Putting Families First Newsletter

DCF is closely monitoring the federal government shutdown and potential impacts to families, the workforce, and system partners. 

An open letter from families with lived experience on the power and necessity of working with families to build clear, supportive Family Case Plans. Find the letter in full here.

11 CPS agencies have been testing a new method of determining response times to explore how to make the process clearer and more consistent. Continue reading for updates!

Missed October’s town hall? No need to worry – a recording is now available on our website! Keep reading for the link and to learn more about the updates covered in this fall’s sessions.

The new appendix provides child welfare professionals with guidance on best practices for strong and meaningful engagement with tribal nations. Continue reading for more details!

On October 21, as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Governor Tony Evers honored four individuals for their contributions in supporting survivors of domestic violence. Read to learn more about the awardees and their work.

The Quality Case Planning project is working to clarify and standardize child welfare case planning so it better centers and engages families in the Family Case Plan. Read for more details on workgroup updates.

The new appendix, coming in August, will provide child welfare professionals with guidance on best practices for meaningful engagement with tribal nations. Continue reading for details.

This upcoming statewide effort will explore child welfare practices aimed at increasing initial placement with relatives and like-kin when children enter out-of-home care. Read to learn more and get involved!

Earlier this month, the state legislature reached a bipartisan agreement on the 2025–2027 Biennial Budget. Keep reading to learn about the impacts to Wisconsin’s child welfare system and other related programs.

Youth with out-of-home care experience celebrated their graduation with Governor Tony Evers and First Lady Kathy Evers on Tuesday. Continue reading to learn more about this class of exceptional graduates!

Chapter DCF 56 ― Wisconsin’s Administrative Code that identifies the licensing requirements for foster homes and foster parents ― is being updated this year. Join us for a high-level, 60-minute virtual presentation that summarizes the changes that are being made.

Youth justice training improvements are focused on minimizing barriers to training and better preparing the workforce. Continue reading to learn more about the WiLearn Youth Justice Program.

Six CPS agencies have been testing a new method of determining response times to explore how to make the process clearer and more consistent. Continue reading for updates!

The Wisconsin Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative aims to provide stronger, more comprehensive support to children and youth with complex behavioral health needs. Read to learn more.

Learn more about “the most pro-kid budget in state history” and opportunities for advocacy by checking out our spring town hall and other helpful resources.

Nine individuals and teams were celebrated this month at the 2025 Putting Families First Awards ceremony. Keep reading to learn more about this year’s awardees!

Each year, Wisconsin recognizes the importance of family strengths in safe and thriving children, families and communities. Continue reading to learn more and get access to resources.

Some changes are coming to the Safety Assessment, Analysis, and Plan (SAAP) in eWiSACWIS next month. One of these moves the protective adult question to earlier in the documentation workflow. Read to learn more!

A new introductory training for youth justice professionals will offer a deeper understanding of how the system can impact families. To learn more about the course content and goals, continue reading.

The Quality Case Planning project is working to clarify and standardize child welfare case planning so it better centers families and supports the workforce. Read for more details on updates and timelines.

The Independent Living Project is focused on enhancing the ILTD template and developing a youth portal so young people have access to their important information. Keep reading to learn more!

Bipartisan legislation to keep more children with family and like-kin caregivers will go into effect January 1, 2025. Read to learn more about the legislation’s impacts and next steps.

Ten families were celebrated last month at the first Governor’s Foster and Adoptive Family Awards ceremony. Continue reading to learn more about this year’s awardees!

Missed October’s town hall? No need to worry – a recording is now available on our website! Keep reading for the link.

President Biden formally apologized for a long-standing U.S. policy that forcibly separated Indian children from their families and sent them to boarding schools. Read his remarks here.

A pilot testing a new method to assign response time is underway, and eWiSACWIS enhancements to support best practice are coming in February. Continue reading to learn more about both!

Join us in September for the Public Child Welfare Conference! Keep reading for more information about the conference’s offered topics and workshops and how to register – we hope to see you there!

A multi-partner collaborative was developed to review and identify improvements to CPS and YJ case practice with non-custodial parents. Continue reading to see what they learned.

The Domestic Violence Housing First Pilot Project is an evidence-based and trauma-informed practice designed to address housing challenges for domestic abuse survivors. Continue reading to learn about the project's findings.

DCF is working with community partners to improve foster home care licensing standards and better support families and the workforce. A new resource with more information about the updates and next steps is now available – check it out!

“Information for Parents at the Start of a CPS Initial Assessment” provides important information about the IA process and what parents and caregivers can expect from it. Continue reading to learn more about and access this new resource!

