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Bill Barberg

President, InsightFormation, Inc.

How One State Achieved Breakthrough Improvements in a Highly Stressed Foster Care System

Paul Chapman

Director, Restore Hope Arkansas

Tina Lee

Author, Professor of Anthropology, UW Stout

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Pre-Webinar Survey: Topics You’d Like Covered

Genuine transformation and not window dressing
How we can recruit/mobilize more community members to help change the child welfare system
How to maintain momentum when leadership changes at multiple system partners
How to develop/enhance cross-system collaboration to transform the foster care system
What new strategies are being implemented and shown to be effective
Strategies for including the lived experience of those in the foster care system to create systems change

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Bill Barberg

President, InsightFormation, Inc.

How One State Achieved Breakthrough Improvements in a Highly Stressed Foster Care System

Paul Chapman

Director, Restore Hope Arkansas

Tina Lee

Author, Professor of Anthropology, UW Stout

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The Seriousness of the Child Welfare Crisis is Growing

Dr. Tina Lee �University of Wisconsin - Stout

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Child Welfare Realities

Narratives (both historically and today) focus on saving children from severe abuse

Instead, child welfare:

Has always been about “neglect” (confused with poverty)
Had always intervened in non-white or “not-quite-white” families
Has most often focused on child removal rather than offering help with root causes of children not thriving

Fear can lead to “foster care panics”

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Root causes of “neglect”

Poverty
Inability to cope with addiction, mental health issues, and domestic violence
Over-policing and criminalization of BIPOC communities

Child welfare left to triage worst effects of large-scale social inequalities

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Racial Disproportionality

Nationally, in 2015, Black children almost twice as represented in foster care as they are in general population
American Indian/Alaska Native children 2.5 times

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Service Issues

Services scarce or unavailable
Services focus on counseling/education and not material help
Parents often worse off when children removed, delaying reunification or leading to terminations of parental rights

Most cases could be diverted to other sources of support (community based) not tied to the threat of coercive court action or child removal

Financial incentives help to drive removals to foster care or adoption in too many cases

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Think About This…

“Let’s get better at fixing the systems!”

Bill Barberg, President & Founder of InsightFormation, Inc.

Fixing Systems is different that implementing and evidence-based program.

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Community Collaboration to Help Foster Youth

Paul Chapman, Director

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Child Welfare & Incarceration Challenges in Arkansas 2016

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Child Welfare & Incarceration Challenges in Arkansas 2016

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Paul’s Story in Getting Started

A serious problem – but no clear solutions

Discouragement about fixing “the system”
Conflicting narratives & political viewpoints
Overwhelming and getting worse

Personal Background and Experiences
The Governor’s Leadership

The Summit
The Recommendation Report

The Setbacks and Struggles

Promised $20 million in funding fell through
The accelerating crisis – getting worse in multiple ways

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The Launching of Restore Hope Arkansas

Engaging InsightFormation to lead the strategy development process

Strong referral
Some “seed funding” from the governor

“Don’t Waste a Crisis”

The urgency was there – very expensive alternatives
Many stakeholders were motivated
The Governor’s invitations enabled us to get the right people at the table

“Restore Hope Arkansas will bring together a community’s key agency, law enforcement, nonprofit, and faith leaders to work together for a collective impact that will restore hope to communities affected by crime and substance abuse.”

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Restore Hope Principles

Collective Impact

– no group can solve these complex issues alone. The way forward is to work together.

Local Leadership

– local leaders are equipped and supported to work on their community’s efforts.

Support from a statewide organization

– structure, communication, and support provided by the Restore Hope organization.

Evidence Based

– shared measurements allow leaders to set and meet realistic goals.

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Agenda

Big Challenges in Child Protection and Foster Care – Tina Lee

The Child Welfare Struggles in Arkansas in 2016 – Paul Chapman

Embracing “System Thinking” and Developing a Strategy Map

The Journey of Strategy Refinement and Implementation

Encouraging Progress and the Journey Ahead

Practical Applications – Steps to Learn and Apply these Concepts

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The Journey to Achieving Collective Impact

Source:

Channeling Change: Making Collective Impact Work

By Fay Hanleybrown, John Kania, & Mark Kramer

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Focusing on System Thinking & Alignment

Execution

Gap

No Strategic Alignment

Unmet

Goals

Improve Community Outcomes

Health Depts

Social Service Providers

Schools

Community

groups

Faith Communities

Medical Practices

Hospitals

Families

& individuals

Other Public Agencies & Officials

Law Enforcement

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An Important Shift in Thinking

From:

What does my organization do? What’s OUR strategy?
How do we get more resources?

