The five videos below are from the Child Welfare Leadership Forum which took place on March 15th 2024. This facilitated discussion covered Wisconsin Child Welfare structure, finances, challenges, successes, and priorities. The final video features questions from forum attendees.
Forum Panelists
John Elliot—Division Administrator, Division of Safety and Permanence, DCF
Sarah Henery—Administrator, DCF Division of Milwaukee Child Protective Services (DMCPS)
Dr. Bill Topel—Human Services Director at Winnebago County Dept. of Human Services and President of Wisconsin County Human Services Association
Facilitated by Julie Brown, WCWPDS-UW-Milwaukee
This video introduces the session, its origins, purpose and agenda. Each panelist is introduced.
Discussion centers on various challenges and successes including keeping children in the home, service coordination needs, and system navigation.
The panel answers question from the attendees on a wide range of topics including, mental health resources, barriers to in-home care, safety revision updates, and traumatic grief support.
Topics include the differences and similarities between the Milwaukee-run and county-run systems, funding sources, and how state supervisors work with county agencies.
The panel describes various initiative including the child welfare transformation project and breaking barriers project.