CWLA Networker January 2026

[Child Welfare League of America]

CWLA News & More

In This Issue CWLA Conference Keynote Learning Opportunities Drugs, Alcohol, Pregnancy & the Vulnerable Child Proposed Public Charge Rule will Harm Children Members-Only Series  Good News Resilient 2026 CWLA 2026 Conference Keynote Speaker CWLA is pleased to announce David Ambroz as the keynote speaker for the closing plenary at our 2026 Conference. A nationally recognized child welfare advocate, bestselling author, and leader in philanthropy, David brings both professional expertise and lived experience to his work advancing equity and opportunity for children and families. His closing remarks will invite us to reflect on our collective impact and look ahead to the future of child welfare with purpose and resolve. Learn More About the Conference Learning Opportunities Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence: Cultivating Hope, Collaboration, and Change January 21, 2026 Rampant gun violence is taking a devastating toll on students, families, and the educational and human services workforce, leaving many professionals overwhelmed and vulnerable to secondary traumatic stress. This free webinar will explore the evolution and current capacity of Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence and present a practical framework for addressing the emotional labor of this work. Participants will learn strategies to strengthen organizational resilience, improve school safety, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and support personal and professional wellness. Crisis Assessment and Intervention When Gun Violence and Trauma Strike: A Five-Step Approach to Foster Hope, Collaboration, and Change Tuesdays, February 3, 10 & 17, 2026 Building on the January 21 webinar, these facilitated forums will build a resilience and wellness framework for educators, interdisciplinary professionals, and community partners. Informed by Systems Consultation When Trauma Strikes: Stories of Hope, Collaboration, and Change, Second Edition, the forums will present a systemic approach to responding in the immediate aftermath of school shootings and gun violence while addressing ongoing burnout, stress, and organizational strain. Participants will explore how strengthening organizational resilience will help teams rebound from crisis and better prepare for future challenges. Building Professional Responsiveness and Engagement Skills in Child Welfare Practice January 29 & 30, 2026 This virtual training opportunity will invite participants to engage in structured dialogue examining variation in individual and group experiences. Using a framework grounded in reflective practice and professional ethics, attendees will analyze how acknowledging multiple perspectives contributes to trust-building, strengthens professional alliances, and informs effective service strategies. The discussion will also consider disparities within child welfare, emphasizing historical and institutional influences on outcomes. Participants will acquire evidence-based approaches to enhance adaptability, refine communication, and advance fairness and consistency in decision-making. Building Reflective Practice: Strengthening Child Welfare Through Self-Awareness March 18 & 20, 2026 This training will invite participants to explore the evolution from traditional competence frameworks toward approaches emphasizing continuous reflection and respect for self-defined identities. Participants will analyze how overlapping identity dimensions—such as age, ability, and socioeconomic position—shape lived experiences and influence outcomes within child welfare systems. Drawing on theoretical constructs, the discussion will examine how long-standing structures and prevailing norms—such as appearance-based decisions—affect both practitioners and the families they support. Attendees will develop strategies to engage with authenticity, interrogate assumptions, and advance fairness and consistency in professional practice. Breaking the Cycle: Addressing Trauma, Identity and Structural Influences in Child Welfare March 26, 2026 This training will provide participants with a research-informed, reflective look at how identity and adverse life experiences interact to shape families within child welfare systems. Although identity categories are socially constructed, their influence on laws, policies, and relationships has enduring effects that contribute to uneven outcomes across service settings. Participants will examine how life circumstances linked to structurally based experiences can persist across generations and institutions, and how historical and structural factors affect children and families. A framework grounded in trauma awareness and responsive practice will guide discussion and practical strategies for fostering healing and resilience. Drugs, Alcohol, Pregnancy & the Vulnerable Child CWLA is pleased to partner with Dr. Ira J. Chasnoff, the Founder & President of NTI Upstream, to bring you the essential training series Drugs, Alcohol, Pregnancy & the Vulnerable Child. This training series will explore the biological and environmental factors for children and families that impact the ultimate development of children affected by prenatal substance exposure and will provide strategies for family- and school-based interventions that