To:

How are we going to win as a community?
How do we fix the system?
What’s my role?
Who else can help?

A “Copernican Shift” in thinking. �

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Mapping the Journey to a Better Future

Outcomes

Strategy

Asset & Capacity Development

The “Ends”

The “Means”

The “Enablers”

Change

Enables multiple Objectives Above

Reasonable

Cause & Effect Logic

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Co-Creating a Vision for the Future

“This is our opportunity to move from blaming the system to changing the system.”

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Transforming Foster Care

Outcomes

Strategies

Asset & Capacity Development

Reduce the Demand for Foster Care

Improve Safety & Positive Development of Youth in Foster Care

Increase Children Achieving Permanency

Improve Child Well-Being after Transitioning Out of Care

Now minimizing childhood obesity is the desired outcome up on the top here and this would be measured. And at the top we’ve said this will be achieved if we can have the outcome of improving healthly eating for children as well as increasing age-appropriate activity. Now that’s not rocket science but if the community agrees on this framework, it’s a great way to start to bring consensus. Then the next set of objectives are what is the community going to do to achieve each of these. And in this case we have improve school nutrition and fitness programs and promote family nutrition and fitness to parents and kids. To increase age-appropriate activity besides the schools, we have increase biking and walking for recreation and transportation and increase neighborhood recreational activities to get kids off the computers and tv and out having fun, getting exercise. Well these would be good objectives and we can measure progress in these but their not just going to happen. They’re going to require the community doing things differently such as expanding and connecting and promoting trails and the built environment for active recreation. Or collaborating to leverage community assets for neighborhood fitness. This is describing a different way of working that can be focused on, measured, projects can be launched to accomplish this. As well as thing such as increase the monitoring of children’s BMI, nutrition, and fitness. And mobilizing assets in ways such as partnering with schools, parents, and community stakeholders or training public health staff in communication in asset based community development. So we have a story here of how this community can come together to minimize childhood obesity. But it’s not just a static document.

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Co-Creating “Pathways” to Get There

What changes are the most important “drivers” needed to get to these outcomes?

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Summarizing the Key “Drivers” of the Desired Change

The Collective Wisdom of a diverse group of people

Shared understanding and ownership of the strategy

A format that enables telling the strategy story

A structure to divide up and work in parallel on the details

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Online “Sectionals” to Work on Refining the Content

Outcomes

Strategies

Asset & Capacity Development

Improve Employment Rate and Livable Wages

Enhance Funding for Transportation Help to Support Employment Success

Decrease Stigma of Mental Health & Addiction

Inspire Youth to Pursue Post-Secondary Education or Career Plans

Increase Availability & Access of Mental Health Services

Increase Parental Involvement in Education & Life Planning

Increase Training for Natural Helpers to Identify Need for Help

Increase Availability & Access to Addiction Services

Improve Graduation Rates Among At-Risk Youth

Reduce Unmet Mental Health Needs & Addiction Issues

Provide Community Youth Job Fairs, Resume Reviews & Employment Coaching

Decrease Barriers & Cost of Workforce Certification Programs

Improve Usage of Skills Assessments for Job Seekers

Increase the Use of Effective Options to Incarceration where Appropriate

Group 7

Group 8

Expand Wrap-around Services for Families with At-Risk Youth

Create a Pathway to Military Service

Expand Internship/Apprenticeship Opportunities for Youth

Engage the Community to Provide Support in Sports, Education & Social Development

Use Technology to Quickly Identify Youth with Needs and Help Connect them with Supports

Use Technology to Expand Mentorship & Tapping into the Talent of Volunteers

Help People Overcome Barriers to Employment (Childcare, Health, Transportation) – Call Center

Improve the Integration of Services for People with Needs

Expand Summer Jobs Programs & Job Training for Youth

Collaborate to Improve Grant-Seeking to Support Youth Success

Integrate School Counseling & Healthcare Professionals with Available Community Supports

Help the Community Shift Away from Punishment to Positive…

Create Financial Incentives and Disincentives to Not Incarcerate People. Link the Consequences to the choice of dealing with safety & crime.

Innovate on “Ben Franklin Funding” for Corrections.

