Chapin Hall

09/03/2026

The Universal Screening Non-Regulatory Guidance for Illinois school districts is out!

https://www.isbe.net/Documents/Universal-Mental-Health-Screening-Guidance.pdf

We can improve 1.7 million Illinois students' well-being and reduce stigma around accessing mental and behavioral healthcare by identifying who needs support early on. The Illinois State Board of Education mental and behavioral health screening tool is the first step.

Congratulations to Chapin Hall's Dr. Dana Weiner, Dr. Kiljoong Kim, and Louisa Silverman and our partners at ISBE on this big milestone. This process is the first in the country to proactively identify students who may benefit from more support.

Implementing school universal mental health screenings is a strategy in the Blueprint for Transformation, a part of the Illinois Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative led by Dr. Weiner under direction from the Governor’s Office. Screenings will begin by the 2027-2028 school year.

09/01/2026

Last month, Policy Analysts Prisca Tuyishime and Shontay Olson led a workshop on Reimagining Poverty Alleviation Through Community-Led Design at the 2026 National African American Child and Family Research Center conference in Atlanta.

They introduced the Participatory Inquiry Model, using TANF as an example of how community-led inquiry can help researchers better understand the conditions shaping African American families’ experiences and outcomes.

"Speaking at this conference was an opportunity to highlight a commitment to producing knowledge with communities, not just about them," said Prisca.

Reflecting on this experience, Shontay shared, "Being able to witness firsthand the energy and ideas that emerged from this workshop deepened my appreciation for community-led inquiry and affirmed my commitment to this work."

Congratulations Prisca and Shontay!

08/27/2026

How many families with children are experiencing in the United States?

In January 2024, 259,473 families experienced homelessness on a single night, a 39% increase from the year before. Families with children made up roughly one third of everyone experiencing homelessness that year.

Housing instability like this is closely tied to family separation. Research shows that unstable housing raises the risk that a family will be reported to or investigated by child protective services.

Our new policy bulletin lays out this evidence and the case for investing in housing supports: https://www.chapinhall.org/project/chapin-hall-policy-bulletins-compile-evidence-on-impact-of-federal-human-services/

08/24/2026

Evidence shows that supports, like affordable housing, supportive housing, housing subsidies, and eviction and foreclosure prevention, are associated with a lower likelihood of families getting involved with the child welfare system.

Explore evidence on this topic in our new policy bulletin: https://www.chapinhall.org/project/chapin-hall-policy-bulletins-compile-evidence-on-impact-of-federal-human-services/

08/21/2026

is symptomatic of larger, enduring challenges in our systems and institutions, challenges that families and young people often navigate alone.

For the Voices of Youth Count, we interviewed 215 young people across five counties to trace how pathways through homelessness unfold. Their stories point to openings for prevention and intervention at individual, relational, and structural levels.

This visual follows one young person's pathway over four years and shows the instability they experienced. Services have to keep pace with how much young people's living situations change and have to be delivered at the right time to help them exit homelessness quickly and for good.

Read our brief for more:https://www.chapinhall.org/wp-content/uploads/ChapinHall_VoYC_Youth-Pathways-FINAL.pdf

08/20/2026

is on everyone's minds. Affordable housing in particular is essential to keeping families healthy and well, and also to keeping them together.

Solving problems for families at the intersection of and child welfare takes special cross-sector collaboration and leaders can benefit from learning from counterparts across state lines.

Watch our webinar to learn about a national learning collaborative with leaders from four states who came together to think creatively about solutions:

In this webinar, presenters from Chapin Hall, Casey Family Programs...

08/18/2026

How common is housing insecurity for children in the United States? Here is the evidence:

- About 1 in 6 children face housing insecurity.
- Each year, almost 450,000 infants and toddlers experience homelessness, and children under age 5 face the threat of eviction at higher rates than any other age group.
- In 2024, inadequate housing was a factor in at least 14% of child removal cases nationally, contributing to more than 24,000 foster care placements.

A new policy bulletin by Alana Barr, Yasmin Grewal-Kök, and Kaya West brings together the evidence and explains how expanding access to housing supports helps keep children safe and families together. Access it at the bottom of this page: https://www.chapinhall.org/project/chapin-hall-policy-bulletins-compile-evidence-on-impact-of-federal-human-services/

08/17/2026

pays off. Early family support promotes stability, builds stronger communities, and reduces the need for costly crisis response.

Spread the word with this Prevent Child Abuse America toolkit: https://preventchildabuse.org/resources/primary-prevention-toolkit/

08/14/2026

Happy 5-year anniversary to Katrina Dorse, Policy Analyst at Chapin Hall! Over five years, Katrina has been a trusted colleague whose work carries real impact. She provides key support across Maryland, Connecticut, Illinois, and California projects, and she brings exceptional writing, facilitation, and project management skills to each one.

Her recent work includes helping embed equitable principles and practices into work in Ohio and designing and delivering training for the Connecticut Kinship Navigator program. She is now leading Community Pathway design and implementation efforts in Maryland.

She meets challenges with a positive, creative approach (and has a real talent for a good icebreaker). Katrina, thank you for all you do. We appreciate you!

Want to learn more about Katrina? Explore her bio: https://www.chapinhall.org/person/katrina-dorse/

08/13/2026

In New Mexico, community voice is pointing to the policy changes needed to make services accessible for families.

The New Mexico Child and Family Services System Blueprint will draw on input from more than 490 residents and providers to plan improvements, such as:

- reexamining eligibility rules so families are not penalized for modest income gains
- strengthening workforce recruitment and retention
- bolstering crisis services in mental health, addiction, and housing
- setting a clear expectation that families are met with accurate, respectful support when they seek help

See the policy recommendations that came out of interviews with New Mexico communities: https://www.chapinhall.org/research/listening-to-communities-to-strengthen-family-services-in-new-mexico/