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Resource Child Welfare Fellows Class One

Updated September 18, 2022
Related Topics: Health Human Services
Child Welfare Fellows Program

NCSL is pleased to offer the Child Welfare Fellows Program to state legislators and legislative staff.

The program focuses on the upstream prevention of child maltreatment in the context of state child welfare systems. The program is designed to provide educational support and technical assistance to legislators and legislative staff with a discernible interest in child welfare who are able to influence policy in their state

Graduates of the program become part of an alumni community of members throughout the country. Alumni have exclusive access to continued learning opportunities provided by NCSL.

Thanks to the Pritzker Children’s Initiative and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NCSL can offer this experience at no cost to members.

Below is information about the 2022 cohort of Child Welfare Fellows.

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Meet the Fellows

Legislator Participants

  • Rep. Susan Cahill, Iowa 
  • Sen. Barbara Favola, Virginia  
  • Rep. Jennifer Carlson, Montana  
  • Sen. Rod Hickman, Mississippi
  • Rep. Nicole Clowney, Arkansas   
  • Rep. Susan Humphries, Kansas
  • Rep. Sherrie Conley, Oklahoma    
  • Rep. Kathy Javner, Maine
  • Rep. Terra Costa Howard, Illinois   
  • Rep. Kim Rice, New Hampshire
  • Rep. Sheryl Delozier, Pennsylvania
  • Rep. Candie Sweetser, New Mexico 
  • Rep. Susan Donovan, Rhode Island 
  • Rep. Tonya Van Beber, Colorado
  • Rep. Denise Ennett, Arkansas 
  • Sen. Claire Wilson, Washington 
  • Rep. Kelly Fajardo, New Mexico 
  • Rep. Mary Young, Colorado 

Legislative Staff Participants

  • Eric Chenier, New Mexico

Kickoff Meeting

Dates: June 27 – 29, 2022

Meeting Location: Embassy Suites by Hilton Seattle Downtown Pioneer Square | 255 South King Street, Seattle Wash. 98104

Child Welfare Fellow group

Resources:

Day 1 | Monday, June 27 
3:30 p.m. Registration Opens 
4-5 p.m. Program Introduction: Child Welfare Fellows Cohort 
5-5:45 p.m. Welcome and Networking Reception 
5:45-6 p.m. Transition to Dinner 
6-7:30 p.m. Dinner and Keynote Address
  Speaker: William Bell, Ph.D., President and CEO, Casey Family Programs 
Day 2 | Tuesday, June 28 
8-9 a.m. Breakfast and Networking 
9-10:30 a.m. Opening Plenary: Brain Science and the Importance of Building a Strong Foundation | Powerpoint | PDF file-64 pages
 

Speakers: Melanie Berry, Psy.D., senior specialist, Center on the Developing Child and Harvard University 

Greta Massetti, Ph.D., branch chief, Field Epidemiology and Prevention Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
10:30-10:40 a.m. Break
10:40-10:50 a.m. Child Welfare Fellows Welcome 
10:50 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Setting the Stage: A New Era for Child Welfare | Powerpoint | PDF file-22 pages
  Speakers: Krista Thomas, Ph.D., Chapin Hall 
  Beth Jordan, J.D., Child Trends 
12:30-1:45 p.m. Joint Lunch, Networking and Wellness Walk  
1:45-2:45 p.m. Becoming System Involved: Understanding Child Maltreatment and Case Outcomes | Powerpoint | PDF file-60 pages
  Speakers: Diane Moore, director, Utah Division of Children and Family Services  
  Greta Massetti, Ph.D., branch chief, Field Epidemiology and Prevention Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
2:45-3 p.m. Break
3-3:30 p.m. Interactive Relationship-Building Activity 
3:30-4:30 p.m.  Strengthening Families and Foster Care | Powerpoint | PDF file-19 pages
  Speaker: Nadia Nijim, child welfare program specialist, Administration for Children and Families  
4:30-5 p.m. Debrief, Action Planning and Group Photo 
5:00 p.m. Dinner on Your Own
Day 3 | Wednesday June 29 
8-9 a.m. Breakfast and Networking
9-9:15 a.m. Welcome and Kick-Off for Final Day 
9:15-10 a.m. Upstream Prevention Strategies to Strengthen Family Success  | Powerpoint | PDF file-36 pages
  Speaker: Cynthia Osborne, Ph.D., director, Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center 
10-11 a.m. Financing Child Welfare and Prevention Systems  | Powerpoint | PDF file-42 pages
  Speakers: Kristina Rosinsky, Child Trends 
  Antoinette Malveaux, Casey Family Programs  
  Kathy Stohr, Pritzker Children’s Initiative  
11-11:15 a.m. Break/Check Out of Hotel Room 
11:15-12 p.m. Closing and Final Reflections  
12:15-2 p.m. Networking and Learning Lunch 
2 p.m. Adjourn