Increase Community Service Programs & Integrate with Volunteer Programs

We had a systematic process to pull people into a series of GotoMeetings to build out details

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Comments on the Process of Strategy Map Building

Bringing together many different stakeholders (outside of their normal roles)

Diverse viewpoints
Solution-Focused Process

Different from typical approaches

Not about each organization building a competing Logic Model to get funding
Left lots of opportunity for creativity in how to bring about change
It identified needs that were bigger than any one organization
The focus on system change enabled us to get more people involved in higher levels of influence.

“The Strategy Maps gave us a wonderful playbook that we were able to look at, even if we could only start doing a few things right away.”

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A Game-Changing Structure to Tame Complexity

Manage huge amounts of information without being overwhelmed

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Transforming Foster Care

Outcomes

Strategies

Asset & Capacity Development

Reduce the Demand for Foster Care

Improve Safety & Positive Development of Youth in Foster Care

Increase Children Achieving Permanency

Increase Healthy, Thriving Families

Strengthen the Community to Increase Resilience

Help Families at Risk of Losing Kids

Improve Child Well-Being after Transitioning Out of Care

Increase Community Support for Biological Families

Increase Reunification with Biological Families

Increase Wrap-around Services to Families (Adoptive, Bio and Guardianship)

Increase Educational Achievement

Improve Supportive Housing & Transportation for Youth who Age Out

Increase Full Employment for Youth

Increase Positive Awareness of the Child Welfare System as a Whole

Adopt Trauma-Informed Practices Across the Community

Increase Caseworkers and Support

Improve Communication and Collaboration Between Agencies and Stakeholders

Build Community Partners

Increase Mental Health Funding

Increase Senior Leadership Involvement

Improve Data Collection and Sharing

Improve Assessment and Placement Process

Improve Services/Support for Current Foster Homes

Improve Wellness of Kids in Foster Care

Increase Qualified Foster Families in High-Need Communities

Now minimizing childhood obesity is the desired outcome up on the top here and this would be measured. And at the top we’ve said this will be achieved if we can have the outcome of improving healthly eating for children as well as increasing age-appropriate activity. Now that’s not rocket science but if the community agrees on this framework, it’s a great way to start to bring consensus. Then the next set of objectives are what is the community going to do to achieve each of these. And in this case we have improve school nutrition and fitness programs and promote family nutrition and fitness to parents and kids. To increase age-appropriate activity besides the schools, we have increase biking and walking for recreation and transportation and increase neighborhood recreational activities to get kids off the computers and tv and out having fun, getting exercise. Well these would be good objectives and we can measure progress in these but their not just going to happen. They’re going to require the community doing things differently such as expanding and connecting and promoting trails and the built environment for active recreation. Or collaborating to leverage community assets for neighborhood fitness. This is describing a different way of working that can be focused on, measured, projects can be launched to accomplish this. As well as thing such as increase the monitoring of children’s BMI, nutrition, and fitness. And mobilizing assets in ways such as partnering with schools, parents, and community stakeholders or training public health staff in communication in asset based community development. So we have a story here of how this community can come together to minimize childhood obesity. But it’s not just a static document.

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Increase Healthy Thriving Families

Strategies

Asset & Capacity Development

Increase Healthy, Thriving Families

Expand Early Childhood & Youth Development

Strengthen Education Resources on Marriage & Healthy Families

Increase Protective Factors for Youth

Increase Positive Adult/Child Relationships

Increase Positive Activities for Youth and Families

Increase Lay/Volunteer Support

Improve Career Training & Employment for Parents

Now minimizing childhood obesity is the desired outcome up on the top here and this would be measured. And at the top we’ve said this will be achieved if we can have the outcome of improving healthly eating for children as well as increasing age-appropriate activity. Now that’s not rocket science but if the community agrees on this framework, it’s a great way to start to bring consensus. Then the next set of objectives are what is the community going to do to achieve each of these. And in this case we have improve school nutrition and fitness programs and promote family nutrition and fitness to parents and kids. To increase age-appropriate activity besides the schools, we have increase biking and walking for recreation and transportation and increase neighborhood recreational activities to get kids off the computers and tv and out having fun, getting exercise. Well these would be good objectives and we can measure progress in these but their not just going to happen. They’re going to require the community doing things differently such as expanding and connecting and promoting trails and the built environment for active recreation. Or collaborating to leverage community assets for neighborhood fitness. This is describing a different way of working that can be focused on, measured, projects can be launched to accomplish this. As well as thing such as increase the monitoring of children’s BMI, nutrition, and fitness. And mobilizing assets in ways such as partnering with schools, parents, and community stakeholders or training public health staff in communication in asset based community development. So we have a story here of how this community can come together to minimize childhood obesity. But it’s not just a static document.

