Child Welfare Capacity Building
Integrating and improving systems to improve family outcomes is the focus of Chapin Hall’s local, national and international child welfare capacity building efforts.
Focus Areas
Our Work Focuses On
Spotlight
Child Welfare Capacity Building
Spotlight
Additional Time Spent in Foster Care Improves Education Outcomes
This brief provides an early look at the relationship between extended foster care and selected outcomes for youth transitioning to adulthood from care in...
2017
Better, Systematic Crisis Response Needed to Help Homeless Young People
This analysis examined the relationship between risk assessment scores for young people ages 15 to 24, related services offered, and outcomes. Researchers...
2018
Caseworkers Say Lack of Appropriate Placement Options Presents Challenge to Implementing Extended Foster Care
This report presents the views and attitudes of caseworkers four years after the implementation of the California Fostering Connections to Success Act (AB 12).
2016
Recent Content
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Child Welfare Capacity Building
Recent Content
Project
California Prevention Services Continuous Quality Improvement Initiative
Chapin Hall is partnering with the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) to build, implement, and sustain a comprehensive Continuous Quality...
December 8, 2025
Project
How Will the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Affect Child Welfare?
Chapin Hall Media Manager Colleen Sharkey sat down with Chapin Hall experts to take a closer look at the OBBBA,
November 13, 2025
Project
Upcoming Webinar on Quality Design
Receive hands-on tools, including an assessment rubric and a directional guide, to inform your efforts to identify strengths and gaps in your CQI system.
August 26, 2025
News
A National First: Law Signed to Implement Universal Mental Health Screenings in Illinois Schools
A key element of the Chapin Hall-led Illinois Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation—universal, cost-free mental health screenings in school for all...
July 31, 2025
News
Illinois Law Taps Chapin Hall to Develop Children’s Adversity Index, Offering Blueprint for Other States
Chapin Hall was designated in Illinois HB0342 as the expert partner organization tasked with developing a Children’s Adversity Index—a statewide tool designed...
July 24, 2025
Project
OPT-In for Families: Building Community Response Pathways to Prevention
Opt-in for Families is testing community-rooted “alternative pathways” that offer material and supportive resources to families screened out of child welfare...
May 29, 2025
Project
Supporting Family First Prevention Services in Illinois Child Welfare
Chapin Hall works with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to plan for the implementation of services, interventions, and strategies to meet...
May 27, 2025
Project
Q&A: Updates on the Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative
Chapin Hall Executive Director Bryan Samuels gets updates on the Children's Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative from Chapin Hall Senior Policy Fellow...
May 16, 2025
Project
Driving Meaningful Impact through CQI
This report provides agencies with tools to assess the strengths and weaknesses of their CQI systems.
April 28, 2025
News
Casey Family Programs honors Chapin Hall’s Bryan Samuels and Clare Anderson with national leadership award
Chapin Hall Executive Director Bryan Samuels and Senior Policy Fellow Clare Anderson are among the recipients of this year’s Casey Family Programs Leadership...
January 14, 2025
News
Chapin Hall, Gov. Pritzker Announce Google Partnership to Build Transformative Tool for Behavioral Health Transformation
On Jan. 29, Chapin Hall’s Dr. Dana Weiner and Governor JB Pritzker announced a partnership with Google in which the tech giant will develop BEACON (Behavioral...
January 29, 2024
News
Chapin Hall and Gov. Pritzker Launch Blueprint for Transformation of Mental Health Services for Illinois Youth
Dr. Dana Weiner, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, and other elected officials launched the Blueprint for Transformation, a road map that will guide the overhaul...
February 27, 2023
Research
100% New Mexico’s 10 Vital Services Model Resonated Strongly During Pandemic
A developmental evaluation of eight New Mexico counties’ adaptation of the 100% New Mexico model to ensure access to 10 vital services during the pandemic.
2022
Report
Substantial Interaction and Connectedness Strengthens Doris Duke Fellowships
This report presents findings from the most recent survey of Doris Duke Fellows.
