“Hope means we all have a role to play in ensuring that all children in America grow up safely in thriving families and supportive communities.”

Casey Family Programs aims to inspire hope, and according to their recent 2023 Signature Report overviewing the Thriving Families, Safer Children (TFSC) collaborative, there are reasons to have hope and to act on it. Since 2005, the number of children in care across the nation has decreased by 23%, and the Family First Prevention Services Act has been approved in 36 states since its passing. However, there is much more work to be done. Work such as ensuring that poverty and neglect in all states are clearly observed as two separate situations, and ensuring that minority and indigenous children and families are not disproportionately represented within the child welfare system are just two examples of items on the long list of work we have to do.

One of the highlights of hope that is discussed throughout the report is how individuals with lived experience are being invited to collaborate and give feedback on services within the system.

“When we need to solve a challenging problem, we often seek out advice from experts, those with special knowledge or skills derived from experience.”

With 377,000 children in foster care, many cross-sector systems are serving kids and families everyday in local communities. Thriving Families, Safer Children, founded in 2020, is a national collaborative that believes that individuals with lived experience are best positioned to shape communities that can support families. TFSC emphasizes the expertise of diversity among stakeholders. This means the collaborative looks different across the nation. The following are some initiatives that the TFSC Kentucky team has worked on:

  • Statewide Prevention Collaborative
  • Regional Prevention Collaboratives
  • KY SEAT (Kentucky System Experience At the Table)
  • Lean on Me KY
  • Building Community Wellbeing Among Families Project
  • Truth and Reconciliation: Truth Telling Circles

The report also highlights voices from those with lived experience who have been a vital part in their jurisdiction’s TFSC initiatives, and many different efforts that are being applied across the U.S.

To learn more about how the TFSC initiative is being applied across the nation, and for more information about Casey Family Programs, read the 2023 signature report here.