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Transforming Foster Care

Outcomes

Strategies

Asset & Capacity Development

Increase Healthy, Thriving Families

Increase Positive Awareness of the Child Welfare System as a Whole

Improve Communication and Collaboration Between Agencies and Stakeholders

Increase Community Support for Biological Families

Increase Reunification with Biological Families

Reduce the Demand for Foster Care

Improve Safety & Positive Development of Youth in Foster Care

Increase Children Achieving Permanency

Adopt Trauma-Informed Practices Across the Community

Improve Assessment and Placement Process

Increase Caseworkers and Support

Improve Services/Support for Current Foster Homes

Improve Wellness of Kids in Foster Care

Build Community Partners

Increase Mental Health Funding

Strengthen the Community to Increase Resilience

Increase Senior Leadership Involvement

Help Families at Risk of Losing Kids

Improve Child Well-Being after Transitioning Out of Care

Increase Wrap-around Services to Families (Adoptive, Bio and Guardianship)

Increase Educational Achievement

Improve Supportive Housing & Transportation for Youth who Age Out

Increase Full Employment for Youth

Improve Data Collection and Sharing

Increase Qualified Foster Families in High-Need Communities

Now minimizing childhood obesity is the desired outcome up on the top here and this would be measured. And at the top we’ve said this will be achieved if we can have the outcome of improving healthly eating for children as well as increasing age-appropriate activity. Now that’s not rocket science but if the community agrees on this framework, it’s a great way to start to bring consensus. Then the next set of objectives are what is the community going to do to achieve each of these. And in this case we have improve school nutrition and fitness programs and promote family nutrition and fitness to parents and kids. To increase age-appropriate activity besides the schools, we have increase biking and walking for recreation and transportation and increase neighborhood recreational activities to get kids off the computers and tv and out having fun, getting exercise. Well these would be good objectives and we can measure progress in these but their not just going to happen. They’re going to require the community doing things differently such as expanding and connecting and promoting trails and the built environment for active recreation. Or collaborating to leverage community assets for neighborhood fitness. This is describing a different way of working that can be focused on, measured, projects can be launched to accomplish this. As well as thing such as increase the monitoring of children’s BMI, nutrition, and fitness. And mobilizing assets in ways such as partnering with schools, parents, and community stakeholders or training public health staff in communication in asset based community development. So we have a story here of how this community can come together to minimize childhood obesity. But it’s not just a static document.

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Help Families at Risk of Losing Kids

Strategies

Asset & Capacity Development

Help Families at Risk of Losing Kids

Increase Usage of Safe Families

Improve Access to Prevention Services

Increase Supportive Housing w/ Integrated Services

Reduce Factors Contributing to Family Instability

Increase Early Identification & Engagement of At-Risk Youth

Increase Lay/Volunteer Support

Increase Protective Factors for At-Risk Youth

Empower Community Members to Help in At Risk Situations

Strengthen the Community to Increase Resilience

Now minimizing childhood obesity is the desired outcome up on the top here and this would be measured. And at the top we’ve said this will be achieved if we can have the outcome of improving healthly eating for children as well as increasing age-appropriate activity. Now that’s not rocket science but if the community agrees on this framework, it’s a great way to start to bring consensus. Then the next set of objectives are what is the community going to do to achieve each of these. And in this case we have improve school nutrition and fitness programs and promote family nutrition and fitness to parents and kids. To increase age-appropriate activity besides the schools, we have increase biking and walking for recreation and transportation and increase neighborhood recreational activities to get kids off the computers and tv and out having fun, getting exercise. Well these would be good objectives and we can measure progress in these but their not just going to happen. They’re going to require the community doing things differently such as expanding and connecting and promoting trails and the built environment for active recreation. Or collaborating to leverage community assets for neighborhood fitness. This is describing a different way of working that can be focused on, measured, projects can be launched to accomplish this. As well as thing such as increase the monitoring of children’s BMI, nutrition, and fitness. And mobilizing assets in ways such as partnering with schools, parents, and community stakeholders or training public health staff in communication in asset based community development. So we have a story here of how this community can come together to minimize childhood obesity. But it’s not just a static document.

