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On July 30, the White House Domestic Policy Council hosted a convening on Child Welfare Transformation. The gathering was an opportunity to highlight innovation, accomplishments, and system partnerships. This same day, the Biden-Harris administration also announced its new policies for keeping children and families safely together. Policymakers, funders, and key stakeholders, including Lark Kesterke, Director of the Help Me Grow Washington Network at WithinReach, shared ideas for additional policy opportunities and accomplishments to support families and their children.

Kesterke was invited to speak on the role of public/private system partnerships in preventing family separation and supporting and creating opportunities for families and youth. As a key connector and advocate for families in Washington state, WithinReach values collaboration and actively participates in a number of cross-system partnerships to reach the best outcomes for families.

With the changes in federal legislation passed in 2016, the Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF) invited  Help Me Grow Washington (WithinReach), along with many other tribal, state, and local organizations, to develop a cross-sector approach to shift how we care for and offer support to families with infants who were exposed to substances during pregnancy. Kesterke spoke to the commitment to place families and children at the heart of the model by offering a family-centered, community-based pathway – Help Me Grow Washington – that supports families in being connected for their child’s health, development, and well-being, which helps to mitigate the impacts of stress and adversity.

“Guided by our partnership’s shared vision of reducing the number of infants and young children placed in out-of-home care by ensuring their safety and well-being, it is important that we meet families where they are at and connect them to the services and support that they want and need,” said Kesterke. “Help Me Grow Washington offers a community-based response to providing wraparound services and support to families who would have been traditionally routed to Child Welfare or offered no additional resources.”

Help Me Grow Washington provides information, care coordination/system navigation, and linkage to community-based supports for all families in Washington with children (prenatal to age 8 years). It leverages an established universal access point and infrastructure and normalizes accessing support for expectant families and families with young children, including those experiencing higher risk of child welfare involvement. Help Me Grow Washington is an open invitation for all families to ask for what they need during a time that can be stressful, confusing, and isolating.

In reflecting on key considerations for forming and sustaining private/public system partnerships, Kesterke said: “Invest in coordinated and shared infrastructure that connects multiple child-serving sectors, inclusive of child welfare to community-based supports and services; one that is universal, yet nimble, to remain focused, connected, and responsive. Honor and leverage the work and partners that families already trust, looking for key activities that can be aligned and built upon to reduce trauma and harm. Remember that system change takes time but is possible. Be clear and committed to your North Star, so that partners may come and go but the destination does not change.”

Throughout the convening, the Biden-Harris administration affirmed its commitment to ensuring all children have the opportunity to achieve their full potential and to grow up in safe and loving homes. The administration also announced several policies  to prevent family separation and to support and create opportunities for youth and families. Event speakers echoed the need for community and economic support to prevent family separations in times of poverty.

These policies align with WithinReach’s commitment to equity and family health and wellbeing and our legislative priorities, which are focused on breaking down barriers that prevent families from living healthy lives. The administration’s investment in upstream prevention resources offers the flexibility needed to meet a family and community’s unique needs.

Learn more about the White House convening here: FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Actions to Keep Children and Families Safely Together and Supported.