From the Director's Desk

Dear Partnership Center Friends:

The ongoing opioid crisis continues to strain federal, state, and local resources and capacity. This is especially true in terms of child welfare.

Here's what you might not know: A welcomed level of cooperation and trust is re-emerging between public and faith-based entities to help these vulnerable victims of addiction, abuse, and neglect.

To hear about this revived partnership, we encourage you to register for our Wednesday, June 27 educational event that will highlight HHS' latest opioid epidemic data as it relates to the child welfare system. We will also hear from inspiring and experienced program leaders, who are on the frontlines working to engage, support and strengthen foster care services for these precious infants, children, and teens.

As an aside, Roger Severino, Esq., the director of HHS' Office of Civil Rights, and I had the privilege of addressing foster care providers from across the nation last month during the 2018 Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO) summit in Dallas. We appreciate the opportunity we had to discuss the child welfare crisis exacerbated by the opioid epidemic, the resources and support being allocated to address both issues, and the chance to answer providers' questions and concerns about religious and conscience protections.

The Partnership Center also has more exciting educational events in the works for late summer/early fall, so please stay tuned. For up-to-the-minute notices, please connect with us on Twitter® andFacebook®. We also have a library of webinars on our YouTube® channel and a Practical Toolkit to share with members in your spheres of influence.

And, as always, thank you for your continued partnership. If we can ever be of assistance, please contact us at Partnerships@HHS.gov.

Warmly,

Shannon Royce, Esq.
Director