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Parents, Alumni, Youth and Community Development Network
Parents, Alumni, Youth and Community Development Network
Soon after it was established in 2004, the Alliance for Racial Equity in Child Welfare formed the Parent, Alumni, Youth and Community Development (PAYCD) group to include the experiences of families and others who have been involved in the child welfare system. Members of the PAYCD workgroup live in cities across the country and represent African American, Native American and Latino American communities. They:
- Lead and facilitate discussions during Alliance meetings and retreats and participate in steering committee meetings
- Engage in monthly hot topic discussions
- Influence national child welfare policy by sharing their experiences with Congressional representatives and staff
- Increase local involvement of constituents in Alliance partner sites
In 2009, the PAYCD workgroup created a national network to represent constituents’ voices in the Alliance’s work. To date, the PAYCD network members have:
- Engaged in regular discussions with similar groups across the country, including the Child Welfare Organizing Project in New York, Divine Alternatives and Catalyst for Kids in Seattle and Merrick Parents in Action and Preventive Child Abuse in Minneapolis.
- Designed tools and materials to promote the local involvement of constituents in the work to reform and improve the service delivery outcomes.
- Developed a Facebook page to post planned activities, meeting notes and discussion agendas.
- Established an outreach coordinator and communications coordinator.
