Our Expertise: Child & Family Well-Being

Within Our Reach

Within Our Reach is an office established within the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities to further the recommendations of the Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities. The Alliance is the key organizer in this national effort that works to achieve its goals through a spirit of shared ownership and collaboration with many partners. Within our Reach is made possible through a partnership with Casey Family Programs, whose mission is to provide, improve—and ultimately prevent the need for—foster care.

Goals

The goal of Within Our Reach is to equip policymakers, practitioners, and advocates with the tools they need to fundamentally reform child welfare. Based on the commission’s national strategy, desired reform includes a proactive public health approach—a shared family and community responsibility to keep children safe. It includes three interrelated components:

  • Leadership and accountability
  • Decisions grounded in better data and research
  • Multidisciplinary support for families

About the Commission

The Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities, which released its report to President Obama and Congress in March 2016, was formed as a result of the Protect Our Kids Act of 2012. This act garnered broad, bipartisan support in the House, passed the Senate unanimously, and was signed by President Obama Jan. 14, 2013. Members of the commission included Alliance President and CEO Susan Dreyfus and Casey Family Programs Executive Vice President of Systems Improvement David Sanders, who served as its chairman. Visit the commission’s archived website for more information.

 

Partners

APHSA
Casey Family Programs
National Child Abuse Coalition

Within Our Reach Blog

Mar. 16, 2023

Parent Engagement is Essential to Reducing Child Abuse and Neglect

Within Our Reach
Mar. 13, 2023

Five Takeaways from FFPSA’s 5th Anniversary Celebration

Within Our Reach
Oct. 10, 2022

Preventing Child Fatalities is Possible and Indiana is Leading the Way

Within Our Reach
Sep. 23, 2022

How Prevention is the Best Model for Addressing Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities

Within Our Reach
View More Within Our Reach Posts
Steps Forward report

First Progress Report

Released Jan. 31, 2018, Steps Forward: First Progress Report on Within Our Reach, the Final Report of the Federal Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities finds a groundswell of recent reforms in child welfare practices across the country that reflect CECANF recommendations. Read the news release.

Download Executive Summary Download Report
Within Our Reach toolkit

Stakeholder Toolkit

This toolkit provides ideas for stakeholder engagement and communications efforts in support of the goals, strategies, and recommendations of Within Our Reach and the Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities.

Download Toolkit
Transforming Child Welfare Systems document

November 2020: New Report Released

It highlights the elements of a prevention-aligned, public health approach to child welfare and provides examples of innovative programs from communities and states across the nation that working to shift from a child welfare system to a child and family well-being system.

Download Report