How ?
TECHNOLOGY
SMART SOLUTIONS
TO IMPROVE CHILD WELL-BEING
P
ublic child welfare systems around the country suffer from inadequate investment in technology. Budget writers are often forced to choose between delivering critical services and investing in technology infrastructure. As a result, valuable data about child outcomes gets locked within outdated, incompatible systems, never to be shared or analyzed to inform service improvements. At the same time, paperwork and routine administrative tasks consume valuable time that social workers could be spending with children and families. Partners for Our Children, a UW School of Social Work research and innovation center, is rethinking child welfare practices from the ground up by developing technology platforms and tools that can empower social service providers in transformative ways and help meet the needs of children at a greatly reduced cost. The mission is multifaceted, which means that POC’s work goes far beyond data analytics and software engineering to include policy analysis, political advocacy, engagement with public and private funders, and mentoring a new generation of tech-savvy social work students.
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2015 ANNUAL REPORT
One example of the POC approach is a new education program for parents in Washington state who have court-ordered supervised visits with their children to regain custody following problems of reported abuse or neglect. These visits are the first step in reuniting families and reducing the human and economic costs of keeping children in foster care. They can also be stressful and intimidating for both parents and children.
SUPPORTING PARENTS FOR SUCCESS The program, called Strive, transforms court-appointed supervisors into coaches and the actual visits into learning experiences. Developed by POC with private philanthropic funding and in partnership with the state’s child welfare agency, Strive includes 15 learning modules that emphasize effective parenting practices. Parents learn what to expect during supervised visits, gain practice in interacting with their children through playing and reading, and learn strategies for problemsolving, self-care, dealing with trauma and managing setbacks. Strive also helps improve communication among parents, the child’s caregiver and others on the case. When a parent and child are reunited, the consistent use of these skills can serve as the foundation for successful parenting at home.