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An Example of a “System Thinking” Strategy

Problem: Lack of a Valid Drivers License after Incarceration

Struggle to get a job… Drive without a license
Get pulled over… Back into Jail… Kids end up in Foster Care (due to poverty and “neglect”, not abuse)

Perceived Barrier:

“I can’t change the law”
A punishment-focused mindset

A “system thinking” solution

What helps us accomplish the Objectives?
Who needs to be involved?

Reduce Factors Contributing to Family Instability

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Help Families at Risk of Losing Kids

Strategies

Asset & Capacity Development

Increase Usage of Safe Families

Improve Access to Prevention Services

Increase Supportive Housing w/ Integrated Services

Increase Early Identification & Engagement of At-Risk Youth

Help Families at Risk of Losing Kids

Increase Lay/Volunteer Support

Increase Protective Factors for At-Risk Youth

Empower Community Members to Help in At Risk Situations

Strengthen the Community to Increase Resilience

Reduce Factors Contributing to Family Instability

Now minimizing childhood obesity is the desired outcome up on the top here and this would be measured. And at the top we’ve said this will be achieved if we can have the outcome of improving healthly eating for children as well as increasing age-appropriate activity. Now that’s not rocket science but if the community agrees on this framework, it’s a great way to start to bring consensus. Then the next set of objectives are what is the community going to do to achieve each of these. And in this case we have improve school nutrition and fitness programs and promote family nutrition and fitness to parents and kids. To increase age-appropriate activity besides the schools, we have increase biking and walking for recreation and transportation and increase neighborhood recreational activities to get kids off the computers and tv and out having fun, getting exercise. Well these would be good objectives and we can measure progress in these but their not just going to happen. They’re going to require the community doing things differently such as expanding and connecting and promoting trails and the built environment for active recreation. Or collaborating to leverage community assets for neighborhood fitness. This is describing a different way of working that can be focused on, measured, projects can be launched to accomplish this. As well as thing such as increase the monitoring of children’s BMI, nutrition, and fitness. And mobilizing assets in ways such as partnering with schools, parents, and community stakeholders or training public health staff in communication in asset based community development. So we have a story here of how this community can come together to minimize childhood obesity. But it’s not just a static document.

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Transforming Foster Care

Outcomes

Strategies

Asset & Capacity Development

Increase Healthy, Thriving Families

Increase Positive Awareness of the Child Welfare System as a Whole

Improve Communication and Collaboration Between Agencies and Stakeholders

Increase Community Support for Biological Families

Increase Reunification with Biological Families

Reduce the Demand for Foster Care

Improve Safety & Positive Development of Youth in Foster Care

Increase Children Achieving Permanency

Adopt Trauma-Informed Practices Across the Community

Improve Assessment and Placement Process

Increase Caseworkers and Support

Improve Services/Support for Current Foster Homes

Improve Wellness of Kids in Foster Care

Build Community Partners

Increase Mental Health Funding

Strengthen the Community to Increase Resilience

Increase Senior Leadership Involvement

Help Families at Risk of Losing Kids

Improve Child Well-Being after Transitioning Out of Care

Increase Wrap-around Services to Families (Adoptive, Bio and Guardianship)

Increase Educational Achievement

Improve Supportive Housing & Transportation for Youth who Age Out

Increase Full Employment for Youth

Improve Data Collection and Sharing

Increase Qualified Foster Families in High-Need Communities

Now minimizing childhood obesity is the desired outcome up on the top here and this would be measured. And at the top we’ve said this will be achieved if we can have the outcome of improving healthly eating for children as well as increasing age-appropriate activity. Now that’s not rocket science but if the community agrees on this framework, it’s a great way to start to bring consensus. Then the next set of objectives are what is the community going to do to achieve each of these. And in this case we have improve school nutrition and fitness programs and promote family nutrition and fitness to parents and kids. To increase age-appropriate activity besides the schools, we have increase biking and walking for recreation and transportation and increase neighborhood recreational activities to get kids off the computers and tv and out having fun, getting exercise. Well these would be good objectives and we can measure progress in these but their not just going to happen. They’re going to require the community doing things differently such as expanding and connecting and promoting trails and the built environment for active recreation. Or collaborating to leverage community assets for neighborhood fitness. This is describing a different way of working that can be focused on, measured, projects can be launched to accomplish this. As well as thing such as increase the monitoring of children’s BMI, nutrition, and fitness. And mobilizing assets in ways such as partnering with schools, parents, and community stakeholders or training public health staff in communication in asset based community development. So we have a story here of how this community can come together to minimize childhood obesity. But it’s not just a static document.

