June 2016 Newsletter

Deborah Daro Receives APSAC's William Freidrich Memorial Award

Dr. Deborah Daro, Chair of the Doris Duke Fellowships, has received the William Freidrich Memorial Award from the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC). The Freidrich Award is given to honor a person who has made important and significant contributions to the field of child maltreatment. When presenting the award, Kathleen Faller, APSAC Board Member and Awards Committee Chair, cited Deborah's long history in evaluating child abuse prevention programs and impact on national and state policies. Additionally, Faller spoke about Deborah's instrumental role in establishing the Doris Duke Fellowships and how APSAC greatly benefits from the leaders that the Fellowship fosters and supports. Just one example of a leader is Dr. Bart Kilka, a Cohort One Doris Duke Fellow, who now serves as an APSAC board member.
 
Deborah was recognized at APSAC's Annual Colloquium in New Orleans on Friday, June 24. After receiving her award, Deborah spoke to attendees of the award luncheon about APSAC's impactful, interdisciplinary approach to addressing child abuse, as well as emerging trends in the field of child abuse prevention-namely the shift in focus of interventions from prevention of harm to the improvement of child well-being. She suggested numerous strategies for moving work forward in the field of child well-being, including:

  • Release your need to consistently be the one in charge, or the driver in the car. Taking the role of a passenger may help you be open to new opportunities, ideas, or approaches to improving child well-being.

  • Release your need to be the most significant person in the room or on the team. "When you are less focused on your own glow," she said, "you can shine a light on others."

  • Be open to learning a new approach, rather than resisting change or alternative perspectives. Ideas that have not been tried do not necessarily lack potential.

Congratulations on your much-deserved award, Deborah!

Introducing Our New Fellowship Network Coordinator

On June 1, the Doris Duke Fellowships team at Chapin Hall welcomed Sarah Wagener as the new Fellowship Network Coordinator. While in graduate school pursuing a master's degree in public health, Sarah completed an Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, collaborating with organizations and interdisciplinary teams of graduate students to design prevention projects to support the health and well-being of underserved people and communities in Chicago. Having had this positive and impactful experience, Sarah is excited to support the Doris Duke Fellowships. Sarah will work closely with Lee Ann Huang, Fellowship Manager, to facilitate the fellowship's communication efforts and support Fellows' administrative needs. Additionally, she will collaborate with fellows, mentors, and organizations and external partners to develop strategies to build and sustain the Fellowship learning network.
 
If you have thoughts on sustainability of the Fellowship or have general questions about the Fellowship, Sarah is here to help! Contact her at swagener@chapinhall.org.

 

Policy Update

Families First Prevention Services Act of 2016

Earlier this month, Congress released a draft of the Families First Prevention Services Act of 2016. It builds on the Family First Act and extends and updates child welfare provisions set to expire in 2016. One such provision is extending age limits on state support for former foster care adolescents to age 23, and extending eligibility for education support to age 26.
 
Title IV-E of the Social Security Act currently provides funds to support children who are in foster care. The draft of the Families First Prevention Services Act of 2016 is significant because it would make funds from Title IV-E available for use of family-related prevention efforts (e.g., in-home "skill-based" programs, mental health services). This draft legislation has bipartisan support from the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee and demonstrates an important commitment to child welfare. The draft was passed in the House on June 21.