Selected Project Sites
In 2024, the QIC-WA selected six child welfare agencies to participate in the identification, implementation, and evaluation of a strategy to improve their workforce outcomes. These sites are tribal, county, and state agencies interested in addressing pressing workforce challenges and building their capacity to use data to drive decision-making.
California Department of Social Services
The California Department of Social Services is a state led, county administered child welfare system with 13,000 employees. They support 58 county child welfare departments to serve children and families effectively. CDSS has a workgroup dedicated to workforce issues and is interested in building their capacity to create a sustainable, quality child welfare workforce development framework. They will partner with select counties on an initiative to improve their use of data and workforce outcomes.
Fairfax County Department of Family Services
Fairfax County Department of Family Services (DFS), Children, Youth and Families (CYF) Division is a county administered child welfare system in the commonwealth of Virginia. They have 260 employees and are partnering with the QIC-WA to gain evidence about which workforce strategies are yielding positive results. They have a team dedicated to workforce support and seek to invest their time and resources in strategies that effectively address challenges such as staff turnover, need for consistent onboarding practices, and need for support for supervisors.
Maryland Department of Human Services
The Maryland Department of Human Services operates a state-run child welfare system with more than 1200 employees and a strong local focus. They decreased state job vacancies statewide in 2023; however, several local departments are still experiencing higher than average rates that exceed 17%. They are working with the QIC-WA to identify innovative strategies to ensure that they maintain a workforce that can best meet the needs of children and families in Maryland.
Red Lake Nation
Red Lake Tribal Nation is a Federally recognized sovereign tribe and the only “closed reservation” in Minnesota with all land held in common. Ombimindwaa Gidinawemaaganinaadog: Uplifting our Relatives - Intergenerational Family Wellness, formerly known as Family and Children Services, is committed to provide child welfare and family services across the lifespan in culturally specific ways that reflects our belief systems as Anishinaabeg; restoring indigenous family wellness and demonstrating our self-governance through improved systems, services, data infrastructure and training that result in positive outcomes for our Nation.
Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes
The Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska have their primary offices in Juneau, Alaska, representing nearly 38,000 Tlingit & Haida tribal citizens worldwide. They have about 25 employees working in their Child Welfare program and serving Native children and families in Alaska, Washington and at least 10 other states. The tribes have recently opened a physical office in Lynnwood, Washington, and are working toward a state-tribal partnership. There are more than 9,000 enrolled Tlingit & Haida tribal citizens in the State of Washington. The Tlingit & Haida tribes are interested in creating practice standards to support new workers, strengthening training, and building data infrastructure to support programming, administration, and staffing.
Vermont Agency of Human Services
The Vermont Family Services Division (FSD) is a state administered child welfare system with approximately 425 employees. In recent years the state has focused energy on a variety of workforce initiatives to address wellness, culture, and race equity. They are partnering with the QIC-WA to use available data to inform specific strategies that may improve retention, recruitment, well-being, and the time it takes to fill positions.