Causes: Children & Youth, Children & Youth Services, Family Services, Human Services, Residential Care & Adult Day Programs

Mission: CWLA is a powerful coalition of hundreds of private and public agencies serving vulnerable children and families since 1920.Our expertise, leadership and innovation on policies, programs, and practices help improve the lives of millions of children in all 50 states. Our impact is felt worldwide. CWLA leads and engages its network of public and private agencies and partners to advance policies, best practices and collaborative strategies that result in better outcomes for vulnerable children, youth and families. Our vision is that every child will grow up in a safe, loving, and stable family.

Results: We annually lead hundreds of agency administrators, directors, social workers and other leaders to Capitol Hill to prioritize vulnerable children and families. It is the largest national advocacy event for child welfare, human service, and behavioral health professionals. We focus our efforts on critical issues, like: improving services and supports for older youth who are transitioning out of foster care; strengthening the child welfare workforce; and responding to abuse and related trauma in ways that allow children to safely remain with their parents or extended family when possible, and to recover from the effects of trauma. Our latest trauma-informed Models of Practice curriculum, "Kinship Care: Traditions of Caring and Collaborating" teaches public and private agency-based child welfare staff and community advocates how to work with grandparents and other relatives who are raising their younger family members. Nationally, there are more children living in "kinship care" than with foster parents, and this model of practice teaches how to work with kin on a range of critical concerns, such as legal and financial issues, child behavior, family relationships, health and mental health, and navigating or accessing community supports.