Youth Violence Prevention Week, which takes place from April 20-24, 2026 is a vital reminder of the role every community member and professional plays in ensuring the safety and well-being of young people. At the Minnesota Child Welfare Training Academy (MNCWTA), we recognize that child welfare professionals are uniquely positioned as essential partners in preventing youth violence.

Child welfare professionals work at the intersection of supporting young people through critical and often transitional periods of their lives. The factors that contribute to child maltreatment such as household violence, substance abuse, and neglect are often the same risk factors that increase a young person's risk of exposure to youth violence. By addressing these root causes, child welfare professionals contribute directly to violence prevention.

The Role of Child Welfare in Prevention

Early Identification and Intervention

Child welfare professionals are trained to identify early signs of trauma and high-risk behaviors. By providing immediate, needs-based support, they can mitigate the long-term impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which are strongly linked to future involvement in violence. This includes:

  • Screening and Assessment: Utilizing evidence-based tools to assess a child's history of exposure to violence and trauma.
  • Safety Planning: Creating tailored plans for families to reduce immediate risks within the home and community.

Connecting Youth to Resources

Connecting young people and their families to appropriate resources is a core competency of child welfare work. This ensures they have access to the protective factors that buffer against violence, such as stable housing, mental health services, and positive youth development programs.

Examples of some of the key resources or supports child welfare professionals can provide are:

  • Mental Health: Examples include Trauma-Informed Counseling and CBT, with the action being facilitating referrals and transportation.
  • Educational Support: Examples are Tutoring and Mentorship Programs, with the action being advocating for IEPs and school stability.
  • Community Programs: Examples include After-school activities, Sports leagues, and Job training, with the action being vetting and recommending local, safe programs.
  • Housing and Financial: Examples are Emergency shelter and Rental assistance, with the action being collaborating with housing agencies to secure stable environments.

Promoting Positive Relationships and Skills

Child welfare professionals should prioritize building and supporting existing strong, nurturing relationships as a critical protective factor for the young people they work with and serve. By putting effort into maintaining or growing the relationships young people have with supportive adults in their lives, professionals help young people develop essential life skills, including emotional regulation, conflict resolution, and healthy communication.

  • Training and Support: Providing parents and caregivers with training in positive discipline and child development.
  • Therapeutic Approaches: Utilizing therapeutic foster care and other interventions to heal relational trauma.

Ongoing Support for Child Welfare Professionals

MNCWTA is committed to providing child welfare professionals with the ongoing training necessary to excel in this field. We have a variety of training sessions that touch on the topic of how to better support youth in our Training Catalog.

We encourage all child welfare workers, supervisors, and partners to review the following resources for more information about how they can integrate violence prevention work into their practice: