CHILDREN'S TRUST FUND ALLIANCE

THE CHILDREN'S TRUST FUND ALLIANCE (ALLIANCE) IS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION ESTABLISHED IN 1989 AND IT REMAINS THE ONLY NATIONAL ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES SUPPORT TO ALL ASPECTS OF THE WORK OF STATE CHILDREN'S TRUST FUNDS (CTFS). THE MISSION OF THE ALLIANCE IS TO ENSURE THAT ALL STATES HAVE A STRONG AND EFFECTIVE CHILDREN'S TRUST FUND CAPABLE OF LEADING AND INVESTING IN STRATEGIES, POLICIES AND BEST PRACTICES THAT PREVENT CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT BEFORE IT OCCURS. THE ALLIANCE INITIATES AND ENGAGES IN NATIONAL EFFORTS THAT HELP STATE CHILDREN'S TRUST AND PREVENTION FUNDS IN STRENGTHENING FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES TO PREVENT CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT. THIS INCLUDES PROMOTING AND SUPPORTING A SYSTEM OF SERVICES, LAWS, PRACTICES, AND ATTITUDES THAT SUPPORT FAMILIES BY ENABLING THEM TO PROVIDE THEIR CHILDREN WITH SAFE, HEALTHY, AND NURTURING CHILDHOODS. STATE CTFS ARE ENTITIES CREATED BY LEGISLATION IN ALMOST ALL STATES IN THE US TO LEAD AND SUPPORT EFFORTS TO STRENGTHEN FAMILIES, PROMOTE THE WELL BEING OF CHILDREN AND PREVENT CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT. THEY COLLECTIVELY DISTRIBUTE MORE THAN $300,000,000 IN FUNDING EACH YEAR TO SUPPORT STATE-WIDE AND COMMUNITY-BASED STRATEGIES TO ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS. THEY SERVE AS INCUBATORS OF NEW INITIATIVES, CATALYSTS FOR NEEDED CHANGES AND PARTNERS WITH MULTIPLE OTHER SYSTEMS THAT TOUCH THE LIVES OF FAMILIES.DURING 2023, THE ORGANIZATION CONTINUED TO STRENGTHEN FAMILIES AND PREVENT CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT BY IMPLEMENTING THE FOLLOWING STRATEGIES:I. BRINGING THE PROTECTIVE FACTORS FRAMEWORK TO LIFE IN YOUR WORK A RESOURCE FOR ACTION: THE ALLIANCE HOSTED A SELF-PACED FREE OF CHARGE ONLINE TRAINING TO SUPPORT IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRENGTHENING FAMILIES PROTECTIVE FACTORS FRAMEWORK. THIS CURRICULUM WAS AVAILABLE AT ANY TIME TO USERS AND INCLUDED MATERIALS ON PARTNERING WITH PARENTS AND PROMISING STRATEGIES FOR PRACTITIONERS TO USE TO HELP FAMILIES BUILD PROTECTIVE FACTORS. THE CURRICULUM CONSISTS OF SEVEN COURSES, EACH DESIGNED TO BE ABOUT TWO HOURS IN LENGTH. THIS RESOURCE IS FOR ANYONE WHO WORKS WITH CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, INCLUDING PARENTS, PRACTITIONERS AND SUPERVISORS.IN ADDITION, THE ALLIANCE OFFERED A FOUR-DAY VIRTUAL TRAINING FOR TRAINERS THAT INCLUDES A TRAINER'S MANUAL, HANDOUTS AND PRESENTATION MATERIALS (TRAINING VIDEOS, AUDIO, HANDOUTS AND POWERPOINT SLIDES) FOR EACH COURSE. THIS WAS SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED IN MULTIPLE TRAININGS OF TRAINERS. PARTICIPANTS BECAME CERTIFIED TO USE ALL THE