Birth Parent National Network (BPNN)
ON THIS PAGE: WE NEED YOU | RESOURCES | EVENTS – RELATED PAGES: ANPPC | BFPP | TRAINING & TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE | PARENT VOICE
The Birth Parent National Network (BPNN) promotes birth parents as leaders and strategic partners in prevention and child welfare systems reform.
Responding to Family Needs During COVID-19
Help Us Make the Case for Continued Support
At a time when there is such critical need at every turn, we need to make the case for additional support for children and families dealing with the challenges of COVID-19. Collecting and sharing the stories of families during the pandemic is one way to put a face on these real and everyday challenges to help systems leaders and policymakers prioritize the needs of families.
We have created a short questionnaire to give families a way to share your stories with the media. The questionnaire is simple and submission will be followed up by a contact from the Alliance. Stories are powerful – so if you have a story to share or know of a family that you work with that might be willing to share their story, please complete the questionnaire HERE or share this link with others: https://tinyurl.com/y6cel9g2
CARING CONVERSATIONS
Mondays
10 AM PT • 11 AM MT • 12 PM CT • 1 PM ET
Children’s Trust Fund Alliance is building a better normal by bringing together the powerful strengths within the Birth Parent National Network (BPNN). The Alliance is holding Caring Conversations every Monday to support us all and to facilitate our collective wisdom. Social connections are a powerful protective factor in our lives. However, because of the necessary social distancing to avoid the Coronavirus, it is easy to feel isolated. Through these virtual meetings, we can come together and share our experiences, successes and concerns.
Register HERE to participate in the next Caring Conversation.
Become part of the
BIRTH PARENT NATIONAL NETWORK (BPNN)
We are a national network of hundreds of birth parents and organizations working together to strengthen families, communities and systems by engaging the voices of parents.
Promote Parent Voices
The Alliance’s BPNN actively recruits parents, individual stakeholders and organizations that work with parents to join together to promote and support the voices of parents to inform policies and practices that effect children and families. The dynamic BPNN membership consists of:
Parents who:
- Are committed to a strength-based, preventative approach for systems that interact with families
- Have high interest in engaging in policy work and drawing on their life experiences to inform and educate policymakers and other stakeholders
- Have experienced challenges and have been at risk of child welfare involvement
- Have been previously involved with the child welfare system
Organizations that are:
- Committed to identifying and supporting parents as strategic partners in policy work and system reform
- Interested in sharing materials and resources with their peers and colleagues nationally
BPNN Members meet six times per year by webinar for education and information sharing. These webinars and other resources focus on tips and information to prepare birth parents to effectively participate in a range of policy activities, such as giving personal testimony and educational meetings with policymakers. In addition, the BPNN holds an annual virtual convening in November.
Join Now
Select the application form best suited to your role: Parent, Individual Stakeholder or Organization. You will be contacted once the application has been received. All forms will appear in a pop-up window. Make sure your browser is not blocking pop-ups.
Recruitment Materials to Share
- We Need You: BPNN Membership Recruitment Flyer – The flyer contains this year’s six webinar meeting dates and the date of the fall virtual convening.
- We Need You: BPNN Membership Recruitment Meme – You will have your choice of a JPEG or PNG meme to distribute through your social media.
Resources
What Parents Say…
The Children’s Trust Fund Alliance joined with a group of parents from the BPNN to produce these issue briefs. They include the perspectives of parents with life experiences in using services to strengthen their families and focus on timely and important topics.
- What Parents Say About…Supporting Families to Provide a Strong Start for Their Young Children
- What Parents Say About…Building a 21st Century Community-Based Approach to Strengthening Families
- What Parents Say About…Keeping Families Together and Strong Through Prevention and Early Intervention Strategies
- What Parents Say About…Prevention Strategies that Work to Keep Families Together, Resilient and Strong
- What Parents Say About…Using the Protective Factors to Understand Substance Abuse and Recovery
- What Parents Say About…What Works in Substance Abuse Recovery to Strengthen Protective Factors in Families and Ensure Children’s Safety and Well-Being
NEW ISSUE BRIEF
What Parents Say About…Supporting Families to Provide a Strong Start for Their Young Children is written by Tecoria Jones and Edwin Daye, two members of the BPNN. They provide a parent perspective on access to prevention strategies, community support for parents, special considerations for COVID-19 and how policymakers and leaders can help. Tecoria and Edwin point out that all families need and benefit from support and that we all can help ensure a better tomorrow for our children.
