Summary

A set of resources for state child welfare advocates working to change the conversation around prevention and to build stronger, more supportive systems for families and children

This toolkit includes five resources plus a brief introduction that sets the stage.

• Grab and Go Language. Ready-made language you can pull off the shelf: vision openers, values, problem framing, solution framing, and short-form templates
• Dos and Don’ts. Topic-area tables you can scan before drafting
• Avoid the Traps and Mind the Gaps. A preflight checklist for any draft: seven habits of thought it might be cuing without meaning to and seven things it might be missing
• Talking Points for Policymakers. Modular, droppable points designed to be tailored to your bill, your rule, your state
• Bridge and Pivot Guide. A three-step formula for handling the four traps that derail prevention conversations: Fatalism, Zero-Sum, Family Bubble, and Pathologizing Poverty (and Race)