The Safety Revisions project is also within Improving Child Welfare efforts to support families and the workforce. Keep reading to learn more about the current work and the updates coming next year.

DCF and ten child welfare agencies are partnering on a new pilot project to explore ways to make the process clearer and more consistent. Continue reading to learn more.

The Initial Assessment Improvement Project (IAIP) is part of DSP’s Improving Child Welfare efforts to better support families and the workforce. Read to learn more about the improvements launched last month!

Youth with out-of-home care experience celebrated their graduation at the Executive Residence last Monday. Continue reading to learn more about this class of exceptional graduates!

Continue reading to learn about a new packet from the Family Wellbeing & Justice Lab at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. 

Lived experience voice is essential to transforming the child welfare system to better support children and families. Continue reading for this spring’s updates.

Legislation to better support like-kin caregivers was signed into law last month. Take a look at a new resource to learn about the legislation’s impacts and next steps.

The Initial Assessment Improvement Project is part of DSP’s Improving Child Welfare efforts to better support families and the workforce. Keep reading for updates ahead of the updates and improvements coming in June!

Missed the recent town hall? No need to worry – a recording of April’s town hall is now available on our website! Keep reading for the link.

Nine individuals and teams were celebrated this month at the first Putting Families First Awards ceremony. Continue reading to learn more about this year’s awardees.

The Initial Assessment Improvement Project is part of DSP’s Improving Child Welfare efforts to better support families and the workforce by streamlining the work and centering family engagement. Continue reading to get updates.

Help us celebrate folks across the state who are doing exceptional, transformational work to Put Families First—submit a Secretary’s Putting Families First Awards nomination today! Nominations are due March 17.

Bipartisan legislation to keep more children with family and like-kin caregivers has now passed in both houses of the State Legislature. Read DSP Administrator John Elliott's message on what this means for Wisconsin's children and families.

Throughout the next year, DCF will be rolling out a package of improvements to practice that will better support youth, families and the workforce. Continue reading to learn more about these initiatives and how they will help streamline the work.

Lived experience voice is essential to transforming the child welfare system to better support children and families. Continue reading for lived experience updates.

DCF is working with community partners to improve foster and group home licensing standards and better support families and the workforce. Read more to learn how.

Earlier this year, we asked child welfare professionals, legal and judicial partners and others to finish the prompt: "Putting Families First means . . . ." We heard everything from centering family voice to keeping children with those they know and love. Keep reading to learn what Putting Families First means to folks across the state!

Bipartisan legislation seeks to keep more children with family and like-kin caregivers. Keep reading to learn how this legislation would provide crucial support to families across Wisconsin.

DCF is working with community partners to improve licensing standards and support children in residing with those who know and love them. Read more to learn how.

Read more to learn how upcoming revisions to the safety decision-making process will make it easier for families to understand and for child welfare professionals to implement.

The Initial Assessment Improvement Project is streamlining the Initial Assessment to support the workforce in spending more time working with families; and to center family voice and engagement. Continue reading to learn how!

Two new, comprehensive resources are now available for parents engaged with Wisconsin’s child welfare system! Read to learn more about these and other lived experience updates.

Help us celebrate Wisconsin’s outstanding adoptive families—submit a Governor’s Outstanding Adoptive Parent Awards nomination today! Nominations are due October 1.

Join us in October to hear updates on child welfare strategic initiatives and how Wisconsin is Putting Families First.

eWiSACWIS is rolling out a new cross-system collaboration. Read more to learn how SYNC is supporting secure and efficient information-sharing between child welfare agencies and group care providers.

Family Keys is supporting families at the intersection of housing instability and child welfare system involvement. Read more to learn how this innovative work is meeting families’ needs and strengthening community partnerships.

Read more to learn how DCF is working to streamline child welfare processes and documentation to support the workforce and families involved with the system.

September is Kinship Care Month! Read more to learn how relative and kin caregivers can be supported in their roles.

DeAnna Cobun is a Parent Partner with Rock County’s Parents Supporting Parents program and one of Wisconsin’s many lived experience leaders. Read more to learn how DeAnna is using her lived experience to advocate for parents and inspire positive change in the system.

Outstanding foster families and youth from across the state were celebrated during the Governor’s Foster Care Awards. Read more to learn about this year’s awardees and ceremony.

This year’s Foster Youth Graduation is just around the corner! Read more to learn how you can help the Department of Children and Families identify youth to celebrate at the July event.

The Putting Families First Playbook—a new online resource for agency leaders—is now available! Read more to learn how you can use the Playbook to support conversations with system partners.