Parent Partner Compendium
Parents Impact Policy
Family First Prevention Services Act
The Family First Prevention Services Act was passed by Congress in February 2018. This groundbreaking legislation changes the way child welfare systems can support families and provides new resources for prevention of foster care. The Alliance and our parent partners are working hard to educate policymakers charged with implementing this new legislation.
See additional information about FFPSA, including both a short and detailed summary of the legislation, an implementation timeline and the law language. Check out the resources below:
- Family First Prevention Services Act Overview – BPNN April 5, 2018 Webinar
- Deep Dive into the Family First Prevention Services Act – BPNN April 23, 2018 Webinar
- Family First Prevention Services Act Short Summary – Developed by Casey Family Programs
- From Parents, For Parents: Key Opportunities for Families – Developed by Children’s Trust Fund Alliance
Opioid Crisis
The opioid crisis is a serious problem for many families and our nation. The Alliance and our partners are speaking out about strong supports for families facing this challenge. Casey Family Programs’ CEO William C. Bell testified at a hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on the impact of the opioid crisis on children and families.
Events
2020 BPNN Webinars
October 22, 2020 – Race Talk: Facilitating Effective Conversations for Addressing Racial Justice and System Inequities
Webinar Materials:
July 30, 2020 – Parent Advisory Councils and Authentic Partnerships Part 2
July 29, 2020 – Elevating the Impact of COVID on Parents Involved in Child Welfare
July 14, 2020 – Policy Discussions and Developments Affecting Children and Families
May 26, 2020 – Parent Advisory Councils and Authentic Partnerships
BPNN Webinars Archive
2019 Webinars
February 2019
Celebrate National Parent Leadership Month with the BPNN and ANPPC
Video – PPT Handouts – BPNN Informational Flyer – BPNN Recruitment 2019 – ANPPC Create Parent Partnerships
May 2019
Parent Partnerships
Video – Meeting Agenda – PPT Handouts – BPNN Recruitment 2019
August 2019
Practice Changes in Sonoma County
Video – Meeting Agenda – PPT Handouts – How Birth and Foster Parent Partnerships Can Help Families Reunify – ACYF Memoranda Subject “Engaging, empowering, and utilizing family and youth voice in all aspects of child welfare to drive case planning and system improvement.” – Attachment A: Levels of Engagement Defined – Attachment B: Family and Youth Involvement in the Child and Family Services Review Process (CFSR) – Attachment C: Regional Program Managers – Children’s Bureau
October 2019
Update on Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA)
Video – Agenda and PPT Handouts – FFPSA Summary (May 2019) – BPNN Recruitment 2019 – BPNN Parent to Parent (FFPSA Resource)
2018 Webinars
2017 Webinars
2016 Webinars
2015 Webinars
December 2015
Reporting Your Activities – A Training Webinar
GTW: August 2015
Washington State Parent to Parent Program
GTW June 2015
Recruiting Members and Coordinating a Virtual Convening
April 2015
February 2015
2014 Webinars
December 2014
October 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
Celebrating Reunification Month
Foster Care Action Admin Fact Sheet
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
Network Webinar on Father Engagement
Resources presented during the webinar
January 2014
Public Policy Training Webinar
2013 Webinars
December 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
BPNN Virtual Convenings
2019 Virtual Convening
Prevention Across the Continuum
December 3, 2019
- BPNN 2019 Virtual Convening Agenda
- BPNN 2019 Virtual Convening Presenters’ Bios
- BPNN 2019 Virtual Convening PowerPoint Slides Handout
- BPNN 2019 Virtual Convening Recording
- BPNN 2020 Recruitment Flyer
- Authentic Community Engagement to Advance Equity – Office of Health Equity, Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment
- What Is a Family Resource Center – National Family Support Network
- 2019 State Network Snapshots – National Family Support Network
- Family First Prevention Services Act – Healthy Families America
- Evidence of Effectiveness – Healthy Families America
- Healthy Families America Prevents Child Abuse and Neglect
- What is the Healthy Families Advantage?
- Family Voices United Recruitment Flyer
2018 Virtual Convening
Putting Families First
November 27, 2018 – Session 1
- BPNN 2018 Virtual Convening Session 1 PowerPoint Handout
- BPNN 2018 Virtual Convening Recording
- BPNN – From Parents to Parents: Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA)
- Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) – Short Summary
- Birth and Foster Parent Partnership Position Statement
December 4, 2018 – Session 2
- BPNN 2018 Virtual Convening Session 2 PowerPoint Handout
- BPNN 2018 Virtual Convening Recording
- Arkansas Parent Advisory Council Flyer
- Family Voices United Flyer
