Center for Family and Community Engagement

Jul 15, 2024

Permanency Planning Training in Child Welfare

The Center recently partnered with the North Carolina Division of Social Services staff development team members to provide Permanency Planning training events across the state of North Carolina. Child Welfare Permanency Planning (formerly called Foster Care) services children and youth who have been legally placed in out-of-home care.

Jul 9, 2024

BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month

BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Mental Health Awareness Month is celebrated each July to acknowledge 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.

Jun 13, 2024

June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month

Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month is observed each June. Men with reported mental illness are less likely to received care, which is a result of the stigma surrounding men needing help or sharing their mental health struggles. We can fight this stigma by encouraging and supporting men who seek help when they need it.

Jun 3, 2024

June is Reunification Month

National Reunification Month is an effort to “recognize 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."

May 13, 2024

Strengthened Protections for LGBTQI+ Youth in the Foster Care System

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 in foster care. These protections for LGBTQI+ were proposed by the Children’s Bureau of the Administration for Children and Families, a division of Health and Human Services, in September 2023.

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 theme for Children’s Mental Health Acceptance Week this year is “Lighting the Path to Social Justice for Children and Youth.” Acceptance is the first step towards social justice for our communities, as acceptance requires us to take action and responsibility in changing attitudes, behaviors, and systems.

May 3, 2024

May is National Foster Care Month

May is National Foster Care Month (NFCM), which is a time to spread national awareness of issues related to foster care. This year’s theme is “Engaging Youth. Building Supports. Strengthening Opportunities.” This emphasizes the importance of creating a child welfare system that takes a holistic and culturally responsive approach. National Foster Care Month is also an opportunity to recognize that people from all parts of the child welfare system play a crucial role in supporting children, youth and families. 

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.…