P&P August 2016

share, with multiple partners, a responsibility to keep children safe long before families reach a crisis „ „ research and integrated data are shared in real time in order to identify children most at risk for abuse or neglect fatalities and make informed and effective deci- sions about policies, practices, and resources. „ „ state and local agencies charged with child safety have the resources, leaders, staff, funds, technology, effective strategies, and flexibility to support families when and how it is most helpful. „ „ every child has a permanent and loving family, and young parents who grew up in foster care get the support they need to break the cycle of abuse and neglect. „ „ all children are equally protected and their families equally supported, regardless of race, ethnicity, income, or where they live.

project we hope will be well informed by the recommendations of the Commission to End Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities. We know that ending child abuse neglect fatalities is within our reach. In memory of children who suffer at the hands of abusers and in honor of children trau- matized by the circumstances beyond their control, we are bringing together our national, state, and local partners to develop a strategic action plan where our community’s aspirations of well-being can gain momentum and where we work together toward the commission’s vision of a society where … „ „ children do not die from abuse or neglect. „ „ children are valued, loved, and cared for first and foremost by their parents. „ „ the safety and well-being of children are everyone’s highest priority, and federal, state, and local agencies work collaboratively with families and communities to protect children from harm. „ „ leaders of child protective services agencies do not stand alone but

delivery systems, these issues strain our resources and relationships as we address far too many downstream public safety, public health, and public welfare challenges. After we learned of the child deaths, we conducted the critical incident review, partnered with our colleagues at the California Department of Social Services, and closed the gaps we found; but we knew we had to do more. Over the holidays, I called Tracy Wareing Evans at APHSA to get her thoughts on how we could go beyond a siloed assessment of our child welfare system and reach more broadly into our com- munity to better address the stressors that take a daily toll on families, while at the same time strengthening part- nerships among our sister agencies and community partners. Tracy shared her thoughts on the work of the Commission to End Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities, and a partner- ship with the APHSA Organizational Effectiveness teamwas born to bring the commission’s framework into local strategic planning and action. Now, we are about to embark on the Roadmap to Child Well-Being—a

Elliott Robinson is the director of the Monterey County (California) Department of Social Services.

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August 2016   Policy&Practice