The Georgia Division of Family and Children Services, in partnership with Georgia State University’s Professional Excellence Program, has been awarded $2 million by the Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation to develop the Child Welfare Training Collaborative.

The CWTC will improve outcomes for Georgia’s children by strengthening the relationship between the division and its community partners and by cultivating a shared vision for supporting and strengthening families.

The grant provides training and professional development opportunities focused on trauma informed practices, such as: The Impact of Child Maltreatment on Brain Development, The Impact of Trauma on Children in the Child Welfare System, Mental Health and Children in the Child Welfare System and The Impact of Substance Abuse on Children.

The training is free for division staff and its community partners—law enforcement, schools, foster parents, faith-based organizations, mental health providers, youth-serving agencies, child-care agencies, juvenile courts, healthcare providers, Court-Appointed Special Advocates and other community and government organizations. It is expected to reach more than 5,000 Georgians who serve the state’s families and children.

“This partnership is critical to moving the Division’s Blueprint for Change reform effort forward as we work to develop a robust workforce, train staff using a practice model that strengthens families and build partnerships across the state,” said Division Director Bobby Cagle. “The Division cannot prevent and resolve child abuse and neglect issues alone, and this training will expand partnerships within our communities to protect children and be a resource for Georgia’s families.”

In meeting with communities around the state during the Blueprint for Change road show tours, the Division’s leadership has secured many supportive partners who have since participated in the CWTC training.

“It is important for the division and its community partners to be trained together on the impact of trauma on children who are involved with the child welfare system,” said Sheila Blanton, director of the Professional Excellence Program. “By hearing a consistent message and being trained in a united practice, we can develop a strong collaborative effort to create opportunities for building resilience within children impacted by trauma.”

The Professional Excellence Program in the university’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies’ School of Social Work has provided continuing education training for DFCS staff for more than a decade. 

Those who attend CWTC training will be eligible for continuing education units. To register for a training, visit cwtc.gsu.edu. Those who would like to schedule training in their community may email CWTC staff at [email protected].