can promote long-term growth and development for this high-risk population of children. Each of the monthly training sessions is a stand-alone learning opportunity. Participants are welcome to register for one or multiple sessions. Training Topics Include: • The Neurobiology of Attachment in Pregnancies Affected by Substance Use • Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD): Understanding the Diagnosis • Marijuana, Mother, and Father: A Public Health Perspective • Behavior Belongs in the Brain: Moving Away from Blame • Sensory Processing: A Continuum of Challenges for Children with Prenatal Substance Exposure • Risk is Not Destiny: Behavioral and Educational Interventions for Children and Teens Affected by Prenatal Substance Exposure • How Adults Can Interact with Children to Promote Emotional and Behavioral Regulation • Sensory Diets and DIY Sensory Rooms for Home • Building Stronger Bonds: Enhancing Parent-Child Attunement • Unseen Beginnings: Adoptive Parents’ Lived Experiences Raising a Child with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Learn More & Register CWLA Comments: Proposed Public Charge Rule will Harm Children On November 17, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services posted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) proposing to rescind the 2022 Biden Administration Public Charge rule. The NPRM does not replace the current rule with a new rule, but rather an explanation of how the agency intends to reinterpret “public charge” to include the consideration of any past or future benefit use for any length or duration of time, including the use of “means-tested public benefits,” which have historically never been included in the public charge test. CWLA opposes this rule on the grounds that it creates barriers to participation in public programs for immigrant children and families. The rule will cause immigrant caregivers to avoid using needed services and supports, thereby increasing the vulnerability of immigrant parents and their children to poverty, fear and stress, which research indicates may lead to increased instances of child maltreatment and child welfare involvement. Read Our Comments on the NPRM CWLA Launches New Members-Only Learning Series CWLA is pleased to launch a new members-only learning series, designed to support child welfare professionals with timely, practice-informed conversations on complex issues facing the field. Offered quarterly and held virtually on Zoom, this series is included with CWLA membership and open to every staff member within a member agency. We’re kicking off the series on Wednesday, February 25 with a session focused on one of the most urgent and challenging areas of practice: Navigating Serving Children in Child Welfare with Significant Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Needs If you are part of a CWLA member agency and would like to register for the free event, please contact Member Services. Email Us for Your Registration Link Good News in Child Welfare At times, the news media’s bad news bias towards child welfare can lead us to feel disheartened, dispirited, and discouraged. But we know the truth – that all over the country dedicated child-serving professionals are having an immense positive impact on the lives of children and families. In partnership with the Field Center for Children’s Policy, Practice, & Research, each month we highlight one inspiring, joyful news story from the child welfare system. We hope this segment brings joy and delight into your day. Coffee Shop Helps Youth Aging Out of Foster Care La La Land Kind Cafe, a popular coffee shop in Los Angeles, is running a program to help youth aging out of foster care. Their 12-week paid internship program offers meaningful guidance as participants transition into adulthood. Each week, interns learn new job-related skills while also receiving mentorship on their personal journey, from navigating housing and accessing therapy to getting help with schooling. The program supports participants in securing employment, whether at one of La La Land’s cafes or in other industries that align with their interests and goals. Over 100 participants have graduated from the program, and its success has inspired larger companies, including Walmart, to adopt similar social-responsibility models. A Stronger, More Resilient Year The new year may bring rising demands, tighter margins, and evolving regulatory pressures. Start it off right by exploring strategies to address these challenges with confidence. Learn more about The Relias Platform, a comprehensive online training and management system that supports professional development and enhances organizational efforts to improve child and family well-being. CWLA members receive discounted access! Members can also utilize discounted access to The Relias Platform’s connected solutions that improve organizational effectiveness and enhance outcomes – Compliance Management integrates policy and regulatory tools, and Relias XM offers real-time insights into client and staff experiences. Find out how your organization can reduce cost and risk, improve retention, and strengthen care delivery. Learn More about CWLA's Partnership with Relias 1600 K Street NW, Suite 505 Washington, DC 20006 Phone: (202) 688-4200 • Website: www.cwla.org Learn About CWLA Membership Unsubscribe