State Policy Advocacy & Reform Center

Is There Room At Your Table?

This post originally appeared on the Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children blog. In observance of National Adoption Month, Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children Development Director Audrey Eisenberg shares her perspective on making the needs of children in foster care a priority … The other night, my caseworker called to cancel our final...

Massachusetts Advocates Release Reform Agenda

SPARC Peer Learning Network member organization Massachusetts Law Reform Institute recently released a comprehensive set of recommendations for sustained reform of the Massachusetts child welfare system following a high profile death of a child under the department’s supervision. If Not Now, When? A Call to Action for Systemic Child Welfare...

Bringing State Advocates Together

Child welfare advocates are uniquely positioned to influence debates that impact the safety and well-being of our kids. SPARC is designed to help state child welfare advocates make an even bigger impact. We are proud to be supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative....

Family First Act a Much-Needed Reform in the Heartland

Sep 22, 2016

Chronicle of Social Change by Sarah Helvey 9/21/16 This month, I celebrated 10 years working at Nebraska Appleseed as a lawyer and child advocate. When I started, Nebraska had one of the lowest penetration rates for drawing down federal funding for child welfare of any state the country. We also had one of the highest...

Chronicle of Social Change By Michele Corey, Michigan’s Children 9/21/16 For decades, child welfare reform has had strong bipartisan support, even during times when heated partisanship has divided Congress on national matters. Several of Michigan’s own U.S Representatives and Senators have been among the most active leaders in shaping improved child welfare policy over that time....

Statement for the Record: Examining the Opioid Epidemic: Challenges and Opportunities

Mar 11, 2016

On March 8, the First Focus State Policy and Advocacy Reform Center submitted a Statement for the Record in response to the hearing titled Examining the Opioid Epidemic: Challenges and Opportunities. Children are greatly affected by this growing epidemic and are entering the child welfare system at higher rates due to abuse and neglect related...

Measuring the Impact of Children’s Rights to Counsel: Advancing Child Due Process and Well-being in the Juvenile Court Ecology

Feb 8, 2016

The well-being of children that come into contact with the child welfare system often hinges on juvenile court decisions where critical decisions about that child’s life are made. Issues such as where they will live, frequency of visits with their siblings, what activities they can participate in and their permanency goals are debated by social...

Is There Room At Your Table?

Massachusetts Advocates Release Reform Agenda

Podcast Series – Perspectives from the Field

The Affordable Care Act and Youth Aging Out of Foster Care

Bringing State Advocates Together

More Advocacy Impact, Better Lives for Children

Family First Act a Much-Needed Reform in the Heartland

Statement for the Record: Examining the Opioid Epidemic: Challenges and Opportunities

Federal Child Welfare Legislation 2015-2016

Measuring the Impact of Children’s Rights to Counsel: Advancing Child Due Process and Well-being in the Juvenile Court Ecology

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