The Doris Duke Foundation (DDF) is embarking on a three-year, $33 million child welfare initiative. This initiative aims to establish a child well-being system focused on prevention, providing support to children and families at the first signs of need.
The Opportunities for Prevention & Transformation Initiative seeks to revolutionize the way the nation addresses the risk of child abuse and neglect. Its goal is to showcase the effectiveness and scalability of proactive and early intervention, as well as the provision of essential services through trusted community partners. By targeting families who often slip through the cracks and are referred to child services agencies for basic needs like food, clothing, and shelter, the initiative aims to provide them with deeper engagement and support, thus preventing abuse and neglect and ensuring that families stay together.
The Duke Endowment and the Aviv Foundation have partnered to launch an initiative that aims to support pilot programs in Washington, D.C., Kentucky, Oregon, and South Carolina. Each partner location will receive around $9 million to provide technical assistance and direct support to families.
“The child welfare system’s narrow focus on removal is a flaw in its design, which ultimately fails communities, well-meaning caseworkers, and, most importantly, the children and families in need of support and empathy,” stated Sam Gill, president of DDF. “Our aim is to showcase the potential benefits of reimagining the system and posing a new question: what are the essential elements for children and families to flourish?”
