Alternative Response is an approach by Louisiana DCFS to help families access services, support, and other assistance that will help families, without requiring a formal investigation of child abuse or neglect. It is based on the belief that families can stay together if they receive the assistance needed. This occurs by creating a partnership between families and caseworkers that ensures child safety and well-being by addressing any identified issues as early as possible. With Alternative Response, children are safer sooner and families are strengthened. Under Act 409, Alternative Response Family Assessment focuses on assessing the underlying family dynamics and evaluating the safety and well-being of the children involved, while ensuring referrals are made for appropriate services and supports. The following criteria for ARFA include: - Child-on-child sexual abuse that occurs in the home without parental culpability - Referrals from law enforcement of alleged child-on-child sexual abuse that occurs in a school setting, to include an assessment of alleged perpetrating child’s family and the child’s victim’s family

This course is designed to provide DCFS staff guidance on how to apply for federal benefits for children in foster care. Learning Objectives: - Participants will gain knowledge of the most common sources of benefits for which children and families may be eligible - Participants will gain an understanding of how to proceed when a child receives federal benefits prior to DCFS custody - Understanding of the process when a child is approved for benefits while in DCFS custody - Participants will become knowledgeable on the application process

Participants will learn how to make 3 creative projects that help children and teens reflect on their personality, establish a personal motto, and create a vision for their future. Specifically, they will learn to make a Name-Poem (acrostic poem), a Coat-of-Arms and a Vision Board. These projects are fun for people of every age and help promote self-esteem. The training session will show samples, teach how-to make each project, and explain the importance of these tools for personal growth. Foster parents will be able to teach these techniques to the children in their homes far into the future. Supplies will be provided for early registrants, and a supply list for others.

This course is designed to provide participants with a basic knowledge of domestic violence to assist them in identifying and working with families with domestic violence. The course provides information on the impact of domestic violence on children, the need to engage the perpetrators, and engaging survivor/non-offending parents of domestic violence. The course also provides guidelines for developing in-home safety plans when domestic violence has been identified.

This course is an introduction to the topic of the "Culture of Poverty" and is intended to assist New Child Welfare Workers in beginning to think about how poverty can impact the families they work with. It is a podcast from March 23, 2009 heard on NPR's Talk of the Nation. Sudhir Venkatesh, scholar and author, and William Julius Wilson, sociologist, are guests on this episode of Talk of the Nation.

This online training will provide an overview of changes in assessing safety in child welfare as we transition to Child Welfare Assessment and Decision Making (CWADM) Model. This online training prepares all child welfare staff for the system and policy changes that will align practice with the CWADM Model.