Two Generational Strategies to Improve Immigrant Family and Child Outcomes Summary and Next Steps From the April 2015 Roundtable This paper — the result of a roundtable discussion hosted by the Casey Foundation and the Center for Law and Social Policy — explores policy and practice reforms that can help both parents and kids in immigrant families thrive. Read More
National Youth in Transition Database Lessons Learned from the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative The National Youth Transition Database (NYTD) allows for states to learn how to improve outcomes for youth exiting foster care. This document — a pep-talk packaged in a publication — shares lessons learned from implementing a similar tool called the Opportunity Passport Participant Survey. Read More
Westside Education and Training Center Finding Creative Ways to Combine Residents’ Need for Good Jobs with Buyers’ Need for Trained Workers This report tells the inspiring story of the Westside Education and Training Center, an 18-classroom facility in San Antonio’s struggling West Side neighborhood. Readers will learn how the center came about, why it’s so unique, and how its menu of college courses and career-ready training is helping local families build a better, brighter tomorrow. Read More
Practice Pathways Tool Helping Young People Transitioning from Foster Care to Adulthood This report introduces the Practice Pathways Tool to help states partnering with the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative identify effective practice components, evaluate existing practices and boost collaboration to advance comprehensive practice reform. The driving force behind the tool is simple: support smarter, sharper decision-making that improves the lives of youth exiting foster care. Read More
Crisis — and Opportunity — in Delaware’s Child Welfare System In 2011, Delaware’s child welfare system wasn’t just in trouble — it was in crisis, with too many teens entering out-of-home care and later exiting foster care disconnected from family. To fix this broken system, the state launched a sweeping, data-driven reform effort called Outcomes Matter. The initiative boosted morale among caseworkers and gave kids and families a critical voice in the decision-making process. But the best part? The effort helped improve the well-being of Delaware’s children and families. Read More
Casey Connects: Summer 2000 2000 KIDS COUNT Emphasizes Need For Connections This issue of Casey Connects highlights the 2000 KIDS COUNT Data Book essay along with Casey initiatives and partnerships out to transform the lives of vulnerable families and children — be it through better job training, social connections, immigrant supports or direct services. Read More
Responsible Redevelopment: Relocation Road Map 1.0 This report presents Casey’s experience and lessons around ways to navigate federal, state and local redevelopment policies while limiting the negative effects of involuntary displacement on those being affected. It outlines some of the major issues and challenges of responsible relocation. Read More
CONNECT: Supporting Children Exposed to Domestic Violence In-Service Training for Resource Families This 55-page guide gives facilitators the script, tools and tips necessary to educate caregivers of children exposed to domestic violence. It packages three hours of training into a thoughtful, comprehensive and no-frills instructional playbook that explores what domestic violence is, how it impacts children and exactly what caregivers can do to help this fragile population heal. Read More
Trusted Advocates A Multicultural Approach to Building and Sustaining Resident Involvement In 2006, the Annie E. Casey Foundation facilitated a peer match between two Making Connections sites: Oakland, Calif., and White Center in Seattle. The goal was to teach residents and community partners in Oakland about White Center’s Trusted Advocates program, which utilizes respected local leaders to engage minority groups in community change. This report recaps how the peer match evolved, why the Trusted Advocates model works and exactly what information the two sites exchanged. Making Connections is an ambitious 10-site, long-term initiative devoted to advancing the premise that supportive communities can help empower families and enhance outcomes for children. Read More
Low Income and Impoverished Families Pay More Disproportionately for Child Care This four-page policy brief examines how much poor and low-income families spend on child care relative to their wealthier counterparts (The conclusion? Poor families pay more — and the discrepancy is jaw-dropping). The data-fueled document then ends with a simple charge: We must increase our investment in child-care assistance to give America’s neediest families a fighting chance. Read More
