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

New Breakthrough Series Collaborative (BSC) - help transform the Independent Living Program (ILP) in California.
Application Due Date: September 15, 2008;
Info-Call August 18, 2008, 1 to 3 PM

Please note applications must come directly from public child welfare or social service directors in California, who apply on behalf of their local teams. Up to 20 participating teams will be selected through a competitive process and must demonstrate a commitment to making major, rapid, system-wide changes that redefine and reshape programs and services promoting permanency and preparation for adulthood.

This BSC is sponsored by the California Child Welfare Co-Investment Partnership (CDSS, CWDA, AOC, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Casey Family Programs, Stuart Foundation, Walter S. Johnson Foundation, Zellerbach Family Foundation) and is being co-chaired by Kristina Gelardi, Northern Regional Policy Coordinator for California Youth Connection, and Rhelda Shabazz, Chief of Youth Development Services for the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. Child and Family Policy Institute of California (CFPIC) and New Ways to Work are partnering to move this BSC forward.

Download the Application. (Word)

Download the Appendix. (PDF)

For further information please contact our Project Director, Karen Lofts Jarboe at karen.loftsjarboe@cfpic.org.

Thank you to everyone (there are so many of you out there!) who have been involved in creating and promoting a new vision for ILP, planning this BSC, and/or other related efforts to improve systems, services, supports and outcomes for transitioning foster youth in California.

CFPIC worked 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 took place at both the Monterey Hyatt (for Directors, Managers and Supervisors)and Asilomar Conference Center (for Supervisors and Social Workers).

Information from the Directors/Managers/
Supervisors track at the Hyatt available below:

Download 2008 conference presentation information and links. (Word)

Download a list of the 2008 conference attendees. (Excel)

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