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The mission of ASU’s Center for Child Well-Being is to advance child and family well-being. We believe society can collectively overcome challenges and make a difference by ensuring the health and well-being of its children. Drawing upon the expertise of faculty from across ASU's research enterprise, we work to increase resilience among families and to build safer and more vibrant communities for young people.

The Center for Child Well-Being combines the knowledge, expertise and resources of a large public research university with the operational capacity of state and community agencies working to serve vulnerable families and to advance solutions that would otherwise be unattainable. 

The mission of ASU’s Center for Child Well-Being is to advance child and family well-being. We believe society can collectively overcome challenges and make a difference by ensuring the health and well-being of its children.

Drawing on the expertise of our staff and faculty from across Arizona State University’s research enterprise, we work to increase resilience among families and to build safer and more vibrant communities for young people.

Research and Evaluation
Faculty researchers and students support, sustain, and improve community-based public services to children and families. Our Research and Evaluation Team provides greater responsiveness to the area of child well-being through data-driven and evidence-informed decision-making. We identify emerging best practices and provide an evaluation focused on system improvement.

Child Welfare Education Program 
Our Child Welfare Education Program is a collaborative effort of the Arizona State University School of Social Work and the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) that is funded by the Child Welfare Field Education and Student Support Program, a Title IV-E grant of the Social Security Act The mission of the program is to prepare social work students to empower families and promote the safety, permanency, and well-being of the children involved in Arizona's public child welfare system.

Impact Instruction
The ASU Center for Child Well-Being’s the education and training arm, Impact Instruction, promotes child well-being by developing custom training for human service, court and child welfare professionals and the communities they serve. Instruction applies human service management, social work and child welfare knowledge, expert instructional design, and creative excellence to create high impact training materials that meet the needs of your organization.

Children of Incarcerated Parents National Conference
Each spring, the ASU Center for Child Well-Being hosts the National Children of Incarcerated Parents Conference, not only to further awareness of the impact of incarceration on children and families, but also to increase community capacity to respond in helpful and healing ways. We started the conference because of the general lack of awareness of the almost 3 million children who currently have a parent incarcerated, and the 10 million who have experienced parental incarceration at some point during their childhood.

The conference draws awareness to the voices and work of children/youth, families and communities whose lives have been impacted by mass incarceration. The three conference tracks focus on informing best practices when partnering with and supporting those with lived-experience to co-create and lead, systems transformation and accountability, and building community engagement and collaboration.

Empathy Through Literature
As the host of the National Children of Incarcerated Parents Conference, we have heard from those with lived experience about the stigma and shame children and caregivers may feel. This is why the ASU Center for Child Well-Being developed Empathy Through Literacy.

We believe that through reading, children and youth can realize that others are also dealing with the feelings and emotions that accompany parental incarceration.

Title IV-E Listserv
Would you like to connect with a national child welfare community that is approximately 500 members strong? Join the Title IV-E listserv. The listserv is commonly used to ask questions, advertise conferences and research opportunities, and post job announcements. The ASU CCWB hosts of the listserv. Membership is open to Title IV-E educational partners and state plan administrators. Requests to join should be sent to judy.krysik@asu.edu – name and email is all that is required.

5th Annual Children of Incarcerated Parents National Conference -Children/youth, families and communities empowered in the face of mass incarceration

Each spring, the ASU Center for Child Well-Being hosts the National Children of Incarcerated Parents Conference, not only to further awareness of the impact of incarceration on children and families, but also to increase community capacity to respond in helpful and healing ways. We started the conference because of the general lack of awareness of the almost 3 million children who currently have a parent incarcerated, and the 10 million who have experienced parental incarceration at some point during their childhood.

Our conference is unique in that it provides an opportunity to listen, dialogue, learn, network, and collaborate. Our presenters range from those with lived experience of incarceration (parents, children, and caretakers), to teachers, faith-based community members, researchers, advocates, child welfare and legal professionals, as well as others who interact with children and families affected by incarceration on a daily basis.

This year’s conference will be held on three consecutive Mondays: April 17, April 24, and May 1, 2023. The 2023 conference theme is: Children/Youth, Families, and Communities Empowered in the Face of Mass Incarceration

With this, our fifth year of the national conference, we draw awareness to the voices and work of children/youth, families and communities whose lives have been impacted by mass incarceration. The three conference tracks focus on informing best practices when partnering with and supporting those with lived-experience to co-create and lead, systems transformation and accountability, and building community engagement and collaboration.

Track 1:
Sharing Lived Experience to Inform Best Practices with Those Impacted by Mass Incarceration

Track 2:
Advancing Meaningful Transformation Across Agencies, Organizations and Communities

Track 3:
Building Supportive Networks and Collaborations

 

Conference pricing is $99 during the early bird special through March 15, 2023 and $129 starting March 16, 2023. Pricing includes virtual admission to all 3 conference days and access to all session recordings. (approximately 30 sessions*) NASW CEU's will also be available for purchase.

We look forward to having you join us as we continue our work on this important issue.

 Register for CIP2023


For questions or to get added to the official CIP2023 mailing list, please reach out to
childwellbeing@asu.edu and make sure to bookmark https://childwellbeing.asu.edu/cip

Thank you to our sponsors and exhibitors for their generosity in helping us make this conference possible.

Click on any organization's logo to visit their website. 

Arizona Anti-Trafficking Network Logo  First Things First Logo  Governor's Office of Youth, Faith and Family Logo

Hickey Family Foundation Logo  Sanctuary at Sedona Logo Mark

For information on sponsor and exhibitor opportunities, please contact us at childwellbeing@asu.edu. 

News

Newest information on articles, current events, and research

Casey Family Programs, the nation’s largest operating foundation focused on safely reducing the need for foster care in the United States, just released a brief titled "What should child protection agencies consider when working with children whose parent or primary caregiver is incarcerated?"

The foundation points out that "this issue brief concerns the well-being of children whose parent or primary caregiver is incarcerated at any point while the child is involved with the child welfare system. This should not be taken to imply that incarceration should necessitate an open child welfare case. In most cases, when a parent or primary caregiver is incarcerated, children can and should be safely cared for by other family members, without additional family separation or involvement of the child welfare system. The child protection agency should support ongoing visits and engagement with the parent or primary caregiver who is incarcerated."

The brief can be found here, and will also be available for attendees to download during the Children of Incarcerated Parents National Conference in April/May. 

The Center for Child Well-Being is excited to share this new community resource available throughout Arizona.  Fathers play an important role in their children's lives and Dad Together helps all fathers better connect with their children.  Click the image below to view the flier for information on how to sign-up for the program.

Image of the Dads Together flier - Click the image to view

 

 

Image of adult and child holding hands with the article title of "Black Kin Caregivers: Acceptability and Cultural Adaptation of the Family Check-Up/Everyday Parenting Program" below

In this article, Drs. Qi Wu and Judy Krysik, as well as CCWB affiliated doctoral student, Anthony Thornton report the findings from a pilot of the Family CheckUp/Everyday Parenting program with black kin caregivers.  Black children join kinship care disproportionately and black kin caregivers often face financial, housing, mental health, and parenting challenges when caring for relative children. Few interventions have been developed specifically for kin caregivers. This study evaluated the initial acceptability of this evidence based parenting intervention and worked to culturally adapt it for Black kin caregivers. Implications for child welfare practice, policy, and research are provided. 

Read the article