Within Our Reach
Using Research to Advance Child Well-Being
Social CurrentIf there is to be significant change, there needs to be significant research.
In 2020, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Casey Family Programs, and the William T. Grant Foundation came together to address the gaps they saw in child welfare research. With their overarching goal to reduce inequality within the system, they identified research gaps that spanned community-based family supports, child protective services, out-of-home care, and post-permanency services. They partnered with 50 individuals representing an array of experts, stakeholders, and people with lived experience to identify these gaps. With information from those conversations, they outlined the most urgent needs in the report, Building a 21st-Century Research Agenda. This initiative continues to conduct research to address these identified gaps and answer key questions, as well as increase the use of this research in decision-making.
In partnership with these three leading organizations, Social Current is hosting a five-part webinar series that digs into the research agenda. These sessions highlight different areas of focus within the agenda.
- Cutting through the Chaos by Reframing Childhood Adversity | Oct. 11
- How Monthly Cash Gifts Are Fostering Infant Brain Development | Oct. 13
- Supporting Safe and Effective Investigations through Training Labs | Nov. 29
- Building Protective Factors through Family Resource Centers | Dec. 1
- An Anti-Racist Approach to Child Neglect Investigations | Dec. 6
Together, we can move toward a child welfare system that prioritizes equity and dignity and drives change with greater power and pace.
Read this recent blog by the William T. Grant Foundation to learn more about the initiative.
Hear more from initiative participants in this video.
About Social Current
Social Current is the premier partner and solutions provider to a diverse network of more than 1,800 human and social service organizations. Together with our network, we are activating the power of the social sector to effect broader systemic change that is needed to achieve our vision of an equitable society where all people can thrive. We support, strengthen, and amplify the work of the social sector in six core integrated areas including brain science and trauma-informed approaches; COA Accreditation; child, family, and community well-being; equity, diversity, and inclusion; government affairs and advocacy; and leadership and organizational development.