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Improve Wellness of Kids in Foster Care

Strategies

Asset & Capacity Development

Increase Sibling Group Placement

Expand the Availability of Mental Health Services

Improve Required Face-to-Face Contacts w/ Caseworker

Improve Family Contact and Visits

Improve the Nutrition of Children in Foster Care

Implement Regular Placement Meetings

Improve Wellness of Kids in Foster Care

Decrease Over-medication

Improve Well-Being Assessment Tools

Improve Assessment and Placement Process

Provide Tutoring, Extra-curricular, Other Needs

Increase Community Support for Foster Children

Now minimizing childhood obesity is the desired outcome up on the top here and this would be measured. And at the top we’ve said this will be achieved if we can have the outcome of improving healthly eating for children as well as increasing age-appropriate activity. Now that’s not rocket science but if the community agrees on this framework, it’s a great way to start to bring consensus. Then the next set of objectives are what is the community going to do to achieve each of these. And in this case we have improve school nutrition and fitness programs and promote family nutrition and fitness to parents and kids. To increase age-appropriate activity besides the schools, we have increase biking and walking for recreation and transportation and increase neighborhood recreational activities to get kids off the computers and tv and out having fun, getting exercise. Well these would be good objectives and we can measure progress in these but their not just going to happen. They’re going to require the community doing things differently such as expanding and connecting and promoting trails and the built environment for active recreation. Or collaborating to leverage community assets for neighborhood fitness. This is describing a different way of working that can be focused on, measured, projects can be launched to accomplish this. As well as thing such as increase the monitoring of children’s BMI, nutrition, and fitness. And mobilizing assets in ways such as partnering with schools, parents, and community stakeholders or training public health staff in communication in asset based community development. So we have a story here of how this community can come together to minimize childhood obesity. But it’s not just a static document.

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Transforming Foster Care

Outcomes

Strategies

Asset & Capacity Development

Increase Healthy, Thriving Families

Increase Positive Awareness of the Child Welfare System as a Whole

Improve Communication and Collaboration Between Agencies and Stakeholders

Increase Community Support for Biological Families

Increase Reunification with Biological Families

Reduce the Demand for Foster Care

Improve Safety & Positive Development of Youth in Foster Care

Increase Children Achieving Permanency

Adopt Trauma-Informed Practices Across the Community

Improve Assessment and Placement Process

Increase Caseworkers and Support

Improve Services/Support for Current Foster Homes

Improve Wellness of Kids in Foster Care

Build Community Partners

Increase Mental Health Funding

Strengthen the Community to Increase Resilience

Increase Senior Leadership Involvement

Help Families at Risk of Losing Kids

Improve Child Well-Being after Transitioning Out of Care

Increase Wrap-around Services to Families (Adoptive, Bio and Guardianship)

Increase Educational Achievement

Improve Supportive Housing & Transportation for Youth who Age Out

Increase Full Employment for Youth

Improve Data Collection and Sharing

Increase Qualified Foster Families in High-Need Communities

Now minimizing childhood obesity is the desired outcome up on the top here and this would be measured. And at the top we’ve said this will be achieved if we can have the outcome of improving healthly eating for children as well as increasing age-appropriate activity. Now that’s not rocket science but if the community agrees on this framework, it’s a great way to start to bring consensus. Then the next set of objectives are what is the community going to do to achieve each of these. And in this case we have improve school nutrition and fitness programs and promote family nutrition and fitness to parents and kids. To increase age-appropriate activity besides the schools, we have increase biking and walking for recreation and transportation and increase neighborhood recreational activities to get kids off the computers and tv and out having fun, getting exercise. Well these would be good objectives and we can measure progress in these but their not just going to happen. They’re going to require the community doing things differently such as expanding and connecting and promoting trails and the built environment for active recreation. Or collaborating to leverage community assets for neighborhood fitness. This is describing a different way of working that can be focused on, measured, projects can be launched to accomplish this. As well as thing such as increase the monitoring of children’s BMI, nutrition, and fitness. And mobilizing assets in ways such as partnering with schools, parents, and community stakeholders or training public health staff in communication in asset based community development. So we have a story here of how this community can come together to minimize childhood obesity. But it’s not just a static document.

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A Foster Parent Support Group

Other???

