DENVER — Foster America recently welcomed a delegation of child welfare leaders from Japan for a cross-cultural discussion on improving outcomes for children and families.
The 12-member delegation, made up of child welfare practitioners, educators, and policymakers, visited sites across Colorado — one of Foster America’s earliest and longest-standing partners — to see firsthand how strategies to prevent child abuse and neglect are being implemented at the state and local levels.
Colorado’s innovative approach to serving families, some of which Foster America supports through the state’s Reimagining Child Welfare steering committee, provides a valuable case study in systems transformation. Delegates examined prevention models and policies that have reduced the state’s foster care numbers and use of group homes while strengthening community relationships. Also of particular interest to the delegation was Colorado’s growing practice of incorporating lived experts — those who have been personally impacted by child protective services — in reform efforts.
The delegation’s visit to Colorado, which included tours of Larimer, Boulder, and Jefferson counties, is part of a broader effort to modernize Japan’s child welfare system. Japan’s current approach relies heavily on institutions and other group-home settings for children who are removed from their homes.
Discussions centered on engaging relatives of children who are at risk of entering foster care, as well as the benefit of ensuring children who do come into care are placed in home-like settings.
The event underscores Foster America’s commitment to driving innovation and sharing knowledge to improve child welfare systems. As prevention-focused strategies gain traction globally, collaborations like these reinforce the growing commitment to ensuring families receive the support they need — before child welfare involvement becomes necessary.
The event underscores Foster America’s commitment to driving innovation and sharing knowledge to improve child welfare systems.
As prevention-focused strategies gain traction globally, collaborations like these reinforce the growing commitment to ensuring families receive the support they need — before child welfare involvement becomes necessary.
Foster America hosted the event in partnership with Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
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