January 1, 2008

Bridging Two Worlds: Youth Involved in the Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Systems: A Policy Guide for Improving Outcomes: Matrix of Policy Recommendations

This matrix outlines primary options for formal policy development and implementation at the federal, tribal, State, and local levels on behalf of youth who cross over from child welfare to juvenile justice, or from juvenile justice to the child welfare system. It is derived from a Wingspread Conference held from May 7-9 2008, to outline a policy agenda to improve outcomes for these children and their families. The matrix identifies strategies for implementing the following six key policy options at the national, State, tribal and local levels: strategic partnerships are developed and supported; information, data and outcomes are shared, as appropriate, among agencies; families and youth are meaningfully engaged in system design and implementation; financing strategies are integrated and coordinated across agencies; jointly developed practice models are clearly articulated and supported in practice; and all systems understand the importance of, and actively support, investments in research and evaluation.