Workgroups

Several work groups help carry out SFI’s vision across systems. These groups are made up of staff of our Partner organizations.

SFI’s Workgroups are:

Building Resiliency

This group supports SFI’s work to help early childhood centers:

• Address mental health issues in children and adults,
• Mitigate the impact of trauma on young children, and
• Promote children’s social and emotional well-being.

One of the group’s main roles is to integrate the building resiliency efforts of SFI, DCFS, and the Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership. The Building Resiliency Workgroup has been the initiative’s primary research and development group. It made recommendations on adding the 6th Protective Factor and supporting the development of a curriculum on Understanding Trauma and Children’s Exposure to Violence.

Evaluation

This workgroup is working to develop an evaluation framework and tools for both SFI overall and its Learning Networks, with the goal of documenting the impact of the Strengthening Families approach on childcare centers, child welfare agency staff, and families.

Professional Development and Training

This workgroup advises and supports SFI in developing high quality training and making it available through systems that reach early childhood professionals, child welfare staff, and parents. The Workgroup has also been integral in developing a quality assurance system for SFI training.

To learn more or to get involved in our workgroups, contact us.