Safe Babies
Safe Babies works with states and communities to transform child welfare into the practice of child well-being by strengthening support for families, parents and caregivers experiencing extreme hardships.
The goal is to prevent child welfare system involvement. The program aims to get early childhood systems collaborating to keep families together. With 143 sites in 31 states and plans for further expansion, it is succeeding: 72% of Safe Babies children are reunified with parents or relative caregivers, compared to 53% nationally. Part of what makes it such an effective program is its partnership with parent leaders, which helps prioritize parent voices in all aspects of the program.
Scaling our approach
Hosted the 18th annual Cross Sites meeting, where 500+ child welfare leaders and parents from 31 states participated in hands-on workshops and strategy sessions that equipped them with practical tools and helped them forge lasting connections.
Facilitated 1,220 training and technical assistance opportunities, reaching 10,193 professionals
Expanded national implementation of the Safe Babies approach to 17 additional states
Updated resources for child welfare and legal professionals
Extended international reach with presentations in Guam, Ireland and Australia
Supporting parent engagement
Supported parent leaders for peer learning in advocacy, leadership and systems change
Convened inaugural parent-led convening, including Indigenous and father representatives
Advancing federal and
state policy
Developed policy strategies to support the integration of parent partner programs, infant and early childhood mental health and perinatal mental health into child welfare strategies
Reached 5,000 families across three states through the Medicaid Unwinding Project, supporting families to reenroll in Medicaid or secure other coverage
Collaborated with the Safe Babies Expert Advisory Group to address substance use policies that contribute to the disproportionate representation of Black and Indigenous families in the child welfare system
Evaluating impact
Developed a toolkit to help state and site teams self-assess progress in implementing the Safe Babies approach at the family, community and state levels
As a former foster youth and a father who fought for and achieved reunification with his children, Gabrial Cisneros-Lassey knows the challenges families face in the child welfare system.
As part of Safe Babies’ National Advisory Group for Parents’ Voices, Gabrial helps connect parents and caregivers to the tools and guidance they need to support their children. He collaborates with other parents and professionals to develop solutions that center the baby, parent and parent-child relationship.
For Gabrial, a transformative moment happened the day another parent who had walked the same path to reunification offered him a simple yet profound message: "You can do this — and here’s how."
Gabrial has since found life-changing support through parent-led organizations, which set him on a seven-year journey to reunite with his children. His path through adversity has shaped his unwavering commitment to elevating the voices of parents and helping them build strong support networks for their families.
Gabrial’s favorite part of being a parent is coming home to the uncontainable joy of his kids — now teenagers — who run to him, shouting, “Daddy, Daddy, You’re home!” These moments remind him of the hope and promise Safe Babies brings to countless families. Watching his children thrive, he envisions brighter futures ahead for the many children whose families are supported by programs like Safe Babies.
