Host: Luke Waldo

Experts:

• Jennifer Jones – Prevent Child Abuse America

:05-:14 - Jennifer Jones – “We must disrupt the status quo and advance equitable access to opportunities and environments that all families need to thrive.”

:22–4:35 – Luke Waldo – Welcome, Opening, and Jennifer Jones’ bio.

39,325 reports of suspected child neglect were made to Wisconsin Child Protective Services. In other words, every single day, 108 people across Wisconsin felt worried enough about a child to take the time to report them with the belief that they or their family would receive some support or intervention to ensure that the child was safe and well. Of those nearly 40,000 reports, 88% were unsubstantiated for maltreatment. In fact, over 26,000 or two out of every three reports of neglect were screened out, which means that they don't receive any form of service or response to the concerns that the person that reported them had for them in the first place. These are often reports of struggles with economic insecurity, as 85% of families investigated by child protective services are living at or below 200% of the federal poverty line. 

So the question becomes, how might we create a better alternative to reporting overloaded families to child protective services so that they receive the targeted support and resources that they need to thrive? How might we empower teachers, police officers, social workers, doctors, and nurses who are on the front lines of supporting overloaded families to build trust through referrals and connections to prevention services and resources, rather than suspicion through reports to Child Protective Services?

4:36-4:44 – Jennifer Jones – Thank you for the invitation to join the pod again.

4:45-4:56 – Luke - Why is a Primary Prevention System needed today in the US?

4:57-11:25 – Jennifer – Why we need a Primary Prevention System in the US. 

In 2022 over 3 million children were investigated for child abuse or neglect in this country, and of those children, over 550,000 were considered victims of child abuse and neglect, and 74% of those were for neglect. Almost 40% of all children in this country are subjected to a child welfare investigation. For white kids, it's 28% and for black kids, it's significantly higher, at 53% so over half of black children in this country experience a child welfare investigation before they are 18. 

Families lacking income and resources for basic needs are often referred to the child welfare system for neglect, and we know that this disproportionately impacts black and indigenous families. We know that too many families are being subjected to harmful investigations. We know that too many families are being separated due to a range of things that could be addressed earlier, like poverty. There's great disproportionality, especially for black children and families, and overall, there is too little investment in prevention in this country.

We don't just want to prevent kids and families from coming to the attention of our nation's child welfare system. We want to reach them before they are in crisis, so they have what they need when they need it in the communities in which they live. We want to ensure that all children and families are living a purposeful and happy life with hope for the future. That is the heart and the foundation of our new theory of change. 

We believe that we need a drastically different approach to supporting families, ensuring what they have to what they need to be happy, healthy and economically secure. We must change how our society values and cares for all children and families. And in doing this, we will write the next chapter of primary prevention in this country.

• A Theory of Change for Primary Prevention in the US – Prevent Child Abuse America

11:26-11:58 - Luke – What so many families who are feeling overloaded by the weight of poverty or social isolation need is someone to lessen that load. So how might a primary prevention ecosystem do that? What does Prevent Child Abuse America hope to change or accomplish with this theory of change?

11:59-16:33 – Jennifer Jones – What the PCAA Theory of Change for a Primary Prevention System aspires to accomplish, its North Star, and its process.

• Building a Shared Understanding and Shifting Mindsets
• Policies and Practices
• Collective Responsibility

Theory of Change principles and 5 strategies.

• Transform the narrative
• Center families
• Build evidence and advocate
• Activate adaptive action
• Grow human and financial capacity

16:34-17:44 – Luke – How might we implement the Theory of Change?

17:45-21:05 – Jennifer – It creates a Primary Prevention strategy for everyone across the country. Plug and Play Theory of Change. The flexibility for each community is critical as this is not a “one size fits all” solution. Unify and align a diverse group of actors. 

CHSA has adopted the North Star, which shows the collective energy.

• Children’s Home Society of America
• PCAA Theory of Change – Plug and Play

21:06-21:17 - Luke – Thank you, Jennifer.

21:18-22:09 – Jennifer – Thank you, Luke.

22:10-24:02 - Luke – 3 Key Takeaways.

1. Many of the pieces already exist for a Primary Prevention Ecosystem, but they are not yet aligned or comprehensive. So how might we work together across primary prevention programs such as Home Visiting, Family Resource Centers economic and concrete support programs with systems like housing, early education, and healthcare to create greater alignment and shared language? As Jennifer shared, if this alignment were to create a comprehensive Ecosystem and Prevent Child Abuse America were to achieve its goal, we could divert 50 million kids over the next 25 years from CPS and keep them with their families who would have what they need to thrive.
2. Center families in the decision-making process. More specifically, how might we learn from families who have benefitted from prevention services and resources so that they didn’t have to experience deeper end systems like Child Protective Services? As we will hear throughout this season, we must move beyond transactional relationships with people with lived experience, and move into authentic trust and power-sharing that leads to better informed decision-making.
3. Individuals and organizations that haven’t seen themselves as contributing to child maltreatment prevention need to be a part of this prevention ecosystem. I have been inspired by the participation of housing and anti-poverty advocates, educators, and police officers in our Strong Families, Thriving Children, Connected Communities initiative as they see their role and potential partnerships that may lead to preventing child neglect and family separation. After today’s conversation with Jennifer, I hope that many more of you will join us so that all children and families may live a purposeful and happy life with hope for the future.

24:08-25:32 - Luke – Closing Credits

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