2020
News
Kentucky Joins Jurisdictions Leading Implementation of the Family First Prevention Services Act
Three of the five jurisdictions with federally approved prevention plans have partnered with Chapin Hall to launch their Family First initiatives.
April 22, 2020
News
Chapin Hall Identifies Systemic Issues in Assessment of IL DCFS Intact Families Program
Chapin Hall released its Systemic Review of Critical Incidents in Intact Family Services, an assessment of this Illinois Dept. of Children and Family Services...
May 15, 2019
Report
Caseworkers Say Lack of Appropriate Placement Options Presents Challenge to Implementing Extended Foster Care
This report presents the views and attitudes of caseworkers four years after the implementation of the California Fostering Connections to Success Act (AB 12).
2016
Report
Toward a Common Understanding of CQI in Child Welfare
Today, child welfare agencies are taking stock of their capacity for Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) and thinking about how to build their capacity. These...
2014
Project
New Resources Put Equity at the Center of Research, Evaluation, and CQI Processes
These resources help child welfare leaders implement strategies to identify and address racial and ethnic disparities.
December 7, 2022
Project
Transforming Behavioral Health Services for Illinois Youth
The Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative will provide an intentional, coordinated strategy to ensure that Illinois families get the help they need.
October 19, 2022
Project
Partners Develop Analytic Framework to Address Economic-Related Risk Factors in Child Welfare
This brief summarizes a recent Roundtable on a building a framework to address economic-related risk factors in child welfare.
December 15, 2021
Project
Family First Toolkit Part 2: Implementation & Change Management
These tools align with the second phase of Family First Implementation: implementation and change management.
October 7, 2021
Project
Family First Toolkit Part 1: Planning & Readiness
These tools align with the first phase of Family First Implementation: planning and readiness. They provide a systematic way for jurisdictions to think through...
April 1, 2021
Project
Chapin Hall Builds National Understanding of Pandemic’s Impact on Families
Chapin Hall is providing rigorous research and analysis to assess the impact of the pandemic on families, and we have developed evidence-based policy and...
November 11, 2020
Project
Residential Care Research
In Illinois, Chapin Hall is working with the Dept. of Children and Family Services to assess use of residential care.
August 26, 2019
Project
Building the Evidence that Evidence Use Matters
New study underway explores impact of a professional development intervention on use of evidence, placement permanency.
November 27, 2018
Project
Untangling a Traffic Challenge that Thwarts Family Visitation in Los Angeles
Chapin Hall works with LA children's services to increase family visitation, reunification.
September 20, 2018
Project
Transforming Child Welfare Practice in Maryland through the Integrated Child Welfare Practice Model
Chapin Hall works with Maryland to transform the quality of child welfare and adult services in the state.
August 20, 2018
Project
Expanding Trauma-Informed Care
A national collaborative, funded by the U.S. Dept. of Justice, works to reduce the long-term impact of trauma on children.
July 24, 2018
Project
Building a Practice Model
A Practice Model is an organizing framework that describes an agency’s approach and strategic direction.. Practice Models within child welfare agencies can be...
June 12, 2018
Project
Implementation Collaborative
How can child welfare agencies improve outcomes for children and families? The Chapin Hall Implementation Collaborative-- a group of policy, practice, and...
March 19, 2018
Project
Assessing Mental Health in Under Six Minutes
A field test of a computerized adaptive mental health test (CAT-MH™), which is designed to diagnose and report on the mental health of young people in the child...
March 19, 2018
Project
Applying Predictive Analytics
A Chapin Hall team developed predictive analytic models to help one child welfare jurisdiction address risk of repeat reports for child abuse or neglect. With...
March 19, 2018
Project
Well-being Dashboard
A Chapin Hall team co-developed a well-being dashboard to consistently measure and assess children and families’ well-being. The dashboard reflects information...
January 15, 2018
Project
The Center for State Child Welfare Data
The Center for State Child Welfare Data–or the Data Center–supports child welfare systems in more than 30 states to make evidence-based decisions designed to...
January 1, 2018
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