Children & Families

Overview

Leaders want to reduce child poverty, decrease interactions with the child protection system, strengthen maternal and infant health, and keep families together. In order to do that, communities are reimagining the way they support children and families. 

The Government Performance Lab helps governments test methods to: 

• Redirect resources towards prevention as governments develop solutions that seek to strengthen families and prevent child protection interventions or mental health crises. 
• Focus on equity as governments move away from historically oppressive, paternalistic, and racially inequitable systems that separate and punish families. Instead, we shift efforts toward systems and policies that honor caregivers and invest in families. 
• Design with families in mind by equipping government staff with the skills and tools to center meeting families’ needs – as families define them – as a core measure of success.