. With this knowledge, Chapin Hall and the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) collaborated to build momentum and consensus for a community-driven, cross-sector approach to child welfare prevention that expands equitable access to ECS and promotes family stability.
The Evidence
The recommendations that emerged highlight the importance of increasing upstream prevention funding and aligning policies across sectors to address families’ economic and material needs early, before they escalate into crises.
This brief describes the convening and provides examples of innovative state and local approaches to reducing family child welfare involvement.
[Please click here for more information and to access the brief.]
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