Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

1. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center • MCWIC Purpose • Our purpose is to facilitate the implementation of systemic change to improve outcomes for children and families

2. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center • Our approach • Multidisciplinary staff and consultant expertise • http://ccfl.unl.edu/about/faculty-staff

3. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center • Our approach • Multidisciplinary staff and consultant expertise

4. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center Major Activities and Accomplishments • Identification and hiring of core staff • Locating, securing and equipping office space • Designing and publishing MCWIC’s website

6. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center Major Activities and Accomplishments Forming and strengthening relationships with our FPO, Regional Office staff in ACF Regions V & VII, members of the T/TA Network, and CB Central Office staff and leadership

7. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center Major Activities and Accomplishments Outreach to States and Tribes • teleconferences, e-mail, on-site • focused on Tribal outreach • went to ICWA Coalition meetings in • Minnesota • Wisconsin • Nebraska

8. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center First Tribal Gathering Creating Connections to Enhance Tribal Child Welfare Systems March 19, 2009 Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin

9. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center First Tribal Gathering Goals • Begin to establish relationships • Build and reinforce peer connections • Develop participants’ knowledge & skill • Provide RFA process guidance & support

10. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center First Tribal Gathering Plenary Session: Challenges in Raising Healthy Native American Children from a Child Welfare Perspective Priscilla Day, Professor of Social Work, University of Minnesota-Duluth

11. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center First Tribal Gathering • Work Groups • Challenges in Tribal Child Welfare • Needs: what would help? • Strengths and resources in our community • Building coalitions • Report out: sharing approaches & ideas

12. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center First Tribal Gathering Feedback Keynote presentation provided useful information – 81% agree or strongly agree. 96% made at least one new peer contact.

13. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center First Tribal Gathering Feedback 92% interested in attending another Gathering event. 85% feel comfortable contacting MCWIC staff.

14. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center First Tribal Gathering Feedback Satisfied with opportunities to discuss networking – 95% agree or strongly agree. Better informed about opportunities for Implementation Projects with MCWIC – 73% agree or strongly agree.

15. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center Regional Forum Goals • Build and reinforce participants’ connections • Identify participants’ needs for peer connections • Build participants’ knowledge and skill • Provide project application guidance and support

16. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center First Regional Forum • Attendance • Eight of ten states • twelve of twenty-nine tribes • Eighty-six participants: • 27 from state agencies • 29 from tribal agencies • Representatives from • T/TA Network • Regional Offices • Children’s Bureau Central Office

17. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center First Regional Forum • 93% of participants said they would benefit from additional peer to peer networking • 82% of participants said they understood the purpose of MCWIC

18. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center First Regional Forum • 52% of participants were using a multidisciplinary problem solving approach • 73% indicated the approach was one they would try and use more

19. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center First Regional Forum • 84% of participants understood the purpose of and eligibility criteria for implementation projects • 87% of participants understood MCWIC’s RFA process

20. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center First Regional Forum • 92% of participants indicated they had an increased understanding of the theory and practice involved in implementing change in child welfare systems because of the information presented by Tony Hemmelgarn and Peter Watson

21. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center First Regional Forum • 92% of our participants said they had an increased understanding of the importance and role of leadership in child welfare system change based on Judge James Payne’s presentation on Leadership of Child Welfare System Change

22. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center First Regional Forum • 78% of participants rated the organization and format of the forum very good or excellent • several participants thought the one and one half day conference was too short a time period and several suggested at least two days would be helpful

23. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center Request for Application Process Application Process Steps: 1) Two-Page Concept Paper 2) Internal Screening Assessment 3) Teleconference Regarding Concept Paper 4) Written Feedback 5) Formal Application 6) Review of Formal Applications 7) Award of Implementation Projects 8) Teleconference with RO & agency regarding follow-up TA

24. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center • review by • MCWIC • MCWIC’s External Consultants • T/TA Network • Children’s Bureau • Central Office • Regional Office • CFSR Unit Application Review Process

25. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center MCWIC Selected Site Iowa Department of Human Services Partnering with Parents for System Change * five additional project applications currently under review

26. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center MCWIC Selected Site

27. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center MCWIC Approved Project Indiana Department of Child Services Statewide Implementation of a Centralized Intake Unit * five additional project applications currently under review

28. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center MCWIC Approved Project

29. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center Second Tribal Gathering Looking Back, Moving Forward: Building the Future on Traditional Values August 27-28, 2009 Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel Tama, IA

30. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center Second Tribal Gathering • Strategic Planning and Tribal Practice Models • State/Tribal/County Partnerships • Tribal Child Welfare Data & Technology Considerations • Keynote: When our children are old, will they know we fought for them?

31. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center Second Tribal Gathering 50 participants 11 different tribes represented Regions V & VII Office Representatives 3 state ICWA specialists

32. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center Peer Networking http://connect.mcwic.org MCWIC’s Connect will provide the advantages of internet community sites in a controlled environment without distracting advertising and will provide features that meet the unique needs of state, county, and tribal child welfare workers.

33. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center Peer Networking

36. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center Peer Networking

37. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center MCWIC Implementation Project Evaluation Plan Process • Outcomes & methods developed cooperatively • Project evaluations conducted by MCWIC in cooperation with State/Tribe

38. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center MCWIC Implementation Project Evaluation Plan Process • Outcomes focused on • Formative implementation process • Child Welfare System Improvement • Direct Project Outcomes • Child and Family Outcomes

39. Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center Questions?