Engaging Diverse Stakeholders

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Major Shift in Approach

Instead of taking kids away from parents, help the family be stronger
Instead of focusing on adoption, focus on reunification with parents (who get the support they need)
Much better community support and teamwork

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The Need for a Technology Platform

Outcomes

Strategies

Asset & Capacity Development

Increase Healthy, Thriving Families

Increase Positive Awareness of the Child Welfare System as a Whole

Improve Communication and Collaboration Between Agencies and Stakeholders

Increase Community Support for Biological Families

Increase Reunification with Biological Families

Reduce the Demand for Foster Care

Improve Safety & Positive Development of Youth in Foster Care

Increase Children Achieving Permanency

Adopt Trauma-Informed Practices Across the Community

Improve Assessment and Placement Process

Increase Caseworkers and Support

Improve Services/Support for Current Foster Homes

Improve Wellness of Kids in Foster Care

Build Community Partners

Increase Mental Health Funding

Strengthen the Community to Increase Resilience

Increase Senior Leadership Involvement

Help Families at Risk of Losing Kids

Improve Child Well-Being after Transitioning Out of Care

Increase Wrap-around Services to Families (Adoptive, Bio and Guardianship)

Increase Educational Achievement

Improve Supportive Housing & Transportation for Youth who Age Out

Increase Full Employment for Youth

Improve Data Collection and Sharing

Increase Qualified Foster Families in High-Need Communities

Now minimizing childhood obesity is the desired outcome up on the top here and this would be measured. And at the top we’ve said this will be achieved if we can have the outcome of improving healthly eating for children as well as increasing age-appropriate activity. Now that’s not rocket science but if the community agrees on this framework, it’s a great way to start to bring consensus. Then the next set of objectives are what is the community going to do to achieve each of these. And in this case we have improve school nutrition and fitness programs and promote family nutrition and fitness to parents and kids. To increase age-appropriate activity besides the schools, we have increase biking and walking for recreation and transportation and increase neighborhood recreational activities to get kids off the computers and tv and out having fun, getting exercise. Well these would be good objectives and we can measure progress in these but their not just going to happen. They’re going to require the community doing things differently such as expanding and connecting and promoting trails and the built environment for active recreation. Or collaborating to leverage community assets for neighborhood fitness. This is describing a different way of working that can be focused on, measured, projects can be launched to accomplish this. As well as thing such as increase the monitoring of children’s BMI, nutrition, and fitness. And mobilizing assets in ways such as partnering with schools, parents, and community stakeholders or training public health staff in communication in asset based community development. So we have a story here of how this community can come together to minimize childhood obesity. But it’s not just a static document.

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The Hope ARK Software and the 100 Families Alliance

The Dysfunctional Referral Process that Needed to be Replaced

The weaknesses of how parents were “connected” with resources and referrals.

A useful metaphor

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From Strategy to Implementation

2019 Roll-Out in the first County

100 Families Alliance of Sebastian County
Building the alliance, committees & processes
Developing & refining the software
Developing the communication tools

2020 Roll-Out

Crawford County (rural)
White County (poor, white, with a huge meth problem)
Pulaski County (Little Rock, North Little Rock)

40% black, 40% white, long history of racism

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The Important Role of Faith Communities

Point 1
Point 2
Point 3
Point 4

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Results

Children NOT going into the Foster Care System

Sub-1
Sub- 2
Sub -3

Children being Reunified with Parent(s)

Statewide average was (and is) about 43% reunification rate
Rate in targeted counties increased to over 80%
Hundreds of kids reunited with biological parent(s)

Estimate of Savings to the State

Huge “Social ROI” but also big financial savings
Reduced foster care costs and lifetime savings due to less trauma
Reduced stress on the system – not in overcapacity crisis mode.

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The Journey Ahead

Just Launched Texarkana
Continued Roll-out to other Counties
Accelerating the scale up across the state

Growing state support
Using strategy maps to show the plan

Deploying the InsightVision software

Online platform to support the big picture strategy management
Enhance deployment and monitoring of progress

Presenting at a National Conference: Together for Families in October 2022

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Agenda

Big Challenges in Child Protection and Foster Care – Tina Lee

The Child Welfare Struggles in Arkansas in 2016 – Paul Chapman

Embracing “System Thinking” and Developing a Strategy Map

The Journey of Strategy Refinement and Implementation

Encouraging Progress and the Journey Ahead

Practical Applications – Steps to Learn and Apply these Concepts

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Another Major System Transformation Case Study

Transforming the Family Justice System in Canada

Prevention of Divorce and Moving from an Adversarial to a Cooperative Process

Get Link in Post-Webinar Survey (or email Liz Gallagher)

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Changes in landscape put pressure on existing systems which in turn opens up space for niche innovations

