About Child Welfare Forward
Child Welfare Forward is a new national engagement initiative hosted by the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA), built on previous reform efforts launched by the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), to foster thoughtful and informed dialogue about opportunities to strengthen child welfare policy and practice.
This initiative continues the commitment to nonpartisan, evidence-informed policy development through a new stakeholder engagement phase. Through a series of formats, Child Welfare Forward brings together national, state and local leaders, advocates, researchers, people with lived experience, providers, judges, attorneys, policymakers and others to examine important policy questions and help shape practical, field-informed solutions.
The initial focus of Child Welfare Forward is on federal child welfare financing and accountability reform, drawing on recommendations outlined in BPC’s Charting the Course: A Blueprint for Child Welfare Financing and Accountability Reform (the Blueprint). By creating spaces for stakeholder conversations, Child Welfare Forward seeks to deepen understanding, gather feedback, and strengthen recommendations through broad stakeholder participation across the sector.
Child Welfare Forward is guided by a commitment to:
- Broad stakeholder engagement
- Meaningful inclusion of lived experience
- Respectful dialogue across diverse perspectives
- Evidence-informed policy development
- Practical, implementation-focused solutions
Our objective is to create opportunities for informed deliberation that strengthen policy ideas through collaboration, experience, and continuous learning.
Join the Conversation
Child Welfare Forward partners with national, state, and local organizations to create opportunities for thoughtful dialogue about child welfare policy reform. Engagements can be tailored to fit an organization’s priorities and schedule and may include conference sessions, roundtables, webinars, listening sessions, or small-group discussions. We welcome opportunities to connect with organizations interested in hosting a conversation or learning more about the initiative.
Request a Conversation
Host a stakeholder conversation with Child Welfare Forward! Invite our team to engage your stakeholders and gather feedback on the Blueprint’s six recommendations for child welfare financing and accountability reform.
We Want Your Feedback
Make your voice heard! Share your experience and expertise and contribute to the ongoing conversation around the Blueprint’s six recommendations for child welfare financing and accountability reform.
Examples of Recent Engagements
Child Welfare Forward engages organizations across the country through conferences, meetings, roundtables, webinars, and other convenings. Below are examples of recent and upcoming engagement opportunities.
Recent Engagements
- Public Policy Institute
- Secretaries Innovation Group
- National Association of Counties (NACo)
Upcoming Engagements
- National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC)
- National Foster Parent Association (NFPA)
- Youth Villages
The Blueprint Background
Child Welfare Forward builds on the Blueprint developed by a distinguished 15-member national workgroup representing diverse perspectives and expertise across child welfare policy and practice. The Blueprint is the culmination of more than 18 months of deliberation among the workgroup and features six overarching reform recommendations that include:
- Aligning federal funding with better outcomes for children and families.
- Empowering states with greater flexibility to lead and innovate.
- Modernizing accountability measures, promoting data transparency, and driving shared responsibility across sectors.
- Incentivizing evidence-based services that strengthen families and help children heal.
- Fostering innovation to meet the complex and evolving challenges facing communities and families.
Through Child Welfare Forward, workgroup members will stay actively engaged in ongoing reform discussions, listening to stakeholder feedback, refining solutions and helping ensure the inclusion of broader perspectives in the reform dialogue.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Child Welfare Forward relate to the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Child Welfare Initiative?
Child Welfare Forward builds on the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Child Welfare Initiative and its Blueprint for Child Welfare Financing and Accountability Reform. It represents the next phase of the work by engaging stakeholders across the country for reform-oriented dialogue, including feedback to strengthen the Blueprint’s recommendations and additional ideas.
Who leads Child Welfare Forward?
Child Welfare Forward is hosted by the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA). The initiative engages perspectives from across the child welfare field for meaningful dialogue about policy solutions, including the perspectives of public agencies, people with lived experience, advocates, researchers, providers, judges, attorneys, policymakers, and philanthropic partners.
How can my organization participate?
Organizations can participate by hosting a stakeholder discussion, inviting Child Welfare Forward to present at meetings or conferences, completing the feedback form, or partnering on future engagement opportunities.
Who funds Child Welfare Forward?
Child Welfare Forward is supported through philanthropic investments that advance thoughtful, evidence-informed child welfare policy reform.
How do I get in touch with the Child Welfare Forward team?
We’d love to hear from you. Please complete the Request a Conversation form or contact Rob Geen at rgeen@aphsa.org