Center for Family and Community Engagement

Jul 15, 2024

Permanency Planning Training in Child Welfare

Child Welfare Permanency Planning (formerly called Foster Care) is an important function of North Carolina’s Child Welfare system. It serves children and youth who have been legally placed in out-of-home care. During a child’s time in out-of-home care, permanency planning social workers partner with a child’s parents to assist them in accessing necessary services and… 

Jul 9, 2024

BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month

BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Mental Health Awareness Month is celebrated every July and shines a spotlight on the unique mental health challenges faced by minority communities. This observance aims to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and promote access to culturally competent care for BIPOC individuals. Understanding the Unique Challenges: BIPOC communities often encounter… 

Jun 13, 2024

June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month

During the month of June, our Center is delighted to join in the observance of Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month. According to statistics compiled by the National Institute of Mental Health, 40% of men with reported mental illness received care compared to 52% of women with reported mental illness that received care. This is due… 

Jun 3, 2024

June is Reunification Month

National Reunification Month is celebrated annually in June. This effort “recognizes the people and ongoing efforts around the country that help families stay together. It is also a time to recommit to strengthening, improving, and increasing those efforts all year long” (Contreras, 2022). Reunification refers to the “processes that lead to reconnecting a child with… 

May 13, 2024

Strengthened Protections for LGBTQI+ Youth in the Foster Care System

*This website story is based on the Human Rights Campaign’s Press Release from April 29, 2024 written by Delphine Luneau.  On April 29, 2024, the final rule from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) directs that state and tribal agencies across the country must “fully implement existing protections for LGBTQI+ youth… 

May 6, 2024

Children’s Mental Health Acceptance Week

CFACE is working towards spreading awareness, action, and resources for Children’s Mental Health Week going on May 5-11. The National Federation of Families (NFF) has announced that the theme of the 2024 Children’s Mental Health Acceptance Week will be “Lighting the Path to Social Justice for Children and Youth.” For individuals and communities, social justice… 

May 3, 2024

May is National Foster Care Month

As of 2024, there are approximately 391,000 children and youth in foster care (Children’s Bureau, 2024). May is National Foster Care Month (NFCM), which is a time to spread national awareness of issues related to foster care. Each year, the Children’s Bureau runs the NFCM campaign. This year’s theme, “Engaging Youth. Building Supports. Strengthening Opportunities.”… 

Apr 19, 2024

Our Center’s Training Update

Important Center Announcement  The Center has removed all “Building Cultural Safety.” “Domestic Violence Policy and Best Practices in Child Welfare,” and “Navigating Child and Family Teams: The Role of the Facilitator” training dates April through June 2024. During this time, the Center is working closely with North Carolina Division of Social Services (NC DSS) to… 

Mar 1, 2024

March is Social Worker Appreciation Month!

March is Social Worker Appreciation Month! The theme for 2024 is Empowering Social Workers! There are a lot of different problems impacting the United States today, including rising home insecurity and homelessness; the vast impact of the opioid crisis; and a rising mental health crisis (Center for Disease Control, n.d.). Our country’s social workers are… 

Feb 6, 2024

Our Center’s Newest Training Focusing on Unhoused Youth

According to the Youth Homelessness Overview from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), approximately 4.2 million youth and young adults in the U.S. experience homelessness each year, and it is estimated that 700,000 of these are unaccompanied minors (2023). Homelessness, including youth homelessness, is a significant and tragic problem currently facing the United States.…