LANDSCAPE

CULTURE • VALUES • IDENTITY

( and other external variables (e.g. industry structure, price of oil)

Institutional

Individuals or groups of innovators develop, test and (if appropriate) scale niche innovations that move a system in a desired direction

Momentum emerges if/when innovations are mutually reinforcing and aligned

The clusters of innovations put pressure on – and meet resistance from – current systems with social innovators taking advantage of ‘windows of opportunity’ to reshape the system

Changes in systems can contribute to shifts in landscape

Regimes constantly evolve, sometimes shifting suddenly

External influences shape perspectives and ideas of niche innovators

REGIME

SYSTEMS

NICHE INNOVATIONS

‘Multi-level framework on sustainability transitions’ by F. Geels

Technology

Industry

Policy

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Introducing the Authors & Case Study Leaders

Transforming the family justice system is not an easy solution to a hard problem. It is a hard solution to a hard problem (John Bryson). It will involve shifts in thinking, policy, organizations, programs and resources, and will require the commitment of a broad collaboration over time.

How can we do it?

A systems approach – looking at the system as a whole, rather than a piecemeal approach. Set out the outcome and strategic objectives and measures for system success in achieving desired outcomes.

Collaboration is needed – at least to the extent of co-aligning around those objectives - when issues are larger than any single organization or even sector can handle.

Strategy Maps can help to ensure that this long-term, complex systems change work can be visualized and realized. This is really describing transformational change.

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Another Global Thought Leader / Instructor

David Peter Stroh

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Game-Changing eLearning Course

About 3 hours of videos (over 35 video lessons)

About 45 minutes of reading (PDFs)

“Check Your Learning” Assessments for Most Modules

4 Hours of High-Impact Learning

Transforming the family justice system is not an easy solution to a hard problem. It is a hard solution to a hard problem (John Bryson). It will involve shifts in thinking, policy, organizations, programs and resources, and will require the commitment of a broad collaboration over time.

How can we do it?

A systems approach – looking at the system as a whole, rather than a piecemeal approach. Set out the outcome and strategic objectives and measures for system success in achieving desired outcomes.

Collaboration is needed – at least to the extent of co-aligning around those objectives - when issues are larger than any single organization or even sector can handle.

Strategy Maps can help to ensure that this long-term, complex systems change work can be visualized and realized. This is really describing transformational change.

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Test Drive the eLearning Course in May

Free Access to the 8 videos in the first 3 modules

Transforming the family justice system is not an easy solution to a hard problem. It is a hard solution to a hard problem (John Bryson). It will involve shifts in thinking, policy, organizations, programs and resources, and will require the commitment of a broad collaboration over time.

How can we do it?

A systems approach – looking at the system as a whole, rather than a piecemeal approach. Set out the outcome and strategic objectives and measures for system success in achieving desired outcomes.

Collaboration is needed – at least to the extent of co-aligning around those objectives - when issues are larger than any single organization or even sector can handle.

Strategy Maps can help to ensure that this long-term, complex systems change work can be visualized and realized. This is really describing transformational change.

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25% Discount for the Full eLearning Course

Get Link in Post-Webinar Survey (or email Liz Gallagher)

Transforming the family justice system is not an easy solution to a hard problem. It is a hard solution to a hard problem (John Bryson). It will involve shifts in thinking, policy, organizations, programs and resources, and will require the commitment of a broad collaboration over time.

How can we do it?

A systems approach – looking at the system as a whole, rather than a piecemeal approach. Set out the outcome and strategic objectives and measures for system success in achieving desired outcomes.

Collaboration is needed – at least to the extent of co-aligning around those objectives - when issues are larger than any single organization or even sector can handle.

Strategy Maps can help to ensure that this long-term, complex systems change work can be visualized and realized. This is really describing transformational change.

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The ARRCC Action Network

Work with a Team from Your Community

- Foster Care

- ACEs & Resilience

- ESSER Funding

Join a Group

- from multiple cities

- pic a sub-topic

- build valuable skills

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Community Strategy Management Platform

Managing & Measuring the Community Strategy for Collective Impact

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Agenda

Big Challenges in Child Protection and Foster Care – Tina Lee

The Child Welfare Struggles in Arkansas in 2016 – Paul Chapman

Embracing “System Thinking” and Developing a Strategy Map

The Journey of Strategy Refinement and Implementation

Encouraging Progress and the Journey Ahead

Practical Applications – Steps to Learn and Apply these Concepts