Improving child welfare: courts & lived experts leading reform together
Families' experiences in dependency court are often the missing piece in understanding what works, what's broken, and what must change.
People with lived expertise are youth, parents, and caregivers who have personally gone through the child welfare system. They help identify barriers families experience, suggest practical solutions, and inspire innovation. Their inclusion signals a commitment to working collaboratively toward positive system change.
On May 29, we're hosting a free half-day virtual summit to discuss how courts can integrate people with lived expertise into court improvement efforts.
"This is a unique event because people with lived child welfare experiences, both former youth and parents with system involvement, helped design the summit," said Angela Sager, an NCSC senior court management consultant and summit organizer. "Their firsthand perspective brings an essential humanity to conversations that often feel purely procedural. They help us see where the system effectively supports families — and where it falls short."
Co-designed with lived experts, "The missing piece: courts integrating lived expertise into child welfare system improvement" will help courts and justice partners improve outcomes for children and families by integrating these necessary insights.
While some courts have begun partnering with lived experts for speaking engagements, focus groups, or peer mentoring, this summit aims to inspire deeper collaboration, equipping courts with the tools to engage lived experts more consistently in policy change and practice improvements.
According to Sager, people with lived expertise should not only be invited to participate in system change conversations but also be included as equal partners in shaping the change and be compensated for their time and contributions — a logistical issue that can be a barrier for many courts seeking to strengthen partnerships with lived experts.
About the summit
Each summit presentation features a lived expert who will share their direct experiences and insights on various facets of this vital work.
Agenda sessions include:
- Beyond the Table: Centering Impacted Voices in System Transformation
- Engagement Levels: Unlocking Value and Readiness for Lived Expert Partnerships
- Perspectives on Incorporating Lived Experience in Court Structure and Practice
- From Token to Teammate: Shifting the Role of Lived Experts in System Reform
A partnership with Casey Family Programs, the summit is part of a broader, ongoing movement spearheaded by the National Judicial Leadership Summits intended to mobilize the legal and judicial communities and other child welfare partners around a national vision for ensuring the well-being of children and their families. The leadership summits began in 2019 to mobilize the legal and judicial community and child welfare partners around a new national vision for ensuring the well-being of children with their families.
Sager hopes this summit encourages courts to engage with lived experts to refine policies and procedures and improve the court process for families. Attendees will also learn how to receive free technical assistance to work with lived experts on system improvement efforts.