Second Meeting

Dates: Sept. 12-14, 2022

Meeting Location: Embassy Suites by Hilton Denver Downtown Convention Center | 1420 Stout Street, Denver, Colo. 80202 

Tag social media posts with @NCSLorg and use hashtag #NCSLFellows.

Child Welfare Fellow group

Resources:

Day 1 | Monday, Sept. 12
3 p.m. Registration Opens
5:30-7:30 p.m. Welcome and Networking Reception
Day 2 | Tuesday, Sept. 13
7:30-8:30 a.m. Breakfast and Networking
8:30-9:45 a.m.

Joint Opening Plenary: Putting Money to Work for Children and Families

Speaker: Elizabeth Gaines, founder and CEO, Children's Funding Project

PowerPoint Presentation
9:45-10 a.m. Break
10-10:45 a.m. Reconnect with Child Welfare Fellows
10:45 a.m.-12 p.m.

The Role of Relationships and Accountability in Advancing Child Welfare and Prevention Policy

Speakers: Minna Castillo-Cohen, director, Office of Children Youth and Families, Colorado Department of Human Services; Jerry Bruce, J.D., director, Geogria Office of the Child Advocate

PowerPoint Presentation
12:15-1:15 a.m. Lunch and Networking
1:15-2:15 p.m. 

Substance Use During Pregnancy: Creating Connections to Reduce Child Maltreatment

Speakers: Ken DeCerchio, MSW, CAP, program director, Center for Children and Family Futures, National Center on Substance Use and Child Welfare; Kathryn Wells, M.D., executive director, Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect

PowerPoint Presentation
2:15-2:30 p.m. Break
2:30-3:30 p.m.

Meeting the Complex Needs of Youth Exiting Foster Care

Speaker: Taylor Vitello, director of proximate policy, Think of Us

PowerPoint Presentation
3:30-3:45 p.m.

Break

Youth Homelessness Fellows will return to their meeting room
3:45-4:45 p.m.

Child Welfare Policy Speed Rounds

Policy topics and speakers:

  1. Families and the Challenges of Substance Use – Ken DeCerchio, MSW, CAP, program director, Center for Children and Family Futures, National Center on Substance Use and Child Welfare 
  2. Child Welfare Workforce Recruitment and Retention – Josh Cunningham, NCSL and Minna Castillo-Cohen, director, Office of Children Youth and Families, Colorado Department of Human Services
  3. Leveraging Medicaid Programs – Emily Blanford, program principal, Health Program, NCSL 
4:45-5:00 p.m. Debrief, Action Planning and Group Photo
6:00 p.m. Dinner on Your Own
Day 3 | Wednesday, Sept. 14
7:30-8:30 a.m. Breakfast and Networking
8:45-8:55 a.m. Meet in the lobby to board bus and travel to Warren Village
9:00-11:00 a.m. Site Visit to Warren Village | Experiencing a Two-Generational Model of Prevention
11-11:15 a.m. Board bus and return to hotel
11:15 a.m.-12:05 p.m. Reflections, Next Steps and Wrap Up
12:15-1:40 p.m.

Joint Closing Lunch & Keynote Addresss: Up and Down the Prevention Continuum

Speaker: Melissa Merrick, Ph.D., president and CEO, Prevent Child Abuse America

PowerPoint Presentation
1:40-2 p.m.

Closing Ceremony: You're Awesome, but now What?

Speaker: Tim Storey, CEO, NCSL

Webinars

Webinar 1: Thursday, July 21 | 2 p.m. ET 

Topic: Zero to Three's annual State of Babies Yearbook 2022

Webinar 2: Thursday, Aug 18 | 2 p.m. ET

Topic: Protective Factors and their role in Child Welfare, Early Childhood and Youth Homelessness 

Presenter: Francie Zimmerman, senior associate, Center for the Study of Social Policy

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