CW360°
Child Welfare 360° (CW360°) is an annual publication that provides communities, child welfare professionals, and other human service professionals, comprehensive information on the latest research, policies and practices in a key area affecting child well-being today. The publication uses a multidisciplinary approach for its robust examination of an important issue in child welfare practice and invites articles from key stakeholders, including families, caregivers, service providers, a broad array of child welfare professionals (including educators, legal professionals, medical professionals and others), and researchers.
Social issues are not one dimensional and cannot be addressed from a single vantage point. We hope that reading CW360° enhances the delivery of child welfare services across the country while working towards safety, permanency and well-being for all children and families being served.
Use the links below to view any of the issues of CW360° on your computer. Here are some suggestions to download a PDF of CW360° to your mobile device.
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The Intersection of Child Welfare and Disability: Focus on Children
CW360° Spring 2013
This issue is dedicated to exploring the issues of children with disabilities in the child welfare system, a population that is overrepresented in child welfare. Articles include
- an overview of the prevalence and population of children with disabilities in child welfare,
- evidence-based and promising practices for working with children with disabilities in child welfare, and
- innovative examples of collaboration and communication across systems.
Trauma-Informed Child Welfare Practice
CW360° Winter 2013 Special Issue with Ambit Network
This issue addresses the question of how to incorporate trauma-informed organizational and practice strategies into child welfare practice. Articles include
- research on complex trauma,
- evidence-based and promising practices that use a trauma-informed perspective, and
- innovative examples of integrating a trauma-informed perspective into practice and policy.
Secondary Trauma & the Child Welfare Workforce
CW360° Spring 2012
Child welfare professionals face unique challenges such as secondary trauma as they undertake the day-to-day work of providing safety and stability to families. Articles include
- research on secondary traumatic stress and how outside influences can impact work,
- ways of preventing and intervening from an individual to organizational to policy level, and
- examples of cross-system collaborations and strategies for practice improvements.
Using a Developmental Approach in Child Welfare Practice
CW360° Winter 2012 Special Issue with Center for Early Education and Development
CASCW's first collaborative issue highlights the challenge of providing services appropriately tailored to the developmental ages of the children served by child welfare. Articles include
- research on early childhood development and maltreatment;
- policy issues related to children birth to five in the child welfare system, and
- practice points for addressing early childhood experiences of trauma and abuse.
Child Welfare and Technology
CW360° Spring 2011
This issue is dedicated to exploring how the field of child welfare currently develops, utilizes, and evaluates its interaction with technology. Articles include
- an overview of how child welfare and technology intersect and challenges encountered,
- promising practices utilizing technology to improve outcomes for youth and families, and
- practice examples on harnessing technology to assist workers and improve outcomes.
Promoting Placement Stability
CW360° Spring 2010
Stability is often elusive for children and youth in out-of-home care. This issue presents a variety of research findings and perspectives in order to address this need. Articles include
- research and federal policy related to placement stability,
- ways in which workers, advocates, and agencies can help youth achieve stability, and
- perspectives of individuals directly and indirectly involved in helping youth attain stability.
Permanency or Aging Out: Adolescents in the Child Welfare System
CW360° Spring 2009
Readers are introduced to the complexities often present when working with adolescents in foster care. Solutions and innovations for improving practice are provided. Articles include
- successes, challenges, and outcomes for youth aging out of care and youth finding permanency,
- current research and special challenges as youth transition from care, and
- personal struggles and triumphs of former foster youth, their workers, and organizations.
Children of Incarcerated Parents
CW360° Spring 2008
CASCW' first issue of CW360° seeks to understand the experiences and outcomes of children of incarcerated parents and their families as they receive child welfare services. Articles include
- strategies for how workers can navigate laws as they work with children of incarcerated parents,
- profiles of service providers who are already implementing programs to assist families, and
- an overview of how increases in the rate of parental incarcerations have led to an evolving landscape.