Many of the cases facing child welfare professionals are tied to domestic violence, with many of those compounded by additional factors like mental health and addiction. Many professionals are not fully equipped with the tools necessary to navigate some of these complex issues and are stifled by a system that blames mothers for failing to protect.

By following the Safe & Together Model, the child welfare field will become domestic violence informed. Through its tools and resources, children are kept safe and together with survivors without using the failure to protect approach. Thus, reducing victim-blaming, creating a common language, and framework to negotiate a way forward. An agency will see a reduction of marginalized children in state care, cost savings on foster placement, a decrease in personnel burnout, and improve relationships with domestic violence partners.

As the flagship entity in the community, by committing to the domestic violence informed practice, you can transform other parts of the system.

  Shifts systems 
  Assists child welfare in assessing child safety & wellbeing when domestic violence is a factor
  Works with mental health and addiction specialists
  Works with multi-agency and high risk teams