Research Support to Advocate for Community Solutions

Family Policy Project and RISE, New York City

2023-Present

New Tomorrow is providing technical assistance, research and analysis services to RISE and Family Policy Project to support their goal to augment investments in, and resources for, families and children, without the involvement of the child welfare/family regulation system.

This collaborative research seeks to fill a knowledge-gap on the types of community-based organizations that could build a non-punitive system of family support. It explores: Who are the community-based leaders and organizations supporting families, and, what are their assets and needs?

Advocates, including RISE and Family Policy Project, are using various strategies to make the case for family supports that do not involve harmful systems. Underpinning these efforts is extensive research and outreach to community-based leaders and organizations to understand their services, programs, community needs, organizational needs, impact from foster/child welfare systems, budget and resource needs, and potential for connection/collaboration. This outreach and relationship building is seen as an essential part of developing a network for families, and, a necessary precursor to build a coalition of advocates to join the movement for non-punitive family support services.

We have developed a methodology, and, data collection tools to facilitate the addition of community-based organizations into a family-support coalition. And, research and writing to releasing a policy brief demonstrating the need for public investments in community-led supports.

Concurrently, Child and Family Wellbeing Fund advocates are presenting a legislative solution to fund these types of supports, and are developing materials to explain to lawmakers the mechanics and operations of a state-based Fund. This report will be complementary to their work by shining a light on several community-based organizations supporting families in community, and by developing a statewide directory of potentially eligible organizations.

In close partnership with both RISE and Family Policy Project, New Tomorrow is adding research and writing capacity to their efforts, to expedite and augment work to build a coalition and network of family support organizations, and the movement for non-punitive family support. Our report will help lawmakers understand, through human stories, concrete ways to resource community-based organizations.