Policy & Practice | Summer 2025

and food security—can alleviate the stressors that lead to system involve ment. When families have what they need to meet basic needs, they are better positioned to thrive and keep their children safe.

The Prevention Imperative: Shifting Systems Toward Family Well-Being The traditional child welfare model in the United States is largely reactive, mobilizing only after harm has occurred. Yet decades of data show that the majority of child welfare cases stem from issues related to poverty, housing instability, and unmet basic needs, each of which are preventable. Federal policy shifts such as the Family First Prevention Services Act have encouraged jurisdic tions to invest in prevention services, but there is growing consensus that services alone are not enough. To prevent family separation, systems are addressing the economic conditions that place families at risk. ECS—such as housing assistance, cash payments, child care, workforce development,

Evidence and Insights: Surveys and Focus Groups To deepen the learning and inform broader system change, APHSA and Chapin Hall complemented the CoP with research activities designed to capture perspectives across the human services sector and from those with lived experience. In 2023, APHSA and Chapin Hall conducted a national survey of child welfare leaders to understand how states are currently using ECS in child welfare prevention. The survey revealed that: n Economic need is frequently a contributing factor in suspected maltreatment reports, both abuse and neglect. n ECS programs are administered by divisions or agencies external to child welfare, and more direct funding to expand access to ECS for families would be very helpful. n Barriers to scaling ECS include limited funding, narrow eligibility criteria, and lack of interagency coordination.

A National Approach to Elevating Economic Supports as Prevention

In 2023–2024, APHSA and Chapin Hall launched a national CoP focused on the evidence-based use of ECS in preventing child welfare involvement. The CoP brought together a diverse group of state and local leaders across human services, including child welfare, TANF, housing, and other support systems, with a shared goal of exploring how ECS could be inte grated more intentionally into family support strategies. Over the course of the CoP, participants engaged in peer learning sessions, shared challenges and innovations, and worked through barriers to implementation. The struc ture facilitated cross-sector dialogue, with states identifying actionable ways to align their economic support programs with child welfare preven tion goals. Participants in the CoP surfaced several innovative approaches that are already being tested by agencies. Some states are piloting direct cash assistance programs targeted at families identified as being at risk of child welfare involvement to prevent challenges from becoming child safety crises. Others are investing in housing stability as a prevention strategy by braiding child welfare dollars with housing vouchers or utility assistance. States also explored opportunities to improve the coordination between TANF and child welfare agencies— ensuring that families receive timely and comprehensive support, rather than navigating disconnected systems. This has been of particular interest given the first statutory purpose of TANF is to provide assistance to needy families so that children can remain at home or with relatives. A clear theme emerged: ECS are most impactful when they are not treated as ancillary, but as integral evidence-based compo nents of a family-centered prevention infrastructure.

Yasmin Grewal Kök , JD, MEd ECE, is a Policy Fellow at Chapin Hall.

Meg Dygert is a Senior Policy Associate, Child and Family Well-Being, at APHSA.

The survey highlighted both the momentum and the gaps in providing ECS to stabilize families and improve child safety across the country. Scan the code to read more lessons learned from the survey.

Focus Groups with TANF Administrators

Rebekah Sides is a Senior Project Associate, Employment and Training, at APHSA.

APHSA and Chapin Hall sought to supplement the perspectives of child welfare administrators with those of public benefits leaders. In December 2024, we conducted focus groups composed of 13 state TANF administra tors representing 12 states. Each focus group responded to questions relating

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