Summary:
Through family empowerment and leadership, new pathways are being paved for families and child welfare professionals to work in partnership to achieve positive outcomes. Child welfare agencies are turning to diverse programs and practices—family group decision-making, parent partner programs, and family consultation on policy development, among others—to engage families and increase family voice. As a component of the Family Empowerment and Leadership Academy, the manual builds from the Academy’s e-learning modules and curriculum (access through CapLEARN at https://learn.childwelfare.gov/).
Application:
While the evidence base continues to grow on what we know about family empowerment and leadership programs and practices, we also are learning more about how to implement them. That is the processes and activities involved in “putting into practice” programs and strategies and effectively managing change. The Family Empowerment Implementation Manual is designed to support child welfare professionals and family leaders in applying a structured, research-informed approach to planning, initiating, and sustaining family engagement and empowerment programs and strategies.
The manual combines research and guidance on best practices in family empowerment with the evolving field of implementation science. It begins by introducing key concepts in family engagement and implementation science, then provides a more detailed look at change and implementation activities that guide effective implementation.
Source: The Family Empowerment Implementation Manual was created by the Capacity Building Center for States, funded by the Children’s Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
