Office of Child Welfare Initiatives
The Office of Child Welfare Initiatives (OCWI) aligns four distinct child welfare programs under one office to ensure alignment of services and diffusion of knowledge across programs. These programs are primarily funded through contracts with the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF) and include training child protection workers on DCF's case practice model, training family preservation workers on competencies associated with providing intensive home-based services and providing direct care services and outcomes research for youth "aging out" of the foster care system. The OCWI has a strong focus on partnership with funders and internal and external stakeholders to endure that programs are built and enhanced through a collaborative process.