In March 2020, COVID-19 rapidly spread in the United States, forcing child welfare agencies to manage new and complex logistical, safety, and basic health concerns. In May 2020, national racial unrest followed the murders of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd in quick succession, and this racial unrest put a spotlight on the inequities and disparities in child welfare as well. In reaction to the dual impact of this syndemic, some child welfare limited or suspended initiatives focused on father engagement or racial justice, for example, that were perceived to be outside of the core practice of child protection. This article explains how participation in a Breakthrough Series Collaborative (BSC) positioned and supported the response of participating child welfare jurisdictions in ways that enabled them to proactively manage and lead in this time of complexity and uncertainty. This article discusses how these jurisdictions maintained their focus on father and paternal relative-inclusive family engagement and wellbeing, responded to the public health emergency in comprehensive and nimble ways, and expanded their work on racial justice through an intentional focus in the context of a syndemic.
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