People iconImproving Child Welfare: Safety Revisions

In alignment with broader Division of Safety and Permanence goals, the Safety Revisions strategic initiative aims to:

  • Make the safety and the safety determination process easier for the workforce and families to understand;
  • Center family voice;

  • and serve more children in-home.

     

Community and system partners (including parent leaders, Intertribal Child Welfare Committee directors, child welfare service professionals and—importantly—families) have been providing input on the changes needed to support families. Three main areas are at the heart of this work:

  • Streamlining present and impending danger threats into one Safety Threat List;
  • Focusing on strengths-based practices that elevate parent and caregiver protectiveness;
  • and creating one integrated analysis process and safety plan.

 

Key stakeholders will continue to inform this work. Work this coming year will feature:

  • Analyzing the impact of one Safety Threat List on Access response time decisions, safety analysis and planning;
  • Exploring opportunities to leverage Parental Protective Capacities (e.g. in decisions about safety determinations, in-home safety planning or safety services);
  • Identifying what an integrated analysis should entail and must attend to;
  • and developing a single safety document from the existing protective and safety plans.

 

Stay tuned for more updates in 2024!