SPARC CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM PREVENTION TOOLKIT:

Advocating for Child Welfare System Prevention Policies and Services

This toolkit contains a practical guide and supporting tools for advocates seeking to build community-based resources in their states that will increase child well-being while preventing unnecessary child welfare system involvement.

This is a handbook for what works – in the experience of researchers, advocates, and lived experts – to address families’ needs in their communities, without the need for a state agency child protection intervention.  

SPARC Prevention ADVOCACY GUIDE

The guide provides details on programs in three categories – Economic and Concrete Supports, Place-Based Services, and Home-Based and Mobile Services – that have shown evidence of promoting child well-being while reducing child welfare system involvement. Invaluable guidance from lived experts is included.

SPARC Prevention ISSUE BRIEFS

These short documents include selected content from the Resource Guide separately by general topic, so they can be more easily shared with decision-makers and other stakeholders. A fillable template is also included so that advocates can add state-specific or other relevant information.

SPARC Prevention FACT SHEETS

These "Strategy Spotlights" on specific prevention topics can be shared with decision-makers and other stakeholders to help them understand what these approaches are and how they can help families and communities.

Additional Prevention TOOLS

These additional resources created by other organizations will help you learn about—and advocate for—prevention in your community.

Partnership for America’s Children PREVENTION CONTENT

Resources on child welfare prevention from PAC's Blog.

Investing in Families Prevents Child Welfare Involvement

Center for the Study of Social Policy (2-page fact sheet)

Can State Earned Income Tax Credits Help Prevent Adverse Childhood Experiences?

CDC (2 pager that discusses the relationship between refundable EITC and foster care entry)

Three Reasons Why Providing Cash to Families With Children Is a Sound Policy Investment

CBPP (10-page research brief with helpful charts and graphics, including chart on how low-income families spend their money)

Research Reinforces: Providing Cash to Families in Poverty Reduces Risk of Family Involvement in Child Welfare

CBPP (Summarizes Chapin Hall’s economic supports slide deck in 5 pages, includes helpful graphics)

How Do Low-Income Families Spend Their Money?

Econofact (Web page and graphic)

Economic and Concrete Supports for Families

Chapin Hall (Video)

The Role of TANF in Economic Stability and Family Well-Being and Child Safety

Chapin Hall (2-page policy brief)

Magnolia Mother’s Trust Alumni Study Executive Summary

(Fact sheet on findings from a guaranteed income program)

Do place-based programs, such as Family Resource Centers, reduce risk of child maltreatment and entry into foster care?

Casey Family Programs (Issue Brief)

What is a Family Resource Center?

National Family Support Network (2-page fact sheet)

Family Resource Center & Child Welfare Collaboration Continuum

National Family Support Network and Casey Family Programs (Flyer/chart)

Family Resource Center Videos and Virtual Visits

National Family Support Network (Video links available halfway down main page)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The SPARC Prevention Resource Guide, Issue Briefs, and Fact Sheets were developed for the State Policy Advocacy and Reform Center (SPARC) by Lisa Pilnik (Child and Family Policy Associates), consultant to SPARC, and the leadership of SPARC’s Prevention Workgroup, Susan Elsen (Massachusetts Law Reform Institute), Melissa Hackett (Maine Children’s Alliance) and Elissa Hyne (SPARC/Partnership for America’s Children). SPARC would like to thank our members, particularly the Prevention Workgroup members, and our lived expert consultants for all of their contributions in shaping this document, and for their tireless work to promote prevention in their own states and nationally. We also thank Madison Dao-Whitten (Brilliant Way Global Consulting) for supporting our work with our lived expert consultants: Jeremiah Donier, Tecoria Jones, Brianna Moore, Pasqueal Nguyen, and Juan Solis; and Meridith Paulhus for her terrific work designing the toolkit and web pages. Finally, we thank the Partnership for America’s Children, which houses SPARC, and the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, and the Aviv Foundation, whose support allowed this toolkit to be created.

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Lisa Pilnik, Susan Elsen, Melissa Hackett, and Elissa Hyne. (June 2024). "SPARC Prevention Guide: Advocating for Prevention Policies and Services" in SPARC Child Welfare System Prevention Toolkit. State Policy Advocacy and Reform Center. https://www.sparcforchildren.org/prevention-advocacy-toolkit