CWEL’s funding has been canceled effective Dec 8th 2025

December 13th, 2025

It is with great sadness that we share that our grant from the Administration for Children and Families, which supported the Center for Workforce Excellence and Leadership (CWEL), has been canceled effective December 8th due to our steadfast commitment to recognizing the diverse needs of our child welfare workforce and serving them equitably.

While this news is difficult, we at Families Rising, CWEL’s parent organization, remain deeply committed to the mission and values that have guided CWEL’s work and to finding new ways to continue supporting children, families, and the dedicated professionals who serve them.

Despite this, we know that our impact is lasting. Since CWEL’s inception in 2023, we have:

  • Sent 210 social work students to school with Title IV-E educational stipends in partnership with the University of Louisville
  • Provided direct workforce services in three states: New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Colorado
  • Supported 16 fellows through our RiseUp leadership program in New Jersey—resulting in impactful organizational change projects, foundational learning, and individualized leadership coaching
  • Helped create a Clinical Bridge in Colorado, enabling professionals pursuing clinical licensure to remain in their agencies while advancing their careers
  • Coached 15 supervisors in Rhode Island, with powerful results: 93% reported a deeper understanding of how strong relationships with staff improve leadership and retention
  • Established the Collective Knowledge Coalition, a team of leaders ensuring voices of lived experience and expertise are at the forefront of our strategies
  • Developed the Culture Keepers Fellowship in partnership with the Oklahoma Indian Child Welfare Association, a relational leadership program that supports Tribal child welfare leaders in strengthening systems and promoting community well-being by upholding tribal sovereignty
  • Launched a #ChangeIsIgniting media campaign to support child welfare professionals during the 2024 Workforce Development Month, amplifying our mission and celebrating the people shaping the child welfare workforce
  • Developed a national workforce website and blog, sharing research, insights, and tools to strengthen recruitment and retention, along with well-being
  • Conducted research into barriers and motivations of child welfare professionals to help agencies recruit more effectively

We will continue to fight for children and families impacted by the child welfare system, and remain hopeful that we can support the child welfare workforce again soon.

With the loss of federal support, private philanthropy and individual donors are now critical to ensuring this important work continues—and that children and families do not bear the cost of this decision.

If you are able, we invite you to donate to CWEL’s parent organization, Families Rising.

Your partnership sends a clear message: providing fair and equitable services in the support of our child welfare workforce should never be defunded.

Together,  we can sustain this essential work.