CFPIC | Child & Family Policy Institute of California

Supporting Human Services in strengthening the lives of California’s vulnerable adults, children and families.

The Child and Family Policy Institute of California (CFPIC) is a private non-profit organization incorporated in 2004 as a 501 c 3 entity under the auspices of the County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA). The purpose of the CFPIC is to “advance the development of sound public policy and promote program excellence in county Human Services Agencies through research, education, training and technical assistance.”

Beginning in late 2000 CWDA was privileged to receive the services of the National Network for Child Safety and the Public Child Services Association of Ohio, with funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, for the purpose of assisting CWDA in identifying strategies for supporting and advancing best practices among its members. In 2002, reflecting on work that was being done in Ohio, the recommendation was made that the county Human Services directors consider establishing a private non-profit entity that could solicit private foundation funding to support their collective work. Over the course of many months similar organizations, within and outside California, were researched. Finally, in 2004, a Board of Directors was named, by-laws were written, and the Child and Family Policy Institute of California (CFPIC) was formally incorporated. Funding was obtained from the Casey Family Programs and Zellerbach Family Foundation to enable the hiring of an Executive Director and the establishment of an office in Sacramento. Since that time, the CFPIC has implemented a number of projects to support the work of California’s Human Services Agencies.

CFPIC has worked since its inception to carry out its mission in partnership with a number of other organizations, including the following:

County Welfare Directors Association
California Department of Social Services
California Social Work Education Center
California’s Regional Training Academies
California Institute of Mental Health
US Department of Health & Human Services; Region IX
UC Berkeley Performance Indicators Project
California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare (CEBC)
Alcohol and Drug Policy Institute
California Center for Research on Women and Families
Research faculty at California universities
The Resource Center for Family-Focused Practice
Philanthropic partners, including Casey Family Programs, Zellerbach Family Foundation, Stuart Foundation, and Annie E. Casey Foundation

Job Opportunities
CFPIC currently has several consulting positions available. View the position description links below and consider submitting an application to join us in this important work.

Project Director:
Breakthrough Series Collaborative on ILP Transformation

Project Manager:
Breakthrough Series Collaborative on ILP Transformation

Program Manager:
Co-Investment Partnership Integration Team

Program Assistant:
Integration and Policy

CFPIC has worked in collaboration with Speiglman Norris Associates, Berkeley Policy Associates, and other partners and stakeholders in the design and implementation of the CalWORKs Child-only Study. While at its onset the vast majority of CalWORKs cases included an aided adult, over half of CalWORKs cases now provide aid just for the children because the adults have been excluded from cash aid and receipt of services. Concern has been expressed about self-sufficiency status of the parents and caregivers in these cases and also about the well-being of the children.

Child-only Study Report #1, analyzes administrative data from seven Northern California counties to answer questions about the prevalence of five major subgroups of child-only cases, the characteristics of family members comprising those cases, and parents and caregivers’ dynamics of history of receipt of aid. Report #2 and an accompanying policy brief, utilize data from face-to-face surveys with sanctioned and timed-out CalWORKs recipients to report on the composition, characteristics, and needs of those households in five California counties and to address essential policy questions.

A third study phase, focused on child well-being, is in the design stage. For additional information email Richard Speiglman, project director, at richard@snassoc.com

CFPIC in collaboration with the California Institute of Mental Health (CIMH) with grant funding from the Zellerbach Family Foundation facilitated a stakeholders group process to address the mental health needs of children and youth placed out of county. Several months’ work resulted in specific recommendations adopted by the County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA) , the California Mental Health Directors Association, and the California Alliance of Child and Family Services and embodied in SB 785, Statutes of 2007. A final project report including the processes and products of the workgroups and the text of SB 785 are offered here.

CFPIC is working with the CWDA Children’s Committee, CalSWEC, the Regional Training Academies, and the Bay Area Association of Child Protective Services Supervisors to present a comprehensive statewide conference for Social Workers, Supervisors, Mangers and Directors in Monterey on May 28-30, 2008. The Conference will take place at both the Monterey Hyatt (for Directors, Managers and Supervisors)and Asilomar Conference Center (for Supervisors and Social Workers). The 2008 Child Welfare Conference flyer is now available.