Overview of PPCWG

The Positioning Public Child Welfare Guidance (PPCWG) was developed by the Positioning Public Child Welfare Initiative (PPCWI), an initiative begun in January 2007, led by National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators (NAPCWA) and generously supported through a strong collaboration with Casey Family Programs. The initiative established a mechanism for state and local public agency leaders, child welfare researchers, academicians and stakeholders to come together to develop guidance for the field outlined in fourteen (14) critical areas. These critical areas include: Strategy, Leadership, Practice Model, Communications, Administrative Practices, Workforce, Disparity and Disproportionality, Strategic Partnerships, Information Management, Change Management, Research, Technology, Public Policy and Budget and Finance.

In the Spring of 2007, the Sponsor Group, a group of twenty-one (21) public agency leaders and experts in child welfare, was established to develop the fundamental concepts and operating parameters for the ensuing work of the PPCWI. They developed 1) the analytical framework that identifies, defines and shows the interrelationship among the fourteen critical areas and serves as the basis for the full range of work for public child welfare, 2) the values and principles upon which the guidance is based, 3) the statements that outline the target population for whom the guidance ultimately benefits, 4) the statements clarifying the role of public child welfare, and 5) the foundational principle relating to Disparity and Disproportionality and how its pervasiveness throughout the public child welfare system must be addressed in all critical areas.

In February 2008, the National Advisory Committee (NAC) reviewed the work of the Sponsor Group. The NAC was made up of approximately sixty (60) public agency leaders, academicians, researchers, stakeholders and youth. They provided feedback on the recommendations presented to them by the Sponsor Group which ultimately informed the development of the subcommittees who were charged with developing the actual guidance.

In April 2008, seven (7) subcommittees were established to develop guidance in the following areas: Strategy, Leadership, Workforce, Practice Model, Disparity and Disproportionality, Communications and Administrative Practices. Through a multi-level content review and approval process, these subcommittees reviewed research and literature in each critical area. They came to consensus on what should be included in the guidance and submitted it for review and approval first to the Sponsor Group and finally to the NAPCWA Executive Committee. As the work of these subcommittees moved forward and was approved, three (3) more subcommittees were established in November 2008 to address Information Management, Strategic Partnerships and Change Management. The remaining critical areas were addressed in the Spring and Fall of 2009 and completed in December of that year.

The work of the subcommittees was phased over a two-year period to allow for a process review of the initiative overall. Additionally, by phasing the work, later subcommittees were able to build upon the work that was completed and use it to inform their final product.

The subcommittees of the Positioning Public Child Welfare Initiative (PPCWI) represented over 150 distinguished child welfare experts from across the nation from approximately thirty-one (31) states and localities, eight (8) youth, seventeen (17) national organizations, seven (7) nationally renowned research institutions, fourteen (14) schools of social work and various stakeholders who were experts in the field of public child welfare.

With the completion of the guidance and its final approval by the NAPCWA Executive Committee, public child welfare agencies will be actively engaged in an evaluation and monitoring process and will be asked to make recommendations for its revision through a structured process.