ALLIANCE'S CURRICULUM RESOURCE MATERIALS AND TO JOIN THE ACTIVITIES OF THE NATIONAL NETWORK OF ALLIANCE CERTIFIED TRAINERS.II. BUILDING THE CAPACITY OF STATE CHILDREN'S TRUST FUNDS: THE ALLIANCE PROVIDED TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO STATE CTFS AND THEIR NUMEROUS OTHER SYSTEMS PARTNERS, INCLUDING VIRTUAL TRAININGS, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEER CONSULTING AND, IN RECOGNITION OF THE NEW VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT, WEEKLY MEETINGS FOR TRUST FUND LEADERS TO COME TOGETHER TO DISCUSS STRATEGIES FOR CONTINUING TO SUPPORT FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES IN THESE CHALLENGING SITUATIONS. THESE COORDINATED STRATEGIES HAVE PRODUCED SYSTEMIC CHANGES THAT BRING TOGETHER THE EFFORTS OF MULTIPLE SYSTEMS WITH THE CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION FIELD SO THAT FAMILIES ARE STRENGTHENED AND CHILD ABUSE IS PREVENTED. III. ENSURING A STRONG PARENT VOICE: TO ENSURE A STRONG VOICE REPRESENTING THE PERSPECTIVE OF PARENTS, THE ALLIANCE WORKS CLOSELY WITH ITS ALLIANCE NATIONAL PARENT PARTNERSHIP COUNCIL (ANPPC). ANPPC MEMBERS SERVE AS PARTNERS WITH THE ALLIANCE PROFESSIONAL TEAM IN ALMOST ALL ASPECTS OF THE ALLIANCE'S MISSION-DRIVEN WORK. THEIR PARTNERSHIP PROVIDES THE ALLIANCE WITH IMPORTANT ACCESS TO DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES OF PARENTS AND ENRICHES THE WORK OF THE ALLIANCE AND IT'S KEY ORGANIZATIONAL PARTNERS. THE ALLIANCE ALSO PARTNERS WITH CASEY FAMILY PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT THE BIRTH PARENT NATIONAL NETWORK, THE BIRTH AND FOSTER PARENT PARTNERSHIP AND THE BIRTH PARENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO PROMOTE THE VOICES OF BIRTH PARENTS IN PROMOTING PREVENTION STRATEGIES AND CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM REFORM, PARTICULARLY REDEFINING CHILD WELFARE TO INCLUDE COMMUNITY-BASED CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION. THE ALLIANCE HAS BEEN PLEASED TO WORK WITH OTHER NON-PROFITS, PUBLIC SYSTEMS AND FOUNDATIONS TO HELP ENSURE AND SUPPORT MEANINGFUL PARTNERSHIPS WITH DIVERSE GROUPS OF PARENTS WHO JOIN IN PARTNERSHIP TO SHARE THEIR WISDOM AND LIFE EXPERIENCES.IV. BUILDING THE CAPACITY OF THE PREVENTION, EARLY CHILDHOOD, FAMILY STRENGTHENING AND CHILD WELFARE FIELDS: IN ADDITION TO THE TRAININGS IDENTIFIED ABOVE, TO SHARE ITS EXPERTISE AND KNOWLEDGE, THE ALLIANCE HOSTS A WEB SITE (WWW.CTFALLIANCE.ORG) WITH NUMEROUS RESOURCES THAT HAVE BEEN PRODUCED BY THE ALLIANCE AND ITS MEMBERS. WITH A DIVERSE SET OF PUBLICATIONS AND ORIGINAL VIDEOS, THE ALLIANCE WEB RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE AT NO CHARGE TO HELP SUPPORT QUALITY PRACTICE, EXPAND THE THINKING AND PERSPECTIVES OF THOSE ENGAGED IN THIS FIELD OF WORK AND DOCUMENT IMPORTANT WORK TAKING PLACE