Workforce Capacity Development in the Child Safety Learning Collaborative

Full Description: Workforce capacity development is a key output of the Children’s Safety Network’s (CSN) Framework for Quality Improvement and Innovation. The Framework proposes depth and application of knowledge in three key areas - child safety expertise, leadership and management, and systems improvement – will contribute to workforce capacity development and improved child safety systems that ultimately lead to positive health impact for children and adolescents. The Framework is grounded in systems thinking, tests of change, and data-informed decision making. The CSN Child Safety Learning Collaborative (CSLC) has applied the Framework with over 23 states and jurisdictions since 2018. State and jurisdiction Title V teams reflect on their past, understand present challenges, and shape future programming with a data-informed, evidence-based, quality improvement approach.
The aim of the CSLC is to decrease fatalities, hospitalizations, and emergency department visits resulting from injuries in infants, children, and adolescents ages 0–19. CSN is currently facilitating Cohort 3 of the CSLC from November 2021 to April 2023. Cohort 1 was from November 2018-April 2020 and Cohort 2 was from May 2020-October 2021. During each cohort, states and jurisdictions form teams based on their selected child safety topics: bullying prevention, motor vehicle traffic safety, poisoning prevention, sudden unexpected infant death prevention, and suicide and self-harm prevention.
An evaluation of Cohort 1 indicated that states and jurisdictions increased their workforce capacity and improved their child safety systems. CSLC teams successfully developed SMART aim statements, formed partnerships with key stakeholders, tested and sustainably implemented evidence-based and evidence-informed strategies, and analyzed process measure data on system improvements within a year (Leonardo, et al., forthcoming). During Cohort 2, states were able to weather disruptions, pivoting their work to continue offering child safety programming. Several states were able to leverage their work from the CSLC to obtain additional funding and other opportunities that expanded work in their selected topics. Participants indicated virtual team meetings, collaborating with other states working on the same topic, and technical assistance from the CSN team were most important in improving their child safety systems and increasing workforce development.
During this session, CSN will demonstrate how the activities and tools developed for the CSLC, as well as CSN’s comprehensive change packages, improve the development of child safety systems and workforce development states and jurisdictions participating in the CSLC. This will be an interactive session where the audience will be tasked with reflecting on how they develop their own child safety expertise, leadership and management skills, and systems improvement while also considering what they need to shape the future of their child safety programming.

Abbreviated Description: The Children’s Safety Network’s (CSN) Framework for Quality Improvement and Innovation proposes depth and application of knowledge in three key areas – child safety expertise, leadership and management, and systems improvement – will contribute to workforce capacity development and improved child safety systems, ultimately leading to positive health impact. During this interactive session, CSN will demonstrate how states and jurisdictions participating in the Child Safety Learning Collaborative improved their workforce capacity and child safety systems through activities and tools, including CSN’s comprehensive change packages and quality improvement forms. The audience will reflect on how the Framework can inform the future of their child safety systems and workforce development.