Who runs Bright Spots?

Bright Spots is a resource library of child welfare practices reviewed and recommended by parents who have been impacted by the system. Bright Spots originated from and is coordinated by national nonprofit organization, Alia.

We at Alia work with jurisdictions across the country to transform the child welfare system by providing direct, on-the-ground, comprehensive, technical and adaptive support to leaders and workers in child welfare. Together, we are transforming system approaches away from placement and treatment toward healing and belonging.

Alia saw a need in child welfare for changemakers to access a collection of parent-approved resources and practices that keep more families safely together. So we created one.

  • Bright Spots are directed to leaders and workers in systems.
  • Bright Spots are determined by parents impacted by the child welfare system.
  • Bright Spots is coordinated by national child welfare systems change organization, Alia.

How did Bright Spots come to be?

Many leaders and workers are looking for approaches that work for families and understand that even the most well-intentioned services and programs can result in unintended consequences. When considering practice shifts, they ask themselves, “Is this what families want? Will this really work…for them?”

After hosting focus groups with lived experts, community service providers, and workers in child welfare systems, Alia learned that no such collection of practices existed.

It took months of gathering potential practices, building partner relationships, gaining needed funding, creating practice criteria, and building the website to prepare for launch.

It’s time parents who have been impacted by the system have a place to provide feedback on child welfare practice, telling clearly and directly to those in systems what works and what doesn’t.

There are many more Bright Spots to come; we’re just getting started. Click below to share your Bright Spots practice idea.

Ready to get started?

Search the Bright Spots library or share your Bright Spot idea.