THROUGH ITS NATIONAL NETWORK. V. PROMOTING RACIAL JUSTICE AND BECOMING AN ANTI-RACIST ORGANIZATION: PREVIOUSLY, THE ALLIANCE WORKED WITH A NATIONAL GROUP OF INTERNAL LEADERS TO STUDY, LEARN TOGETHER AND BEGIN TO PLAN HOW IT WILL MORE INTENSIVELY PROMOTE RACIAL JUSTICE AND WORK TOWARD BECOMING AN ANTI-RACIST ORGANIZATION. A NATIONAL WORKING GROUP OF ALL BOARD MEMBERS, ALL COMMITTEE CHAIRS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF THE VARIOUS PARENT NETWORKS WAS DEVELOPED TO LEARN FROM EACH OTHER, TO LEARN FROM ACKNOWLEDGED EXPERTS AND TO WORK TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE BEST STEPS TO TAKE AND TO BEGIN CHANGES. THIS HAS BEEN POWERFUL WORK AND THE ALLIANCE IS MORE DIVERSE IN SEVERAL WAYS THAN IT WAS PREVIOUSLY. THIS WORK IS ONGOING AND IS A STRONG COMMITMENT OF THE ORGANIZATION.VI. PREVENTING CHILD NEGLECT - IT'S MORE THAN A FAMILY MATTER: ALL CHILDREN BENEFIT FROM STRONG FAMILIES AND SAFE COMMUNITIES WHERE THEIR NEEDS ARE MET. MOST CHILDREN ARE GROWING UP WITH THESE SUPPORTS. UNFORTUNATELY, MANY ARE NOT. EVEN LOVING, NURTURING PARENTS MAY HAVE DIFFICULTIES MEETING THEIR CHILDREN'S NEEDS. SOME COMMUNITIES FACE CHALLENGES IN PROVIDING AN ENVIRONMENT THAT PROMOTES POSITIVE OUTCOMES FOR THEIR CHILDREN. WHEN CHILDREN'S NEEDS ARE NEGLECTED, THEIR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT CAN BE AFFECTED, WITH LIFE-LONG COSTS TO THEM AND TO ALL OF US.CHILD NEGLECT IS THE MOST PERVASIVE AREA OF CHILD MALTREATMENT AND IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAJORITY OF FOSTER CARE PLACEMENTS FOR CHILDREN. THE IMPACT ON A CHILD'S PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IS SERIOUS AND SIGNIFICANT AND THERE ARE MANY CHALLENGES IN PREVENTING IT FROM OCCURRING. THE ISSUES RELATED TO CHILD NEGLECT ARE BROADER THAN THOSE RELATING ONLY TO INDIVIDUAL FAMILIES. THERE ARE COMMUNITY AND SOCIETAL ISSUES THAT ALSO IMPACT A PARENT'S ABILITY TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR CHILDREN'S NEEDS.THE ALLIANCE ENGAGED IN MULTIPLE STRATEGIES TO PREVENT CHILD NEGLECT, INCLUDING PROVIDING A VIRTUAL SELF-DIRECTED TRAINING AND DISSEMINATING A WEALTH OF MATERIALS AVAILABLE ON ITS WEBSITE (WWW.CTFALLIANCE.ORG).ALLIANCE MISSION TO ENSURE ALL STATES HAVE A STRONG AND EFFECTIVE CHILDREN'S TRUST OR PREVENTION FUND CAPABLE OF LEADING AND INVESTING IN STRATEGIES, POLICIES AND BEST PRACTICES THAT PREVENT CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT BEFORE IT OCCURS. TO INITIATE AND ENGAGE IN NATIONAL EFFORTS THAT HELP STATE CHILDREN'S TRUST AND PREVENTION FUNDS IN STRENGTHENING FAMILIES TO PREVENT CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT. TO PROMOTE AND SUPPORT A SYSTEM OF SERVICES, LAWS, PRACTICES AND ATTITUDES THAT SUPPORTS FAMILIES BY ENABLING THEM TO PROVIDE THEIR CHILDREN WITH SAFE, HEALTHY AND NURTURING CHILDHOODS.