National Center for Child Welfare Excellence
NCCWE Weekly Update 10/22/2014


National Domestic Violence Awareness Month
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic violence is a devastating social issue that affects millions of women, children, and men worldwide. One in four women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. It is estimated that between 10 to 20 percent (3.3 to 10 million) children witness domestic violence of a parent or caregiver each year (Carlson, 2000). An estimated 275 million children are affected by domestic violence worldwide.

For more information or resources about domestic violence or opportunities to be more involved in raising awareness about domestic violence, check out the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence and Homelessness Resource Center. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is also one of the leading agencies addressing the impact of trauma and violence. To read more about SAMHSA's efforts in addressing trauma and violence, click on the link below.
http://www.samhsa.gov/trauma-violence/samhsas-efforts


Free On Line Tutorials for Professionals in Substance Abuse Treatment
The National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare offers free online tutorials for professionals in substance abuse treatment, child welfare, and the family courts. Continuing Education and Continuing Legal Education Units are available upon successful completion of each tutorial. 

https://www.ncsacw.samhsa.gov/training/default.aspx


2015 National CASA Conference
National CASA is currently accepting applications to present at the 2015 National CASA Conference: Bold Strategies-Better Outcomes for all Children to be held May 30 through June 2 in New Orleans, LA. We welcome submissions covering all topics of child advocacy that reflect a commitment to positive change—setting off in new directions and making courageous decisions in order to achieve better outcomes for children.

The new 2015 conference workshop tracks are:

  • Growing your volunteer base
  • Effective governance and management
  • Expanding marketing and communications
  • Developing outcome measures
  • Building program capacity
  • Stepping up fundraising
  • Shaping public policy
  • Enhancing skills for volunteer advocates
  • Enriching understanding of equity, inclusion and identity
  • Comprehending the youth voice

Learn more about the new workshop tracks, submission criteria and apply on-line. Submission deadline: Friday, November 21, 2014
http://www.casaforchildren.org/site/c.mtJSJ7MPIsE/b.6085325/k.F95D/Call_for_Presenters.htm


Working with Latino Families
Spanish may not be the primary language of every Latino person coming to your agency as either a prospective adoptive or foster care parent. While many Latinos in the U.S. are bilingual, some do not speak Spanish at all. According to the National Council of La Raza: "A large majority (76%) of the Hispanic community speaks English, and 52% speak both English and Spanish; of the latter, 40% are fluent in both languages."

Many second generation and all of the third generation Latino adoptive parents interviewed for Adopt US Kids publication about promoting and supporting Latino families listed English as their first language. It will serve in the best interest of both the agency and the family to ask the family what their language preferences are rather than assume.

Language is just one important consideration when working with Hispanic and Latino families. Read the AdoptUSKids publication Nuestra Familia, Nuestra Cultura (Our Family, Our Culture) to increase your understanding of working with these families.

New Website - Advocates for Families First: Enhancing Support and Advocacy for Children in Kinship, Foster, Adoptive Families 
Advocates for Families First: Enhancing Support and Advocacy for Children in Kinship, Foster, Adoptive Families is a collaboration of the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC), the National Foster Parent Association (NFPA), and Generations United.
http://advocatesforfamiliesfirst.org/

Digital Stories from NCCWE
Watch “From There to Here: Dwoodson’s Story.”  A moving story made by youth from ACS in NYC and the NCCWE digital story team.
http://www.nccwe.org/digital-stories/dwoodson.html
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Gerald P. Mallon, DSW, LCSW
Julia Lathrop Professor of Child Welfare
Executive Director
National Center for Child Welfare Excellence
Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College
A Service of the Children's Bureau
2180 Third Avenue. 7th Floor
New York, NY 10035
http://www.nccwe.org
mallong@aol.com